Dec. 5, 2008

Courtesy of North Carolina Athletics

CARY, N.C. - The University of North Carolina women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA championship match for the 22nd time in the 27-year history of the tournament Friday night as the fourth-ranked Tar Heels defeated second-ranked UCLA 1-0 before 8,926 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park. The game was played on a clear but bitterly cold night and was decided on a penalty kick goal by senior midfielder Yael Averbuch in the 41st minute of play.

With the victory the Tar Heels improved to 24-1-2 on the season while UCLA dropped its first match of the 2008 campaign and finished its season 22-1-2. The game marked the third time in the last six seasons that the two teams have met in the NCAA semifinals with the Tar Heels winning all three times with shutout victories at WakeMed Soccer Park.

UNC will now play Notre Dame (26-0) Sunday at 2 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park for the national championship. The Fighting Irish have won two in a row against the Tar Heels, beating Carolina 3-2 in the NCAA Round of 16 to end Carolina's 2007 season and then beating the Tar Heels on September 5 of this season 1-0 at Fetzer Field, the only time Carolina has been shutout this season.