University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Soccer to Face UNC Chapel Hill Friday Night in First Round of NCAA Tournament
11.06.2006 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville women's soccer team will face off against top-seed UNC Chapel Hill in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.
The Bulldogs won their second Big South Conference championship on Sunday when they beat Liberty on Penalty Kicks, 4-2. Asheville (10-6-3) was the fifth seed in the tournament. The trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Bulldogs is the first ever for an Asheville women's sport in school history. It will be the first time UNC Asheville has ever faced the Tar Heels in women's soccer.
The Bulldogs face a tough task in taking on UNC Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels (21-1) have won 21 straight matches and won 17 national championships. Asheville coach Michele Cornish is looking forward to the challenge.
"We're obviously very excited to be going to Chapel Hill," stated Cornish. "It's a fantastic opportunity for us to play the best team in the nation. Obviously, we're in a David vs. Goliath situation but we're going to play our hardest and see what happens."
The Bulldogs enter the NCAA Tournament on a six-game unbeaten streak. UNC Asheville has won five of its last six matches as the title game with Liberty goes down as a tie in the record book. The Bulldogs have been very stingy on defense during that time as they've allowed just three goals in those six matches. Asheville allowed just one goal in the three days of the tournament.
"Chapel Hill has a great team, and we'll do everything we can to slow them down," admitted Cornish. "We're going to work hard over the next few days and then head to Chapel Hill and do our best."
Cornish has some experience of beating UNC Chapel Hill but that came as a player. She was a starter on the 1985 George Mason team that downed the Tar Heels, 2-0 to win the national championship.
"That was a long time ago," stated Cornish. "UNC Chapel Hill has always been the benchmark for women's soccer forever. I have so much respect for their program and what it has accomplished."
