University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Connecticut (NCAA Final)
Return To The Top: Tar Heels Reclaim NCAA Women's Soccer Crown
December 7, 2003 | Women's Soccer
Dec. 7, 2003
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CARY, N.C. - Lindsay Tarpley scored two goals and added two assists and Heather O'Reilly had two goals and an assist to help power the top-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team to its 18th national championship in history Sunday afternoon as the Tar Heels beat No. 18 Connecticut 6-0 in the title game before 10,042 fans at SAS Stadium. It was UNC's first national crown since the Tar Heels beat UCLA 2-1 in the 2000 NCAA final in San Jose, Calif.
With the victory, the Tar Heels finished 27-0-0, the best record of any team in women's college soccer history. It is the fifth unbeaten and untied team in UNC lore and the first team to finish unbeaten and untied since Carolina won the national championship in 1993 with a record of 25-0-0 in Mia Hamm's senior year. North Carolina has won 17 of the 22 NCAA titles contested since 1982 and the Tar Heels also won the 1981 AIAW national title.
The Carolina offensive machine was firing on all pistons in the national final as it ran its NCAA Tournament scoring record to 32 goals, including eight by O'Reilly, who was named the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Offensive Player. UNC also became only the fifth team in NCAA history to go through an entire tournament without allowing a goal, but was the first one to do so in a six-game tournament. UNC goalkeeper Aly Winget recorded five solo shutouts in the tourney, playing behind a defense led by senior Catherine Reddick, the NCAA Tournament's Most Valuable Defensive Player, as well as Carmen Watley and Kendall Fletcher.
Tarpley finished the NCAA Tournament with 19 points, breaking Hamm's UNC record for tournament scoring of 16 points set in 1993. O'Reilly's eight goals were two better than the six Hamm had in 1993 and Tarpley's 11 assists set an overall NCAA Tournament record for assists.
Tarpley got the Tar Heels on the scoreboard at the 7:50 mark as she scored her 22nd goal of the season off a cross by sophomore midfielder Lori Chalupny. Senior Maggie Tomecka, another Tar Heel named to the All-Tournament Team, also assisted on the goal. Tomecka gathered the ball in midfield and sent the ball to the left side to Chalupny who carried it deep into the penalty area before sending it to Tarpley at the far post.
In the 31st minute of play, Chalupny upped the Tar Heel lead to 2-0 as she tallied her 11th goal of the campaign, taking a cross from O'Reilly, and finishing from about seven yards out in front. After the ball had been pinged around the box, O'Reilly claimed possession on the right side and slotted a pass across the box to the onrushing Chalupny who slid in to finish the opportunity.
 North Carolina's Kendall Fletcher (4) goes head over heels after scoring in the first half of a semifinal match against UCLA, Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, in Cary, N.C. Cheering her on are teammates Lori Chalupny, left, Kacey White (9) and Catherine Reddick (31).  |
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The Tar Heels exploded in a span of less than four minutes of the second half to put the game away. At 56:57, O'Reilly took a pass from Tarpley and sped up the left side of the pitch and then scored on a tough angle shot for her 15th goal of the year and seventh of the NCAA Tournament.
Less than two minutes later, Tarpley scored her second goal of the match and team-leading 23rd of the season as she tapped in a loose ball off a corner kick with assists by Tomecka and Ramsey. Ramsey's corner kick went far post to Tomecka who flicked it on to Tarpley who tapped the ball in off her left shin.
At 60:45, O'Reilly scored the 16th goal of her freshman year, her 11th goal of the postseason (three in the ACC Tournament, eight in the NCAA Tournament), with assists by Tarpley and Kendall Fletcher.
The final goal of the match was fittingly scored by senior forward Alyssa Ramsey who notched her 10th goal of the campaign, claiming a loose ball, and scoring into an empty net. Ramsey finished her career with 71 assists, one short of Mia Hamm's school record.
Seven Tar Heels overall were named to the All-Tournament Team--Lindsay Tarpley, Catherine Reddick, Heather O'Reilly, Lori Chalupny, Alyssa Ramsey, Carmen Watley and Maggie Tomecka.
