University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
#2 Tar Heels Power Way Past #16 Maryland And Into ACC Finals
November 8, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 8, 2002
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. - Second-ranked North Carolina got goals from four different players Friday night as the Tar Heels whitewashed 16th-ranked Maryland 4-0 in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Soccer Tournament at the Seminole Soccer Complex. With the win, top-seeded UNC advances to the ACC Tournament championship game which will be played Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Clemson, ranked #12 and seeded second in the ACC Tournament, will meet the Tar Heels in a match to be televised live on the Sunshine Network, Comcast and Fox Sports South.
On Friday, Carolina got goals from senior forward Susan Bush, sophomore forward Anne Morrell, junior midfielder Elizabeth Ball and freshman midfielder Kacey White to lead a balanced attack. Junior forward Alyssa Ramsey had two assists in the match and now has four assists total in the first two games of the tournament.
The win over the fifth-seeded Terrapins improved the Tar Heels' all-time ACC Tournament record to 37-0-1. UNC has won 36 straight ACC Tournament matches since tying NC State in the 1988 Tournament. Carolina will be playing for its 14th straight ACC Tournament title on Sunday. UNC and Clemson have met twice previously in the ACC Tournament finals with UNC winning 4-1 at Clemson, S.C. in 1996 and 4-0 at Orlando, Fla., in 1998.
Carolina and Maryland were playing for the second time in seven days Friday night. The two teams played a week ago Friday night in Chapel Hill and the match went 110 minutes, resulting in a 1-1 double overtime tie. The second meeting was much different however as the Tar Heels dominated from the start.
ush put the Tar Heels ahead at the 18:11 mark of the match as she scored her fourth goal of the season and her second in two nights. After Maryland goalkeeper Kristen Barnhill deflected a ball in the box, Bush pounced on the loose ball and went far post to put the Tar Heels up 1-0. It was Bush's second game-winning goal of the campaign, both in the past two nights.
Carolina outshot the Terps 13-6 in the first half and Barnhill prevented the margin from being worse by making five of her seven saves in the opening 45 minutes.
Less than three minutes into the second half the Tar Heels doubled their lead. After a corner kick, Ramsey took a loose ball and redirected it to Morrell who finished with her eighth goal of the season at 47:23.
The game remained 2-0 for the next 25 minutes but the Tar Heels then struck for back-to-back goals in a matter of 1:37 to ice the contest. At 72:35, Ball scored her first goal of the season, getting assists from Ramsey and sophomore midfielder Anne Felts. Ramsey sent a corner kick into the box that was flicked on by Felts to Ball who finished the play. It was the eighth assist of the year for Ramsey and fourth for Felts.
UNC finished the scoring at 74:12 as White scored her second goal of the campaign and first since the Texas A&M game on September 13. Sophomore midfielder Mary McDowell assisted on the play, her sixth assist of the season and second in two nights. McDowell sent a pass to White on the left post and White finished the scoring opportunity from about eight yards out.
Carolina finished with a shot margin of 28-9 in the match, including 15-3 in the second half. The Tar Heels had 10 corner kicks to three for Maryland. For the second straight night Jenni Branam played all 90 minutes in goal for the Tar Heels. Branam faced nine shots, none on goal. In Carolina's two ACC Tournament victories the Tar Heels have faced only 12 shots, none on the goal.
UNC improved to 16-1-4 overall on the season with the victory while the Terrapins fell to 12-7-1 on the campaign. Carolina won the ACC regular season championship with a 4-1-2 mark in the ACC while Maryland tied for fourth with a 3-3-1 league mark.
oth teams are expected to get NCAA Tournament bids when they are announced live on ESPNNews Monday at 4:30 p.m. The winner of UNC's match with Clemson on Sunday will receive the ACC's automatic bid to the 64-team tournament.
#16 MARYLAND (#5 Seed) 0 0--0
#2 NORTH CAROLINA (#1 Seed) 1 3--4
Scoring
18:11--UNC--Susan Bush
47:23--UNC--Anne Morrell (Alyssa Ramsey)
72:35--UNC--Elizabeth Ball (Anne Felts, Alyssa Ramsey)
74:12--UNC--Kacey White (Mary McDowell)
Shots: Maryland 9, UNC 28
Shots on Goal: Maryland 0, UNC 11
Saves: Kristen Barnhill (MD) 7, Jenni Branam (UNC) 0
Corner Kicks: Maryland 3, UNC 10
Fouls: Maryland 2, UNC 11
Offsides: Maryland 1, UNC 2
Referee: Brian Kirkley
Assistant Referees: Tony Baumert, Don Wilbur
Alternate Official: James Quinn
Attendance: 592
Records: Maryland 12-7-1, UNC 16-1-4
