North Carolina
North Carolina women’s soccer beats Wake Forest to win record 23rd national championship
The most decorated program in women’s college soccer history has added another piece of hardware to its already sizable trophy case.
Behind a goal in the 61st minute from Olivia Thomas, North Carolina defeated Wake Forest, 1-0, Monday night in nearby Cary, North Carolina, to win the Division I national championship.
It’s the Tar Heels’ 23rd national title in their distinguished history. The next-closest program, Florida State, has only four.
The championship came under an interim head coach, Damon Nahas, who succeeded Anson Dorrance after the legendary coach retired in August after leading his alma mater for the previous 45 seasons. Under Nahas, the Tar Heels went 22-5 and rebounded after a late slide in which they lost three of their final four regular-season matches.
Despite its storied history, the title is North Carolina’s first since 2012. The Tar Heels had made the national championship game three times since, most recently in 2022, but lost each time.
With the game in a scoreless deadlock with 28 minutes remaining, Thomas struck a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box that curled around the Wake Forest wall and into the side netting.
Monday’s victory capped off a dominant defensive run for North Carolina during the postseason. In six NCAA tournament games, the Tar Heels allowed just one goal, which came in a 2-1 overtime victory against Penn State in the national quarterfinals.
North Carolina was part of an all-ACC College Cup, which also included Duke and Stanford. The Tar Heels rolled past the archrival Blue Devils, the nation’s top-ranked team, 3-0 in the semifinals to earn a date with Wake Forest, which was appearing in the program’s first-ever national title game.
Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
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Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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