University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Miami
Tar Heels Clinch ACC Regular-Season Title
November 2, 2008 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 2, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - It took 29 shots for second-ranked North Carolina to get one past Miami goalkeeper Vikki Alonzo but Casey Nogueira's Atlantic Coast Conference-leading 19th tally in the 84th minute proved the difference as the Tar Heel women's soccer team clinched their 19th ACC regular-season championship in 22 years with a 1-0 victory over the Hurricanes Sunday afternoon at Fetzer Field.
The Tar Heels ended their regular season at 16-1-2 overall and 9-0-1 in the ACC heading into the 2008 ACC Tournament which begins Wednesday at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The Tar Heels will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament. This marks the 17th time in 22 seasons that Carolina has finished ACC regular-season play without a loss. With the loss the Hurricanes fall to 10-7-3 overall and 3-5-2 in the ACC.
Carolina outshot the Hurricanes 17-4 in the first half but was unable to get one past Alonzo, who made nine of her 14 saves in the opening 45 minutes. At 10:40 of the first half, on only their second shot, the Tar Heels had a great opportunity to take the lead but Yael Averbuch's shot clanged off the cross bar. In the 33rd minute, Alonzo saved a one-on-one opportunity by UNC's Emmalie Pfankuch 15 yards out of the goal. In the 42nd minute Nikki Washington's shot from the left side of the box was saved despite Alonzo being screened by three players on the play.
Miami's best opportunity to score came in the 52nd minute after a corner kick by Lauren Singer from the right side. Singer's corner went to Ashlee Burt on the near post and her header across the goal mouth was saved off the line by UNC's Meghan Klingenberg, who was standing just inside the left post.
Over the next 30 plus minutes, the Tar Heels outshot the Canes 9-1 but they continued to be denied by Alonzo, who made five saves in the second half.
The Tar Heels got the game winner off a seemingly innocent goal kick in the 84th minute. It was the only time all day Alonzo made a mistake. She mishit the goal kick and it squirted on the ground only about a dozen yards directly to Jessica McDonald at the top of the 18-yard box. McDonald tapped the ball to Nogueira who split the two Miami defenders at the 12-yard line. Nogueira slotted her shot inside the left post from eight yards out. It was Nogueira's 19th goal of the season and it was her team-leading fifth game-winning goal.
UNC did not back off after scoring and it had two more great opportunities to extend its lead. Nogueira's shot at 84:14 hit the post and then Averbuch hit the cross bar for the second time in the game at 88:27. But the Canes were never able to get the ball across midfield in the final seven minutes and the Tar Heels ran out the clock to claim the win.
Since 1987, UNC has finished the ACC regular-season without a loss except for the 1994, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007 campaigns.
