TEMPE, Ariz. – In the 34th minute, a foul on Arizona State freshman defender Gator Demark that awarded a penalty kick to North Carolina was under review, and fans on both sides held their breath.

When the call was confirmed, Carolina graduate midfielder Summer Denigan put the penalty kick in the top right corner of the net, far out of reach for ASU sophomore goalkeeper Kennedy Zorn. The goal proved decisive in the match as No. 9 Carolina (5-1) delivered the Sun Devils (4-1-2) their first loss of the season 1-0 Sunday, Sept. 6, at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.

Despite the loss, the performance gave head coach Graham Winkworth confidence going into the rest of the season.

“It’s a strange feeling because we’ve lost the first game of the season, but I’m probably the most proud I’ve been of the team all season,” Winkworth said.

While it was an entire-team effort to keep the Tar Heels on their toes, the ASU defense showed up and slowed their opponents in a major way.

The Sun Devils held Carolina, a team that came into the match averaging 3.17 goals and 21.6 shots per game, to just one goal on four shots. 

ASU graduate midfielder Peyton Marcisz attributed the defensive effort to a gritty playing style, energy in the locker room and a deep desire to win.

“That’s a really good team, but you can defend anyone,” Marcisz said. “ You just have to prepare.”

Knowing that Carolina makes frequent substitutions, Winkworth said one of the ways his squad prepared for the match was by figuring out how to tire out the Tar Heels to open up opportunities for the Sun Devils to capitalize.

This strategy gave ASU multiple offensive chances, but they couldn’t follow through with a score.

Despite his squad’s inability to put the ball in the net, Winkworth said he believed his team was in control of the game despite not having possession, especially in the second half.

“Honestly, I thought we were the better team in the second half,” Winkworth said. “Maybe not with the prettiness of the soccer or the amount of possession but with the chances that we created.”

Going into the second half, Marcisz said ASU’s goal was to focus on what they’re good at and use their advantages against the Tar Heels.

The Sun Devils focused on their talent in scoring in set pieces going into the second half, Marcisz said. However, solid defense from Carolina kept them from finding the net in any of those opportunities to score.

The Sun Devils also used their height advantage over UNC in the second half to keep the ball high in the air, Marcisz said. This was the opposite of the strategy the Tar Heels were trying to employ, which pushed them out of their comfort zone.

“We wanted to channel what we think we could be successful with,” Marcisz said. “So they were pressing us good, but we played over them.”

Ultimately, while not the result the Sun Devils hoped for, the match produced confidence for the rest of the season.

According to Marcisz, playing a high-quality team like UNC early on will be beneficial for her and her teammates as they look forward to conference play, which will offer tougher matches for ASU.

Winkworth said he believes that, if his team can play with the same intensity and passion that they exhibited in this match but with more technical quality, they can achieve their goals this season.

The Sun Devils will have the chance to polish their game this week as they prepare for their next match against Grambling State at home on Friday, Sept. 11.

“We need to experience adversity, and then learn from it and react to it,” Marcisz said.