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 participate in the national championship game.

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

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

Looking for its 23rd national championship, Carolina will now face Wake Forest in the national title game on Monday, December 9th at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

How it happened

• Maddie Dahlias drew a foul in the penalty area, which awarded Carolina a penalty in the 10th minute. Kate Faasse stepped up and buried her shot into the top right corner to put UNC ahead by one.
• UNC doubled its lead in the 24th minute after Duke lost the ball. Bella Gaetino received the ball in midfield and sent a powerful ball over his head Olivia Thomas in isolation. Thomas held off her defender and pushed the goalkeeper off her line, but his left-footed shot from the top of the box ended up in the bottom right.
• Twelve minutes later, Carolina almost scored their third goal when a beautiful shot from Thomas bounced off the crossbar. Dahlias was in position for the rebound, but her shot went high.
• The Tar Heels led 2-0 at the break, although the Blue Devils outscored them 13-8, including 5-4 in the frame. Clare Gagne had five saves in the first half.
• UNC’s only shot in the second half was enough to take a 3-0 lead. Thomas passed the ball through traffic in midfield to get a pass to Faasse on the right side. Faasse sent a chip into the box that hit Dahlia, who created just enough space to send the ball into the bottom left corner with her right boot.
• Anchored by Aven Alvarez, Trinity Armstrong, Emerson Elgin And Bella GaetinoUNC’s strong defensive line limited DU to just four shots in the second half, none of which hit the goal.

Inside the Box Score

• Faasse scored her 20th goal of the season and officially became the country’s top scorer. She also recorded her fourth assist.
• Faasse is the fourth Tar Heel to score more than 20 goals in a single season since the turn of the century. She has the most goals (20) and points (44) since Casey Nogueira’s 25 and 58 in 2008.
• Thomas scored her eighth goal of the season, ranking second on the team. She is also in third place with 18 points.
• Dahlias scored 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 and sits sixth on the squad.
• Gagne made five saves, all in the first half. She was credited with 12 shutouts.
• Carolina’s defense shut out Duke in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since May 9, 2021.
• Previously, Duke had not allowed a goal during the NCAA Tournament. DU had only allowed a total of 13 goals during the year.
• This was the first time the Blue Devils were shut out since their season opener on August 15th and their first multi-goal loss since October 22nd, 2023.
• UNC had nine shots, DU had 17. Both sides had five shots on frame. Thomas had a game-high four shots and three on goal.
• Dahlias called the foul on six of Carolina’s 10 penalties. She was at the World Championships 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 winning streak as the only team to appear in all 43 NCAA Tournaments.
• The Tar Heels now have an all-time passing record 152-18-5 in the NCAA Tournament. No other school has more than 83.
• Carolina has won 21 of 42 NCAA titles as well as 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 there in more than 14 years.
• UNC has now advanced to the national title game 28 times, including four of the last seven, and has been national runner-up six times.
• The Tar Heels have been ranked No. 2 12 times and won five NCAA crowns as a runner-up, including their most recent title in 2012.
• The Tar Heels are here now 28-4 all-time in the semifinals after outscoring his semifinal opponent 68-23.

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

The action at WakeMed Soccer Park begins at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Marion Crowder, Jenn Hildreth and Lori Lindsey on-demand. Tickets can be purchased Here.

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

This will also be the first NCAA title game since 1992 to pit two North Carolina teams against each other.

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