University of North Carolina Athletics
From Fetzer to Finley
September 18, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 18, 2000
By Dave Lohse
Director of Media Relations for Olympic Sports
Last week a University of North Carolina athletic team suffered its worst Atlantic Coast Conference loss in history. That's right, when the then top-ranked North Carolina women's soccer team lost at Clemson on September 13 by a 2-1 score, the one-goal margin of defeat equalled the largest the Tar Heels have ever suffered in ACC play. It matched the margin of defeat that Carolina had to endure in a 3-2 loss to Duke on October 19, 1994.
Of course, the loss to Clemson at least happened on the road. It didn't quite match the ignominious nature of losing at home to Duke. And the loss to the Tigers did drop Carolina's all-time record in Atlantic Coast Conference regular season games to 65-2-1.
The following day my phone rang off the hook at the office. This came as no shock to me. There were also more than the average number of heads bobbing in with quizzical looks on their faces. Someone even walked in and greeted me with that annoying utterance from the Budweiser commercials of late--that really lame "Wazzup" thing that has become so popular. Listen folks, if you don't want to use the English language that's fine, just don't try to pull it off around me. And then there were the emails. There are days I wish that network thing wasn't invented. But then I get over it.
The point of all these inquiries was the search for the answer as to what was wrong with the Carolina women's soccer team. I mean, how dare these young women have the audacity to actually lose their 20th game in the past 22 years. Who do they think they are? After every Carolina loss and tie the reaction is the same. What happened? Is the program falling apart? You get the drift.
One time I want someone to say instead, "Maybe I should call (fill in name of school) and ask them why it took so long to catch up to North Carolina?" Wouldn't that be refreshing? The bottom line is that every time Carolina either wins or ties a game people react like Chicken Little. Which is first and foremost putting way too much pressure on a group of student-athletes in expecting them to be flawless. It is also insulting to Carolina's opponents. Why not give them credit for playing a great game? I know a group of people who respect their opponents each and every game. They are the coaches and the student-athletes who play on the UNC women's soccer team. It is the media and our fans who need to catch up to them.
Let's face some facts folks. The last Carolina team which was invincible was the 1993 version which carried the Carolina Blue and White to a perfect 23-0 mark in Mia Hamm's senior year. Since then the Tar Heels have not gone unmarred going 25-1-1 in 1994, 25-1 in 1995, 25-1 in 1996, 27-0-1 in 1997, 25-1 in 1998, 24-2 in 1999 and 8-1 so far this year. During that time Carolina has lost twice to Notre Dame while also tying the Fighting Irish twice and also lost games to Duke, Florida, Penn State, Santa Clara and Clemson. There are enough good teams around now that Carolina is going to lose and tie games virtually every year.
That's why I think it is so important that fans of the Carolina soccer program actually appreciate the fact that the Tar Heels have won the national championship in four of the past six years. It has not been an easy task. Remember that in both 1994 and 1999 Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament not in the position of being the #1 seed in the post-season. Both times Carolina emerged as the NCAA champion. In both 1995 and 1998 the Tar Heels were the #1 seed but lost both times. So only twice in the last six years has the #1 seed actually won the championship as Carolina did in 1996 and 1997.
The other pronounced realization that parity has arrived is the fact that of the last 15 games played in the NCAA Final Four, 11 have been decided by a one-goal margin. The other four were decided by only two goals.
And so it goes. Of great concern to me is the fact that I began writing about the fact that parity had arrived in collegiate women's soccer back in 1994. Now it isn't NFL type parity where everyone goes 8-8. But parity is here. There are plenty of good teams around and no outcome should shock anyone too much. But apparently no one pays any attention to anything I write. Or maybe they just don't believe me. Which is why the events of September 14 hurt me so badly. I had to face up to the fact that at age 45 I have lost all of my credibility.
So I wrote another piece like this in an effort to get it back. All the while hoping that the next time the Tar Heels stumble--and they will at some point and time--people will actually remember what I wrote this time. Fat chance.
