The knot of players outside the goal when North Carolina put the game-winner in the back of the net was so complicated it took the announcer almost five minutes after the game to sort out what had happened. When the final play was sorted out, it came back as three different shots -- the first by the Tar Heels' Lindsay Tarpley, with a save by Virginia goalie Christina De Vries, a shot by Tarpley again, another save for De Vries, and then a final shot by Heather O'Reily, fed by Tarpley to deal Virginia their first conference loss of the season. The final goal, which came in double overtime with five minutes remaining, brings Virginia's total record against Carolina to 0-29-1 and leaves the Tar Heels undefeated for the season.
From the beginning, the cards were stacked against Virginia. Although the Cavaliers were undefeated in the ACC going into the game, they knew the Tar Heels were going to be their toughest opponent yet, and perhaps all season. Add to that fact the pouring rain and the tough crowd -- a baby blue wave in the stands that chanted throughout the entire match despite the weather -- and Virginia was certainly facing a challenge.
North Carolina got its first goal just 18 minutes into the game. The Tar Heels' Elizabeth Guess took a direct shot on the goal, which De Vries blocked, but Guess took the rebound and shot the ball right back into the net. The Cavaliers seemed to wake up after this, playing a faster paced, more coordinated game.
"When you're starting six first years, it's a whole different style than what we've been used to," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "We needed time to gather ourselves there in the first half. Once we got our momentum, I thought we were the aggressor."
This aggressive playing paid off halfway through the second half, when Virginia forward Noelle Keselica headed a ball from Shannon Foley into the goal. Both Virginia and North Carolina had several chances to score after this, but neither managed to follow and the game proceeded to go into extra minutes.
It is doubtful, however, that the game would ever have reached this point had it not been for De Vries. Named ACC player of the week two weeks ago, De Vries made 14 saves, a career high and the highest for the team since 1987.
"She made some superb saves -- some unbelievable saves -- to keep us in it," Swanson said. "Then we got our goal, and then it was anybody's game, but we don't get to that point unless [De Vries] gets us there."
Although this game didn't turn out as well as Virginia could have hoped, it was a well played game that was clearly a challenge for both teams.
"It was a good game," Keselica said. "We fought, dug deep. It's always a great game between the two of us. It sucks to go out with a loss, but hopefully we'll face them again down the road"
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