Heels claim another ACC soccer title

TAKAAKI IWABU - tiwabu@newsobser

North Carolina's Jessica McDonald, left, delivers a cross over Florida State's Toni Presley during the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Soccer Championship game at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Tar Heels beat the Seminoles with 3-0 to win their 20th ACC title.

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Heels claim another ACC soccer title

North Carolina and Florida State met in the championship match of the ACC Women's Soccer Championship for the third time in four years at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday. The game ended just like the others.

Third-seeded North Carolina beat top-seeded Florida State 3-0 for its 20th ACC tournament title in 22 years. The Tar Heels (17-3-1) have a 57-0-3 record in ACC tournament play.

"Every season has different kinds of challenges and also wonderful rewards," UNC coach Anson Dorrance said. "This season was no different."

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Heels gain ACC women's soccer final

Coming into the semifinal of the ACC Women's Soccer Tournament on Friday, North Carolina had played in each of the previous 21 championship games. Make it 22.

No. 3 seed UNC (16-3-1) beat No. 2 seed Boston College 1-0 in overtime at WakeMed Soccer Park to oust the Eagles (15-3-2) from the ACC Tournament for the second year in a row.

With 7:46 left before the game would move to a shootout, North Carolina's pressure finally cracked Boston College's defense.

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Heels pace ACC effort in NCAA women's soccer

Lucy Bronze has said she doesn't understand the American system of postseason tournaments -- but North Carolina's freshman defender from Northumberland, England, sure is playing like she does.

Bronze added to her tournament résumé with an assist on the opening goal and netted the closing goal of the Tar Heels' 4-0 rout of Georgia in the NCAA women's soccer tournament's second round - just two days after scoring the winner in UNC's first-round game.

UNC (19-3-1) moves on to the second weekend of the tournament for the 29th time and will host Maryland in the third round Saturday at 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field. Six ACC teams will join the Tar Heels in the round of 16.

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Nogueira kicks Heels into title game

Casey Nogueira has put a dismal, for her, regular season in the mirror.

Nogueira provided the lone marker in North Carolina's 1-0 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament semifinal win over Notre Dame on Friday.

The Tar Heels will look for their 21st national title Sunday against undefeated Stanford (25-0), which beat UCLA 2-1 in overtime in the first semifinal.

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Tar Heels get Terrapin trifecta

Playing each other for the third time this month, North Carolina and Maryland met in the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament on Saturday. And for the third time the Tar Heels left the pitch with a shutout.

"It's the nature of the quality of the league that we're going to face a team possibly three times," UNC coach Anson Dorrance said. "It's no fun, trust me. But this is our tri fecta."

With the 1-0 victory, North Carolina (20-3-1) advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the 26th time in 28 seasons. The Tar Heels will host another ACC rival, Wake Forest, at 2 p.m. Friday at Fetzer Field.