Tar Heel women top Maryland

For the second time in three days, North Carolina women's soccer beat Maryland.

There was more riding this time on chilly night at WakeMed Soccer Park, where the Tar Heels won 3-0 in the final of four first round games in the ACC Women's Soccer Championship.

And this time it was a more convincing win.

North Carolina(15-3-1) scored fairly early, with several players getting good looks, and didn't give up much.

Tar Heels senior midfielder Tobin Heath, who had three shots in the first half, was slipped a pass from senior forward Casey Nogueira and she fired past Maryland goalkeeper Mary Casey at 14:09.

"She slipped a perfect ball into me," Heath said of Nogueira's pass. "It was very precise, right onto my feet."

It was Heath's first goal since the second game of the season. She missed six games for activities with the U.S. National team, which Heath is a member.

"It had been a while," said Heath.

North Carolina got off nine shots in the half, and controlled the ball for much of the period, allowing the Terrapins (12-5-2) the only shot they got off in the game.

The Tar Heels got their second score in the second half when sophomore midfielder Maria Lubrano's shot hit the right post.

"I screamed, No!" Lubrano said.

But the ball ricocheted in front of the net and bounced off the back of one of Maryland's players and into the net at 55:57.

"In my mind, that's Lubrano's goal," said Tar Heels coach Anson Dorrance.

The goal ensured the game didn't end the same way the last game between the two teams ended, on Sunday, when Lubrano scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory in the seventh minute at College Park, Md.

"If somebody would have told me before the season that Maria Lubrano would be starting, that would have surprised me," said Dorrance. "That she is, and is playing like this right now, is a credit to her."

Lubrano was the first choice when senior midfielder Nikki Washington tore her right ACL in September, ending her season.

And North Carolina got one more goal when freshman defender Lucy Bronze headed one more insurance goal late at 82:53, with Jessica McDonald and Heath getting assists.

McDonald threw the ball inbounds to a wide open Heath, who touched the ball back to her.

With two defenders closing in, McDonald got the ball across to Bronze perfectly.

"She did a great job finding Lucy's head," said Heath.

McDonald had a team high seven shots, many of them great looks, though her only point came on the assist to Bronze.

"It is frustrating but at the same time it's motivation," said McDonald.

No. 3 seeded North Carolina will now face No. 2 seed Boston College at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals.

The Tar Heels won the last meeting with Golden Eagles 2-1, scoring twice on penalty kicks on Oct. 1.

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