CARRY, NC – Tori Hansen and Julia Dorsey scored seven minutes apart in the second half as North Carolina beat No. 1 overall Florida State 3-2 on Friday night in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I women’s soccer championship.
North Carolina (20-4-1), playing in its 31st College Cup, will go for its first title since 2012 when they face UCLA in the championship on Monday night. The Bruins advanced to the other semifinal with a 3–0 victory over Alabama. The Tar Heels have won 21 of the last 40 national championships.
North Carolina took a 3–0 lead in the 66th minute when Dorsey headed home Emily Moxley’s free kick, but Oni Echegini scored his 11th goal of the season for Florida State less than a minute later. scored for
The defending champions made it 3–2 in the 76th when Heather Payne headed Echegni’s cross through the legs of goalkeeper Emmie Allen.
Allen, a freshman, made a season-high nine saves to help North Carolina avenge a 2–1 loss to Florida State on November 6 in the ACC Championship Game.
Aleg Gambon scored his second goal of the season, his first since August 18, to open the scoring for North Carolina in the 42nd. Maddie Dahlian sent a deflected ball across the goal and a failed clearance attempt fell through Gambon’s feet in the penalty spot for a quiet finish.
Hansen scored a penalty kick in the 59th minute following a handball by Heather Gilchrist in the box. North Carolina captain Hansen is 5/5 from the penalty spot this season and has eight goals.
ACC Goalkeeper of the Year Christina Roque made three saves for Florida State (17-3-3).
Meanwhile, top-ranked UCLA (21-2-1) got goals from Raylin Turner, Quincy McMahon and Madeline Desiano.
The Bruins are in the College Cup for the 12th time, having won the title in 2013. Alabama (23-3-1) was making its first semifinal appearance. The Crimson Tide led the nation in wins, total points, goals and assists this season.
UCLA came out firing in the first 14 minutes with four shots on goal.
McKinley Crone had five saves before the Bruins finally got past one. Turner made it 1–0 for UCLA in the 30th minute – with an assist from McMahon.
Two minutes into the second half, UCLA kicked off the match. McMahon scored an assisted goal in the 52nd minute, and Madeline Desiano increased the Bruins’ lead to 3–0 with an unassisted goal just 1:56 later.
Lauren Brzycki had seven saves in posting a clean sheet for UCLA. Crone finished with eight saves for the Tide.
It was Turner’s 10th goal of the season and McMahon and Deciano’s third.
Sophomore defenders McMahon and Lily Reale and Turner, a junior forward, all received All-Pac-12 first-team selections.
On a previous trip to North Carolina this season, the Bruins defeated then-No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Duke in consecutive matches.
