UNC Announces 2008 Women's Soccer Schedule
June 14, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--The University of North Carolina announced Saturday its 2008 women's soccer schedule and it is laden with teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Coach Anson Dorrance, entering his 30th year at the helm of the Tar Heel women's soccer program (1979-2008) with a record of 648-32-19, 19 national championships and 18 ACC championships, looks to replace six seniors from his 2007 squad which finished 19-4-1 overall. Gone from last year will be three defensive oriented starting players - backs Jessica Maxwell and Ariel Harris and back/midfielder Robyn Gayle -- as well as forwards Jaime Gilbert and Katie Brooks and midfielder Julie Yates. Twenty-three letter winners return to the Tar Heels and a nine-member freshman class ranked No. 2 nationally by Soccer Buzz will join the Tar Heels in August. The Tar Heels open their season with the earliest regular-season game in school history, an August 22 date against Charlotte at 7 p.m. at Fetzer Field. The 49ers were the Atlantic 10 Conference champions last night and fell to Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Carolina plays seven of its first eight matches against 2007 NCAA Tournament team and then meets seven ACC opponents who made the national tourney. UNC will also be seeking its fourth straight and 19th ACC title overall in 2008. Among non-conference foes are Notre Dame (2007 NCAA semifinals), Texas A&M (2007 NCAA second round), Santa Clara (2007 NCAA first round), Stanford (2007 NCAA third round), Georgia (2007 NCAA second round) and Tennessee (2007 NCAA third round). ACC opponents which reached last year's NCAA Tournament include Florida State, Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College, Miami, Virginia and Clemson. |
