[ACC WOMEN] North Carolina’s streak of having reached every ACC Women’s Tournament final is over. Wake Forest knocked off the No. 4 Tar Heels on penalty kicksafter their game finished 1-1 in the semifinals of the 23rd annual tournament on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
Wake Forest reached its first ACC title game since 1999.It will meet the winner of Friday night’s second semifinal game between No. 3 Maryland and No. 18 Boston College.
North Carolina (17-2-2) failed to reach the championship game forthe first time in 23 years. The Tar Heels had won 20 of the 22 previous ACC Championships, falling short only in 1988 — when they were edged on penalty kicks by NC State — and 2004 — when Virginiawon in a shootout.
“It’s a tremendous record,” Wake Forest coach Tony da Luz said. “I’m glad we broke it. It had tohappen at some point, I guess. We have a lot of respect for them, but we played a tremendous game tonight … We did what we needed to do. It was a great accomplishment by our kids.”
UNC, which played without ACC Defensive Player of the Year Crystal Dunn and second-team All-ACC forward CourtneyJones due to injury, is now 58-0-4 all-time in ACC Championship play. UNC avoided its first-ever loss in the tournament when Meghan Klingenberg tiedthings up a 1-1 in the 88th minute.
Klingenberg was the only player to miss in the shootout when her shot that ricocheted off the right post
“I am not really intostreaks,” Dorrance said. “I want to congratulate Wake Forest on advancing in this tournament to the final. They played very well, but I am proud of our kids.”
FreshmanJackie McSally had put Wake ahead early in the second half.
Friday was a strange night … USA could miss the WWC and UNC not in the ACC finals.
Friday was a strange night … USA could miss the WWC and UNC not in the ACC finals.