 |
 The Catamounts end their fairly tale run in 2008 falling to the number one seeded Tar Heels 5-0 Friday night in Chapel Hill, N.C. |
 |
Nov. 14, 2008
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Facing the Tar Heels for the second time in program history, the Western Carolina women's soccer team played with the passion they have shown all season long against the fourth best team in the country, the North Carolina Tar Heels Friday night, falling 5-0 in the first round of the NCAA College Cup Championships.
Western Carolina playing in just their second NCAA tournament appearance brought a physical style of play limiting the high powered Tar heels to just two goals in the first half of play thanks to the stellar play of Catamounts keeper Caitlin Williams.
The Tar Heels added three more goals in the second half of play to finish the game with a 5-0 advantage. Williams finished the game with nine saves to pace the Catamounts.
"We never gave up, it's a staple of this team," DeCesare said. "It shows that this team is fighters, working hard the whole way."
With the victory, the Tar Heels improved to 27-0 in NCAA tournament opening round games and extend their unbeaten streak to five games and in the process snapping the four game unbeaten streak for the Catamounts.
"After giving up the two early goals, we hit our stride and locked down defensively the rest of the half," said Head Coach Tammy DeCesare
In a rainy atmosphere at Fetzer Field the Catamounts came out attacking in the first half with a lot of energy early on in the contest.
In the eighth minute of play the Tar Heels star player Casey Nogueira found the ball and fired it outside the box to the lower left corner finding the back of the net to give UNC the early lead in the match 1-0. Nogueira scored her 22nd goal of the season with the assist credited to teammate Whitney Engen.
UNC added another goal in the 14th minute of play when forward Jessica McDonald score unassisted from just outside the box beating Catamounts keeper Williams to push the Tar Heels lead to 2-0.
|
|
 |
In the 2nd half of play Catamounts goalie Williams made two more big saves but after a save in the 53rd minute a rebound went right to UNC midfielder Ali Hawkins who scored to push the lead to 3-0 Tar Heels.
Four minutes later Western Carolina had an opportunity when junior midfielder Bri Cunningham fired a shot but was blocked by the UNC defense. Just moments later a ball came bursting through the UNC defense but Cunningham was unable to put a foot on it as UNC goal keeper came sliding in to control the ball.
