Three Late Goals by No. 7 UNC Lifts Tar Heels Over No. 2 Duke

Thursday, September 17

Chapel Hill, NC

8 p.m.

Duke University

6-1-1, 1-1-0

North Carolina

8-1-0, 2-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Duke	1	1	2
North Carolina	1	3	4

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Three Late Goals by No. 7 UNC Lifts Tar Heels Over No. 2 Duke

9/17/2026 11:46:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The seventh-ranked North Carolina women's soccer team scored three unanswered goals over the final 20 minutes of action Thursday evening to register a 4-2 victory over second-ranked Duke at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill.

After falling behind, 1-0, in the first half, Duke scored a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead early in the second half. North Carolina scored in the 71st, 74th and 89th minutes to collect the win.

Rookie Rylee McLanahan and senior Mia Minestrella scored for the Blue Devils on the night. Duke dropped to 6-1-1, 1-1-0 in the ACC, while the Tar Heels moved to 8-1-0, 2-0-0.

How It Happened

North Carolina was the more offensive team over the first 35 minutes and the Tar Heels struck first in the 31st minute as Lilliah Blum stole a pass and drove into the box before finishing past Duke goalkeeper Molly Vapensky for a 1-0 lead.
Duke junior Jocelyn Travers attempted the Blue Devils' first shot at the 31:28 mark as she got free at the top of the box and fired a shot that was saved by UNC keeper Peyton Trayer.
The Blue Devils evened the score, 1-1, at the 41:06 mark as freshman Rylee McLanahan finished a ball into the bottom right corner of the goal after North Carolina tried to clear out of the box. It marked her first collegiate goal. A product of Edmond, Oklahoma, McLanahan took a touch to the left and then finished with her left foot.
At the end of the first half, Duke tied a season low with two shots, while UNC had five.
The Blue Devils came out in the second half and drew a penalty kick as sophomore Daya King fed a great pass down the left flank to junior Katie Shea Collins. Using her left foot, Collins crossed a ball in front of the goal where senior Mia Minestrella attempted a shot that went off the arm of a Tar Heel. Duke was awarded a penalty kick and Minestrella finished into the top left corner to give Duke a 2-1 lead at the 48:48 mark. Minestrella, who is from Redondo Beach, California, scored for the sixth consecutive game and in the 11th of the last 13 contests dating back to last year.
North Carolina evened the score, 2-2, at the 70:48 mark as Blum finished her second of the night and then took a 3-2 lead less than three minutes later as Izzi Stratton scored off a corner kick.
Senior Cameron Roller sent a long ball down the field to a streaking Collins, who attempted a right-footed shot inside the box, but Trayer made the diving stop in the 75th minute.
The Blue Devils nearly evened the score at the 85:04 mark as Travers' shot from the top of the box went off the crossbar.
North Carolina added a fourth goal with 1:40 remaining as Shaela Bradley scored.
For the match, the Tar Heels outshot Duke, 10-6, and held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Notes

Duke trailed for only the second and third times all season and allowed a goal in the first half for the first time this year (Old Dominion).
Rylee McLanahan became just the eighth Duke freshman to score against North Carolina. It was the second year in a row that a Blue Devil freshman has scored versus the Tar Heels (Avery Oder).
Duke's two first-half shots tied for a season low (UCLA). Both were road matches.
Mia Minestrella has now scored a goal against 13 different ACC teams and marked her first career goal versus the Tar Heels in seven appearances.
Minestrella collected her 40th career goal to move into a tie for second on Duke's all-time goals list along with Casey McCluskey (2001-04). She moved into third on Duke's all-time points list with 96, while passing McCluskey (95).
Minestrella has scored 14 goals over her last 22 ACC regular-season matches.
The four goals scored by North Carolina were a season high allowed for the Blue Devils. It was the most goals allowed by Duke in the series since 2010 (5). It is the most goals Duke has allowed in match since Oct. 22, 2023 at No. 1 Florida State.
The loss snapped a three-match regular season winning streak by Duke in the series against UNC.
Duke goalkeeper Molly Vapensky finished the night with two saves and allowed a career-high four goals in 90 minutes.