Texas A&M sends North Carolina packing early

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Nov 20, 2015

Texas A&M sent 21-time NCAA champion North Carolina home before the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in the 34-year history of the NCAA Division I Women's Tournament with a 1-0 win on Friday.

Ally Watt scored the match’s lone goal in the 28th minute, picking up Stephanie Malherbe's pass just outside the penalty box and sending a ball to the right post that bounced unabated into the right side netting.
 
The Aggie defense limuted the Tar Heels to only three shots on goal as Danielle Rice picked her third career shutout. UNC's best chance came in the 57th minute when Alexa Newfield hit the left post from 10 yards out.

Few expected A&M to be in the final 16 as G Guerrieri's squad was decimated by graduation after reaching the Women's College Cup for the first time in 2014.

“This says a lot about the types of kids we have on this team," he said. "They’re a team that can step up to a big occasion. It’s great to get another win in the NCAA tournament and this one came against a legendary program -- a North Carolina program that we obviously we have the most respect for. What Anson Dorrance has done for women’s soccer is amazing. So this was a huge win for us. This is a Sweet 16 spot we’ve really had to battle for, so it’s special."

Nov. 20 in Clemson, South Carolina
Texas A&M 1 North Carolina 0. Goals: Watt 28.
Texas A&M -- Rice, Mueller, Ritchie, Harryman, Schmidt, Bates, Hajdu, Malherbe, Harvey, Pounds, Watt. Subs: Crabtree, Wright, Paulson, Leonard.
North Carolina -- Heaberlin, Bowen, Nielsen, Gardner, Ashley, Green, Kingman, Elinsky, Buckingham, Scarpa, Newfield. Subs: Bruder, Mucherera, Worth, Morris, Harris, Mann, Kimball, Firstenberg.