Relive Women’s Soccer’s 23rd National Title Through Social Media
December 18, 2024 | Women's Soccer
On Dec. 9, 2024, the queens of college soccer reclaimed their crown as North Carolina won its 23rd national championship and first since 2012. No other women’s college soccer program has more than four.
Carolina defeated Wake Forest, 1-0, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary in front of over 10,000 fans. Olivia Thomas netted the game-winning goal off a free kick in the 62nd minute.
Here’s how the story of UNC’s unprecedented 23rd national title unfolded, as told on social media.
Heels in the House
When the Tar Heels arrived at WakeMed Soccer Park, they were greeted by friends, family and fans as they made their way into the facility.
Heels in the house
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 9, 2024
?? WakeMed Soccer Park pic.twitter.com/FxBQNMd9kO
??? HEELS ARE HERE!!#WCollegeCup x @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/8SuOMdCSye
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2024
?? WakeMed Soccer Park
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 9, 2024
?? @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/3HjynfzLX6
Loud & proud ??#WCollegeCup x @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/lESODMIDva
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2024
The best welcome crew ?? pic.twitter.com/ZTGtyq6CLP
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 9, 2024
Locking In
The team went through their normal pre-game routine before heading out to the field to warm up ahead of kick off.
Laser focused pic.twitter.com/Y9KU33GVSX
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 9, 2024
Calm before the storm ??#WCollegeCup x @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/RIFMKOruIF
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 9, 2024
You don’t only come to Carolina to play in big games
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 9, 2024
You come to Carolina to play in ???????? ???????? pic.twitter.com/n7MfCx36HN
Almost time. pic.twitter.com/gUjubmSZDB
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 10, 2024
Game Time
The match between UNC and WFU began with over 10,000 fans in the stands – the majority which were wearing Carolina Blue. The game was scoreless after 45 minutes with Wake Forest holding a 5-1 edge in shots. UNC goalkeeper Clare Gagne had three clutch first-half saves.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IS UNDERWAY.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 10, 2024
Watch @uncwomenssoccer vs. Wake Forest now on ESPNU ?? https://t.co/ERUaNEntfu pic.twitter.com/7TxRDiU51E
AIR CLARE™? ain't messing around
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
?? » https://t.co/UMWobQaPPy pic.twitter.com/AjjUMt7Khm
Nothing yet after 45#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ZdM6zCghZ7
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Reset.
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Refocus. pic.twitter.com/tIk3iSYhih
The Shot Heard Around The World
The Tar Heels broke through in the 62nd minute after a beautiful free kick from Olivia Thomas which proved to be the game-winning goal. Thomas drew a foul just outside the 18-yard box to set UNC up for a set piece opportunity, and her powerful right-footed strike landed in the back of the far post.
GOOOOAAALLLLLL CAROLINA!!
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
OLIVIA THOMAS GETS US ON THE BOARD IN THE 62ND MINUTE WITH HER FOURTH GOAL OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!! pic.twitter.com/Q4shfaL8rn
THE POWER BEHIND THIS ??
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
?? » https://t.co/UMWobQaPPy pic.twitter.com/AWYW182D1O
CAROLINA GOAL GOT US LIKE ?????? pic.twitter.com/SF9IdAeGMs
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 10, 2024
MOOD ??#WCollegeCup x @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/2KpQ4mbD7x
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
The Queens of College Soccer
This was the program's 23rd national title and first since 2012. UNC has now won 22 of the 43 NCAA titles in history, plus the 1981 AIAW title for 23 total national championships. No other women's soccer team owns more than four.
Damon Nahas became the second coach in NCAA women's soccer history to win a national championship in their first year as a head coach, joining UCLA's Margueritte Aozasa from 2022.
2024 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!! ??
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
FOR THE 23RD TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY, THE TAR HEELS HAVE WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! pic.twitter.com/UXAXzRuqfH
??? "THE DROUGHT IS OVER!!!"#WCollegeCup x ?? ESPNU / @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/9xZoffKjW1
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
TOOK WHAT'S OURS!! ?? #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Q8c8A6fBrM
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
2024 National Champions ????@uncwomenssoccer x #WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/TfD6U16hUm
— The ACC (@theACC) December 10, 2024
BACK WHERE IT BELONGS ?? pic.twitter.com/adQYoAIJk3
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Raise it high, raise it proud pic.twitter.com/hrO41o3TfO
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Admire it, Coach.
