Freshman forward Emily Colton scored with 5:57 to play in regulation, the University of North Carolina’s second goal in a span of 2:40, to force a 2-2 tie with Virginia Tech Thursday evening at Dorrance Field.
The Tar Heels are 7-1-1, 0-1-1 in ACC play, while the Hokies are 7-2-1, 1-1 in league action.
Carolina out-shot Tech, 32-10, but trailed by two goals with under nine minutes to play. It was the first time this season UNC fell behind by a pair of goals and the first time that happened at home since 2013.
The Hokies scored in the 31st minute of the first half when Tori Powell intercepted an errant back pass and found an open net. Tech added a second goal with 10:33 to play in the second half after another defensive error on a failed clear led to a Nicole Kozlova goal.
Those were the first goals by Virginia Tech against Carolina in nine games dating back to 2015.
Carolina answered the two-goal deficit almost immediately after switching to a new formation.
Left winger Rachel Jones’s cross found Avery Patterson at the top of the box and Patterson blasted a shot into the upper right corner of the goal with 8:37 to play for her third score of the season.
Less than two minutes later, Maycee Bell got her head on a Paige Tolentino corner kick. Bell’s header directed the ball toward the goal where Colton volleyed it past the Tech defense for the tying score. It was Colton’s team-leading fifth goal of the season. The Carlsbad, Calif., native had a game-high seven shots, including six on goal.
Carolina had a 7-2 advantage in shots in overtime, but the Hokies had an excellent shot to end the game less than two minutes into extra time. Emily Gray’s point-blank shot from six yards out was saved by UNC’s Claudia Dickey.
Sixteen of UNC’s 32 shots were on goal. Hokie goalkeeper Alia Skinner made a career-high 14 saves.
The Tar Heels had several quality scoring chances in overtime, the best being a header by Bell and then a shot by Colton with under a minute to play.
The Tar Heels return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday at home against Clemson.