[WOMEN’S COLLEGE CUP: North Carolina] North Carolina, winner of 20 national titles in 25 trips to the final four, returns to the Women’s College Cup for thefirst time since 2009. The 2-1 overtime win over BYU assured the Tar Heels of having never gone more than two years without making the College Cup, but it wasn’t easy. Coach Anson Dorrance says Carolina could have just as easily lost to the Cougars, needing an incredible clearance off the line from sophomore BrookeElby in the first overtime, and it was fortunate to get past Baylor in the round of 16 on penalty kicks.

THREE STARS:
Junior Crystal Dunn scored both goals for the Tar Heels in the win over BYU. Dunn, who missed the first part of the season to represent the USA at the Under-20 Women’s WorldCup in Japan, has five goals this season, all in NCAA Tournament games.

Kealia Ohai assisted on both Dunn goals against BYU, reversing thecombination that won the Under-20 Women’s World Cup for the USA against Germany in the final. She is Carolina’s third-leading scorer with seven goals and five assists.

An All-ACC pickalong with Dunn and Ohai, senior Amber Brooks is second on UNC in scoring with seven goals and six assists.

TACTICS:
Dunn, the only player in ACC history to be named Defensive Player of the Year twice, has been moved from her central defender position to attacking midfielder in theHeels’ 3-4-3 and devastated opposing defenses with her powerful runs.

NUMBERS GAME:
With the win over BYU, UNC ended a nine-game winless streak(0-4-5) in overtime games, dating back to the NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame in 2011.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“I can remember 15 or 20 yearsyou’d find a team outside the top 20 in the RPI and there won’t be starter on their lineup that would be part of a team that we would have. And now I can look at teams in the top 75, 80 or 90 in theRPI and there are two or three kids on that roster that would start for me.” — Dorrance.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Goalkeeper
33 Adelaide Gay SR Skillman, N.J.
Defenders
2  Caitlin Ball SO Chapel Hill,N.C.
44 Satara Murray SO Austin, Texas
71 Hanna Gardner FR Chapel Hill, N.C.
Midfielders
11 Kelly McFarlaneJR Mill Valley, Calif.
15 Katie Bowen FR New Zealand
19 Crystal Dunn JR Rockville Centre, N.Y.
22 Amber Brooks New Hope, Pa.
Forwards
6 Summer Green FR Milford, Mich.
7 Kealia Ohai JR Draper, Utah
91 Maria Lubrano SR High Point, N.C.
——————————–
Email: Send releases to Soccer America
Friend Soccer America Facebook
Follow Soccer America Twitter
Sign up College Soccer Reporter

Leave a comment