North Carolina routs Duke 3-0 in College Cup semifinals, reaching 28th title match

CARY, N.C. – For the 28th time in program history – and fourth time in the last seven NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournaments – the North Carolina women’s soccer team will be playing in the national championship match. (BOX SCORE)

No. 2-seeded Carolina blanked top-seeded Duke, 3-0, on Friday night in the 2024 NCAA College Cup semifinals in front of a sold out crowd at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. It was the fourth meeting between the two teams this year, with UNC winning both of the postseason matches.

The Tar Heels, who are ranked eighth nationally, improve to 21-5 (7-3 ACC) on the year. The top-ranked Blue Devils finish their season at 18-3-1 (9-0-1).

Seeking its 23rd national championship, the Carolina will now face Wake Forest in the national title game on Monday, Dec. 9, at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

How It Happened

• Maddie Dahlien drew a foul inside the box to award Carolina a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Kate Faasse stepped up to the spot and buried her shot to the upper right corner to put UNC up by one.
• UNC doubled its lead in the 24th minute after a Duke turnover. Bella Gaetino received the ball in midfield and sent a powerful over-the-top ball to Olivia Thomas in isolation. Holding off her defender and forcing the keeper off her line, Thomas’ left-footed shot from the top of the 18 landed in the bottom right.
• Carolina nearly made it three unanswered 12 minutes later when a beautiful strike from Thomas bounced off the crossbar. Dahlien was in position for the rebound, but her shot sailed high.
• The Tar Heels carried their 2-0 lead into the break despite the Blue Devils outshooting them 13-8, including 5-4 on frame. Clare Gagne had five first-half saves.
• UNC’s only shot during the second half was all that was needed to take a 3-0 lead. Thomas played the ball through traffic in midfield to get a pass to Faasse down the right side. Faasse sent a chip inside the box which connected with Dahlien, who created just enough space to get the ball off her right boot into the lower left corner.
• Anchored by Aven Alvarez, Trinity Armstrong, Emerson Elgin and Bella Gaetino, UNC’s stalwart back line limited DU to just four shots during the second half, and none on target.

Inside the Box Score

• Faasse scored her 20th goal of the season, officially becoming the nation’s outright leading goal scorer. She also recorded her fourth assist.
• Faasse is the fourth Tar Heel with 20+ goals in a single season since the turn of the century. She has the most goals (20) and points (44) since Casey Nogueira had 25 and 58 in 2008.
• Thomas scored her eighth goal of the season, which ranks second on the team. She also ranks third with 18 points.
• Dahlien netted her second goal of the year. She has 11 points this season.
• Gaetino picked up the second assist of her career. She now has 12 points to rank sixth on the roster.
• Gagne made five saves, all during the first half. She has been credited with 12 shutouts.
• Up until now, Duke had not allowed a goal during the NCAA Tournament. DU had allowed just 13 goals total during the year.
• This was the first time the Blue Devils had been shut out since their season opener on Aug. 15.
• UNC had nine shots to DU’s 17. Both sides had five shots on frame. Thomas had a game-high four shots and three on target.
• Dahlien has drawn the foul on six of Carolina’s 10 penalty kicks. She was away at the World Cup for two of them.
• Six Tar Heels in Alvarez, Armstrong, Elgin, Gaetino, Gagne and Aria Nagai logged a full 90 minutes.

NCAA Tournament Tidbits

• North Carolina extended its streak as the only team to appear in all 43 NCAA Tournaments.
• The Tar Heels now have an all-time record of 152-18-5 in the NCAA Tournament. No other school has more than 83.
• Carolina has won 21 of 42 NCAA titles, plus the 1981 AIAW title for 22 national championships.
• Carolina has appeared in 32 College Cups, including five of the last seven. No other team has been in more than 14.
• UNC has now advanced to the national title game 28 times, including four of the last seven, and has finished as the national runner-up on six occasions.
• The Tar Heels have been a No. 2 seed 12 times before, winning five NCAA crowns as a second seed, including its last title in 2012.
• The Tar Heels are now 28-4 all-time in the semifinals, having out-scored its semifinal opponent 68-23.

Up Next

Now one step closer to their 23rd national title in program history, the Tar Heels return to Cary on Monday, Dec. 9, to play in their 28th national championship game. No. 2-seed Carolina will take on fellow No. 2-seed Wake Forest.

Action at WakeMed Soccer Park will begin at 7 p.m. ET and will broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Marion Crowder, Jenn Hildreth and Lori Lindsey on call. Tickets are available for purchase here.

This will be the second meeting this season between the Tar Heels and Demon Deacons. UNC defeated WFU, 1-0, on Sept. 12 in Chapel Hill with Faasse scoring the game-winner. Monday will mark the fifth time Carolina and Wake Forest will play each other in the NCAA Tournament, and first since 2009. UNC leads 4-0 in NCAA matches.

This will also be the first NCAA title game since 1992 that two North Carolina teams will face each other.