CHARLESTON, S.C. (theACC.com) – The tears of joy and the unrestrained postgame celebration summed things up for North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
The Tar Heels’ eight-year wait for an Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Championship title – an eternity by program standards – is officially over.
Sophomore Zoe Redei’s follow-shot goal in the opening minute of the second half and a stout defensive effort carried the second-seeded Tar Heels to a 1-0 win over top-seeded Duke in a College Cup-caliber battle of elite teams at MUSC Health Stadium.
“They should be very proud to win a championship in ACC women’s soccer,” UNC veteran coach Anson Dorrance said of his squad. “This is clearly the top conference in the country from top to bottom. We are very proud just to be a member of this conference, and the girls have every reason to celebrate this championship.”
Freshman Alessia Russo was named the tournament MVP for UNC (15-2-2), which captured the 21st ACC title in school history and the first since 2009.
The loss snapped a school-record 19-game winning streak for the nationally second-ranked Blue Devils (19-2), who had not lost since dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to the Tar Heels in the season opener on August 18.
“Congratulations to the University of North Carolina,” said Duke head coach Robbie Church. “I thought they were the better team today from minute one, all the way through. We had our moments, but you have to play the full 90 minutes … No doubt, every player, every coach, every member of our staff is heartbroken. It hurts to go this far in the ACC and then come up short in the finals. But we need to step back and look at what we need to change for the NCAA Tournament.”
Both teams are hopeful of a No. 1 national seed when the 2017 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship bracket is unveiled Monday at 4:30 p.m. UNC is in line for its 36th consecutive tournament berth (every season since the event began in 1982), while Duke will be making its 23rd NCAA appearance.
“We knew of Duke’s quality going in,” Dorrance said. “To go through this conference not only unbeaten, but untied, is an amazing achievement. We knew we had to make a good run here to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.”
Dorrance believes the Blue Devils were already assured of a No. 1 seeding regardless of Sunday’s outcome.
“Maybe we had a motivation that Duke did not,” Dorrance said. “I thought coming into this event that only Stanford and Duke were shoo-ins for No. 1 seeds. Obviously, our kids played really well and I’m very proud of them.”
Both teams could look back on missed opportunities at the end of the opening half.
UNC threatened in the opening minutes when Joanna Boyles’ well-placed free kick was headed by Julia Ashley, but the shot glanced off the right post. Then, about 16 minutes into the period, the Tar Heels’ Redei lined another header from close range, but Blue Devil keeper E.J. Proctor was there for the save.
Duke, meanwhile, saw two shots by Taylor Racioppi sail wide right, and Imani Dorsey was unable to place a couple of header opportunities. Each team took five shots in the first half, with the Tar Heels leading 3-0 on corner kicks.
The Tar Heels struck swiftly at the outset of the second half. Russo, who accounted for the lone score of Friday night’s 1-0 semifinal win over NC State, attempted a shot that was blocked. But Redei was on the spot for the rebound follow 18 yards out from the left side – her second goal of the season and the ACC Championship – to put UNC in front.
“Zoe roofed it,” Dorrance said. “Lest people forget, Zoe was my top player last August and September before she got hurt. She is a quality player who has been working her way back from a foot injury she had her freshman year. She’s quality, and she demonstrated it with that finish.”
The Blue Devils had chances afterward, with perhaps the best coming on Karlie Paschall’s line-drive attempt on goal with just under five minutes to play. But UNC keeper Samantha Leshnak made her second save of the match to preserve her 11th shutout of the season and the 14th for the Tar Heels as a team.
Duke played its second consecutive match without ACC Midfielder of the Year Rebecca Quinn, who is preparing for the Canadian National Team’s matches versus the United States later this week.
2017 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Veronica Latsko, Virginia
Tziarra King, NC State
EJ Proctor, Duke
Ella Stevens, Duke
Schuyler DeBree, Duke
Kayla McCoy, Duke
Julia Ashley, North Carolina
Joanna Boyles, North Carolina
Dorian Bailey, North Carolina
Abby Elinsky, North Carolina
Alessia Russo, North Carolina – MVP