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
You earned it. pic.twitter.com/92mpkDfIp0
Historic 23rd
The Tar Heels winning their 23rd national championship certainly got the soccer world – and the sports world – talking.
North Carolina is on another level ????@uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/drjiur2DJf
— espnW (@espnW) December 10, 2024
The stuff of legends pic.twitter.com/G3Y4S7pIWM
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 11, 2024
The UNC women's soccer team won the National Championship for the first time in 12 years! ??
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) December 10, 2024
??:@uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/YxLAyRNyW2
.@uncwomenssoccer has won more national titles than all other NCAA women's soccer teams combined ???? pic.twitter.com/xHJSQg6EE2
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 11, 2024
University of National Champions pic.twitter.com/nUpMwkcevQ
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 13, 2024
This is their 23rd National Championship?? pic.twitter.com/aHum3Kqfpi
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) December 10, 2024
On Top of the World
Following the win, the University of North Carolina now has 51 NCAA team championships across eight different sports. This is UNC's 62nd overall national championship.
This also marked the 26th women's soccer national championship for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the 32nd among current membership. No other school outside the ACC has won more than two national titles.
SOMEONE PINCH US!! pic.twitter.com/ueFMz6z6e0
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Taking it all in ??#WCollegeCup x @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/UVUbWVtjqG
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
#1 IN THE COUNTRY, #1 IN YOUR HEARTS pic.twitter.com/CXOvV8O48i
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 10, 2024
Rewrote the script pic.twitter.com/4UmASK1gjt
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
Lit up for our national champions, @uncwomenssoccer ?? pic.twitter.com/I08pezudU7
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 10, 2024
WOKE UP
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 10, 2024
NOT A DREAM pic.twitter.com/lnazsosHrP
Trophy Talk
Hear from the national champions themselves.
“It means everything … I’m just really happy right now!”
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 10, 2024
Olivia Thomas on bringing a national title back to Chapel Hill ?? @uncwomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/R83YaXVcDo
"This is absolutely what I dreamed about." ?@AMcDevittTV interviews Clare Gagne of @uncwomenssoccer after North Carolina defeats Wake Forest to win the 2024 Women's National Championship.#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/27UrBXbxoU
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
??? "I'm just so happy that all of our hard work has paid off...and I'm excited that I'm a champ."@AMcDevittTV interviews Olivia Thomas of @uncwomenssoccer after North Carolina defeats Wake Forest to win the 2024 Women's National Championship.#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/vQEAidz29S
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
‘I’m really proud of her’ ??
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
Aria Nagai on Olivia Thomas’ free kick that helped give @uncwomenssoccer a national championship win. #WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/FrWuWFq5nS
UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ??@uncwomenssoccer is back on top ?? pic.twitter.com/Eu0FtDhaAi
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) December 10, 2024
New coach, new era – but the same old, same old ??
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 11, 2024
All-American Kate Faasse joined ACC PM yesterday to reflect on the national championship!
FULL INTERVIEW ?? https://t.co/5gWL5xAaNB pic.twitter.com/mloVcGujHi
Fresh off @uncwomenssoccer's national championship, Defensive MVP Clare Gagne and Damon Nahas stopped by the Carolina Insider studio ?????
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) December 13, 2024
?? Full Interviews: https://t.co/ByCRakiuyo + https://t.co/7rvKbceIWv
?? Podcast: https://t.co/QLUrrJPnJC#GoHeels x @CocaCola pic.twitter.com/KWCTSZ9lVI
DYNASTY ????@LisaCarlin32 & @ClaudiaMPagan celebrated @uncwomenssoccer's national championship on Morning Footy with head coach Damon Nahas and captain Tessa Dellarose ?? pic.twitter.com/DWNNzWjRYO
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) December 11, 2024
Trophy talk ???
— UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) December 15, 2024
??? Damon Nahas pic.twitter.com/FoHDME2uFc