University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Women's Soccer Back On Top
December 5, 1999 | Women's Soccer
Dec. 5, 1999
San Jose, Calif.:
The North Carolina Tar Heels reclaimed what is almost their birthright, the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, Sunday afternoon at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. After losing 1-0 to Florida in last year's title match, Carolina dominated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the way to a 2-0 win in front of an NCAA-record crowd of 14,410.
Carolina has now won 15 of the past 18 NCAA titles, having lost only in 1985, 1995 and 1998. The Irish, who won the crown in Chapel Hill in 1995, have lost three times to UNC in the final game.
Carolina controlled the contest, outshooting Notre Dame 17-3 and holding a 6-0 edge in corner kicks. Ironically, host team Santa Clara outshot the Irish by the same 17-3 margin on Friday night but lost 1-0.
Carolina had several scoring chances in the first half, the best a shot by Meredith Florance from the left wing in the 14th minute, but went to the halftime break in a scoreless tie after outshooting the Irish 8-1.
Florance then broke the tie with a goal at the 55:11 mark. Freshman Kim Patrick crossed the ball to the top right corner of the penalty box, where Florance kicked it into the right corner of the net past Irish goalie LaKeysia Beene. Patrick and Susan Bush were credited with assists on the play.
Anne Remy had a shot glance off the top of the crossbar in the 59th minute before Carolina wrapped things up when Beth Sheppard scored from in close at the 79:06 mark. Raven McDonald dribbled the ball down to the left of the goal, then centered to Sheppard, who jammed it past eene from about four yards out. McDonald and Bush both were credited with assists.
The Heels finish the season at 24-2-0, while the Irish finish at 21-4-1.
ush, who assisted on three of Carolina's four goals in Santa Clara, was named Offensive MVP. Lorrie Fair, playing within the shadows of her home town of Los Altos, was named Defensive MVP.
Patrick, Remy, Jena Kluegel and Florance join Bush and Fair on the All-Tournament Team.
North Carolina's overall record in the NCAA Tournament is now 61-3. Carolina has a 466-19-11 record over the past 18 years, outscoring its opponents by a 2,194-215 margin.
"The foundation for any success is recruiting," North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance said. "We bring in extraordinary talent, and these players compete with relentless fury. We win with heart and muscle, and we spend years training that muscle."
This year's squad showed plenty of heart, rallying from an uncharacteristic 6-2 start to win its last 18 games. UNC dropped an early home match 3-2 to Penn St., then lost 1-0 to Santa Clara on Sept. 24 in Durham. Carolina outscored its last 18 opponents by a whopping 71-6 margin, including shutout wins in ten of the past eleven games.
The Tar Heels outscored their opponents 20-1 in five NCAA tournament games.
After a one-year hiatus, the NCAA Title returns to its familiar resting place. Chapel Hill is indeed the capital of women's soccer.
Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com
