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University of North Carolina Athletics

12/10/2024

CARY, N.C. – National champions! The queens of school soccer have reclaimed their crown.

North Carolina gained the 2024 NCAA Division I girls’s soccer championship, this system’s twenty third nationwide title and first since 2012. UNC has now gained 22 of the 43 NCAA titles in historical past, plus the 1981 AIAW title for 23 complete nationwide championships. No different girls’s soccer crew owns greater than 4.

The second-seeded Tar Heels defeated fellow No. 2 seed Wake Forest, 1-0, on Monday night time at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Olivia Thomas netted her ninth aim of the season off a free kick within the 62nd minute in what got here to be the title-sealing aim for the Tar Heels.

Thomas was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player and goalkeeper Clare Gagne was tabbed the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. In addition to Gagne and Thomas, freshmen Trinity Armstrong and Linda Ullmark have been chosen to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.

Thomas is UNC’s first Most Outstanding Offensive Player since Kealia Ohai in 2012, and the 18th participant in program historical past to obtain the respect. Gagne is the primary UNC goalkeeper to win Most Outstanding Defensive Player since Siri Mullinix in 1997, and they’re the one two Carolina netminders ever to win the accolade. Gagne turns into the fifteenth Tar Heel to win the defensive reward.

Interim head coach Damon Nahas turns into the second coach in NCAA girls’s soccer historical past to win a nationwide championship of their first yr as a head coach, becoming a member of UCLA’s Margueritte Aozasa from 2022.

Nahas can be the fourth Carolina head coach to win a nationwide championship of their first season on the helm. Erin Matson (subject hockey, 2023), Carlos Somoano (males’s soccer, 2011) and Dave Klarmann (males’s lacrosse, 1991) have additionally achieved the feat.

Following tonight’s win, the University now has 51 NCAA crew championships throughout eight totally different sports activities. This is UNC’s 62nd general nationwide championship.

This marks the twenty sixth girls’s soccer nationwide championship for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the thirty second amongst present membership. No different faculty outdoors the ACC has gained greater than two nationwide titles.

This is Carolina’s sixth NCAA title as a No. 2 seed. Its final nationwide title in 2012 was additionally as a second seed. The Tar Heels are the primary non-No. 1 seed to win since Santa Clara in 2020 because the No. 11 seed.

The Tar Heels wrap up their outstanding 2024 marketing campaign with a 22-5 (7-3 ACC) report, marking the twenty first season at school historical past they’ve gained 22+ video games, and first since 2019. The Demon Deacons, who made their first ever title recreation look, end the season at 16-4-4 (7-2-1 ACC).

How It Happened

Wake Forest registered the primary shot of the night time within the ninth minute, however a shot to the underside proper nook was denied by goalkeeper Clare Gagne.

Gagne got here up huge with back-to-back saves 5 minutes later to forestall the Demon Deacons from getting on the board early.

A foul on Aven Alvarez within the thirtieth minute awarded UNC a free kick in a harmful place. Tessa Dellarose delivered an attractive service into the field, however Wake Forest was capable of clear it out.

Both groups went into the break scoreless. Olivia Thomas recorded UNC’s lone shot within the first half, a class wherein the Tar Heels trailed, 5-1, after 45 minutes. WFU additionally had two nook kicks to UNC’s zero.

Thomas had one other shot within the forty eighth minute which went large of the close to publish. Kate Faasse adopted that up moments later with a shot of her personal that went proper into the gloves of WFU keeper Valentina Amaral.

Carolina broke by within the 62nd minute to get out in entrance. Thomas drew a foul simply outdoors the 18-yard field to set Carolina up for one more deadly set piece alternative. The Tar Heels capitalized on it this time, as Thomas’ highly effective right-footed strike landed at the back of the far publish.

NCAA Tournament Tidbits

Carolina has gained 22 of 43 NCAA titles, plus the 1981 AIAW title for 23 nationwide championships.

This was the seventh time UNC reached the NCAA title recreation as a No. 2 seed, and sixth time the crew gained as a second seed.

Carolina has superior to the nationwide title recreation 28 instances complete, together with 4 of the final seven.

UNC is 22-5-1 all-time within the nationwide title recreation, out-scoring its opponents 71-15 within the championship match.

North Carolina prolonged its streak as the one crew to look in all 43 NCAA Tournaments.

UNC has appeared in 32 College Cups, together with 5 of the final seven. No different crew has been in additional than 14.

The Tar Heels now have an all-time report of 153-18-5 within the NCAA Tournament. No different faculty has greater than 83.

2024 Season Highlights

The Tar Heels claimed their twenty third nationwide championship (twenty second NCAA championship) in program historical past. No different girls’s soccer program has greater than 4.

UNC prolonged its streak as the one crew to look in all 43 NCAA Tournaments. The crew earned its thirty second College Cup berth – 18 greater than some other faculty.

Carolina noticed its twenty first 22+ win season in program historical past. Its 22 victories on the yr lead the nation.

UNC earned its 250th common season win (Oct. 10) and 950th all-time win (Nov. 7). No different faculty has greater than 187 and 629, respectively.

The crew additionally gained its one hundred and fiftieth NCAA Tournament recreation on Nov. 24, and now has 154 NCAA wins. No different program has greater than 83.

An 8-0 win over USC Upstate within the NCAA First Round matched this system’s largest first-round win at school historical past from 2003.

Kate Faasse was named a semifinalist for the distinguished MAC Hermann Trophy, this system’s first finalist since Brianna Pinto in 2020-21.

UNC had three All-America choices. Faasse is the primary First Team All-America since Pinto in 2020. Armstrong is the primary All-America rookie since Alessia Russo additionally landed on the second crew in 2017. Dellarose was tabbed to the fourth crew.

Armstrong and Faasse earned All-Atlantic Region First Team reward with Dellarose touchdown on the second crew. It is the tenth yr in a row UNC has had a minimum of three All-Region picks.

Six Tar Heels mixed for seven All-ACC Honors, highlighted by Armstrong and Faasse on the primary crew. Four gamers have been tabbed to the All-ACC Tournament Team.