UNC women’s soccer ends 12-year title drought, downs Wake Forest in College Cup final

Olivia Thomas didn’t remember the moment, but it’s one North Carolina fans won’t soon forget.

In the 62nd minute, the sophomore forward adjusted her braids, took a deep breath and, as she prepared to take a set-piece strike, she blacked out.

Even after the game, she couldn’t quite describe the game-winner — the ball that bent around a diving Valentina Amaral and nestled into the right corner of the goal. That gave North Carolina a 1-0 victory over fellow No. 2 seed Wake Forest in the NCAA women’s soccer championship at WakeMed Soccer Park on Monday night.

“I’m still really shocked,” Thomas said. “It was a crazy moment.”

The victory secured the Tar Heels’ 23rd national title — their first since 2012 — and delivered the Tar Heels their first championship under head coach Damon Nahas.

Nahas, serving this season in an interim capacity, learned earlier Monday in his Cary hotel room that he’d earned the head coaching role when Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham visited and informed him of the decision. Nahas kept the news to himself until after the victory, when shared the announcement in the team huddle.

The Tar Heels erupted in cheers, patting his head in celebration.

For the program, the title also brought redemption. UNC had reached three of the last six title games but fallen short each time — most recently in a heartbreaking overtime loss to UCLA in 2022.

“We were 16 seconds away from a national championship [in 2022],” Nahas said. “All those girls in 2022, many of them were here tonight… this is almost a championship for them as well.”

Slow start turns to triumph

The Demon Deacons controlled much of the first half, outshooting the Tar Heels 5-1 and dictating the game’s pace. Nahas admitted his team’s aggression in the opening half created defensive gaps Wake Forest was able to exploit.

“They want so badly to go get the ball… our aggression played against us sometimes, which opened up some gaps,” he said.

Despite the lackluster opening 45 minutes, the mood in the Tar Heels’ locker room at halftime remained upbeat.

“We didn’t have the best half, and yet it was still 0-0,” junior defender Emerson Elgin said, later adding, “It was a really good halftime talk. There was no blaming, no negativity — it was all positive going into the second half.”

Nahas made some slight tactical adjustments to compact the team’s shape, allowing the Tar Heels to press higher. These changes — combined with the team settling into the high-stakes environment — paid off.

“At this time, at this stage, it’s about the will and determination,” Nahas said. “If you have the talent to match it, sometimes that is what gets you over the hump.”

That resolve materialized in Thomas’ winning strike. It’s a shot she’d been honing in practice after missing a similar attempt against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

Legacy and a New Leaf

Monday’s win was particularly meaningful for seven Tar Heels — Maddie Dahlien, Tessa Dellarose, Makenna Dominguez, Emerson Elgin, Kate Faasse, Asha Means and Bella Sember — who were part of the 2022 team that fell in overtime to UCLA.

Nahas also dedicated the championship to former head coach Anson Dorrance, who retired before the season after 45 years at the helm, having built the program into a national powerhouse.

During the trophy presentation, Nahas held up his phone to include Dorrance via video call. The program’s founder and Nahas’ mentor watched from home, but Nahas wanted him to be part of this moment.

“This is, for me, a thank you for Anson,” Nahas said on the field, soaked in a combination of sports drink and champagne. “I so badly wanted to win it for the girls, but I so badly wanted to win it for Anson… this is a thank you for him.”

With 23 national championships, North Carolina extends its NCAA record across Division I programs. Florida State, the next closest, has four titles.

But Monday’s title wasn’t just a testament to dominance. It capped a season filled with challenges, including Dorrance’s retirement, a roster heavy with underclassmen and multiple player absences — due to injury and international play.

“For anyone that’s followed us and seen what we went through last year and seen the transition this year — this is an inspiring group of young women in a college landscape with a lot of uncertainty,” Nahas said. “But the one certainty is that this group of women was committed to doing something special. They will have inspired, hopefully, a lot of young females out there to reach that pinnacle.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 9:20 PM.