.png&width=16&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
11.12.2026 | General, Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - I'm happy to see the great season that the UNC Asheville women's soccer team is having in 2026.
And after that great win over High Point on Tuesday, the Bulldogs are one win away from going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
And this year's team has a few things in common with that championship team in 2006.
Not much was expected from 2006 Bulldogs under Hall of Fame coach Michele Cornish. The previous season had been another great year for Asheville as the Bulldogs won their second consecutive Big South Conference regular season title. The season also ended the career for some great Bulldog careers. Hilary McKay, the program and Big South's all-time leading scorer, graduated along with defender Emily Langill. Emily was the Big South Player of the Year in 2024 and Hilary was the Player of the Year in 2005.
Led by McKay and Langill, the Bulldogs got to the Big South Conference Championship game three times in four years. Unfortunately, Asheville couldn't get the win in the title game. There was an absolutely agonizing penalty kick loss to High Point in 2003 when the Bulldogs led 2-0 in PK's before falling 3-2. Liberty had upset Asheville the previous year, 3-0.
McKay and Langill were significant graduation losses but there were other graduation losses as well. Mich Mattos enjoyed an amazing career in goal for the Bulldogs before graduating.
The cupboard wasn't bare for Cornish's team in 2006 as the Bulldogs did return several key starters from the previous campaign but the experts all thought Asheville would take a step back that year. The Bulldogs were a preseason pick to finish in seventh place that year. Much like this year's team was picked low in the preseason standings.
Asheville's 2006 team would not be the juggernaut it had been the previous two years but still showed some good signs that it was still a program to be reckoned with. Early in the year came a big challenge from Radford. The Highlanders were always one of the better teams in the league and then Asheville had a potential disaster happening in pregame warmups.
Â
Starting goalkeeper Shanna Brown was injured in warmups and freshman goalkeeper Vernoica Lazar suddenly had to make her college debut.
However, Lazar was helped by a fierce Bulldog defense led by Sara Pahl and Julian Duncan. Two goals from Robyn Busha gave Asheville a key 2-0 league win.
The Bulldogs were up-and-down during most of the year but after a frustrating 1-0 loss at Coastal Carolina, Asheville began to play its best soccer.
Cornish's charges ended the season with three straight wins, all on the road.
They entered the Big South Tournament as the fifth seed and quickly avenged an early-season loss with a 1-0 overtime defeat of Birmingham-Southern.
The semifinals would see the Bulldogs take on top-seeded Winthrop. The high-scoring Eagles would be shut down by the Asheville defense. A late goal by the Bulldogs gave Cornish's club a 2-1 win and a trip to the Big South championship game.
Awaiting Asheville was second-seeded Liberty. The Flames had stunned the Bulldogs in the title game a year ago 3-0 and rubbed it in a little bit afterwards. One comment came from a Lady Flame player saying: "We just know how to win these games and Asheville just doesn't."Â
Well this Asheville team didn't get the message from Liberty. The Flames were the top-scoring team in the conference and ranked nationally in scoring. Once again Asheville's defense was up to the cause as it shut down the Liberty offense.
The match would remain scoreless and go to penalty kicks. This wasn't exactly what the Bulldogs wanted as they had lost two other Big South title games in PK's (1996 & 2003).
But this was a determined Asheville team. The Bulldogs got successful kicks from Duncan and Busha plus one from senior Ashleigh Carter to go up 3-2.
Lazar stopped two shots from Liberty which set the stage for Maegan Bradham. She calmly put the ball into the back of the net giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 PK win and a trip to the NCAA College Cup.
In addition, this would be Asheville's first ever women's team advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Midfielder Ashleigh Carter would be named as the tournament's MVP. She had done a great job all year long leading Asheville's offense and helping anchor the Bulldogs' defense.
Sara Pahl and Juliana Duncan would also make the All-Tournament team long with Veronica Lazar. Veronica began the season as Asheville's back-up goalkeeper but ended up helping propel the Bulldogs to a championship.
Â
And after that great win over High Point on Tuesday, the Bulldogs are one win away from going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
And this year's team has a few things in common with that championship team in 2006.
Not much was expected from 2006 Bulldogs under Hall of Fame coach Michele Cornish. The previous season had been another great year for Asheville as the Bulldogs won their second consecutive Big South Conference regular season title. The season also ended the career for some great Bulldog careers. Hilary McKay, the program and Big South's all-time leading scorer, graduated along with defender Emily Langill. Emily was the Big South Player of the Year in 2024 and Hilary was the Player of the Year in 2005.
Led by McKay and Langill, the Bulldogs got to the Big South Conference Championship game three times in four years. Unfortunately, Asheville couldn't get the win in the title game. There was an absolutely agonizing penalty kick loss to High Point in 2003 when the Bulldogs led 2-0 in PK's before falling 3-2. Liberty had upset Asheville the previous year, 3-0.
McKay and Langill were significant graduation losses but there were other graduation losses as well. Mich Mattos enjoyed an amazing career in goal for the Bulldogs before graduating.
The cupboard wasn't bare for Cornish's team in 2006 as the Bulldogs did return several key starters from the previous campaign but the experts all thought Asheville would take a step back that year. The Bulldogs were a preseason pick to finish in seventh place that year. Much like this year's team was picked low in the preseason standings.
Asheville's 2006 team would not be the juggernaut it had been the previous two years but still showed some good signs that it was still a program to be reckoned with. Early in the year came a big challenge from Radford. The Highlanders were always one of the better teams in the league and then Asheville had a potential disaster happening in pregame warmups.
Â
Starting goalkeeper Shanna Brown was injured in warmups and freshman goalkeeper Vernoica Lazar suddenly had to make her college debut.
However, Lazar was helped by a fierce Bulldog defense led by Sara Pahl and Julian Duncan. Two goals from Robyn Busha gave Asheville a key 2-0 league win.
The Bulldogs were up-and-down during most of the year but after a frustrating 1-0 loss at Coastal Carolina, Asheville began to play its best soccer.
Cornish's charges ended the season with three straight wins, all on the road.
They entered the Big South Tournament as the fifth seed and quickly avenged an early-season loss with a 1-0 overtime defeat of Birmingham-Southern.
The semifinals would see the Bulldogs take on top-seeded Winthrop. The high-scoring Eagles would be shut down by the Asheville defense. A late goal by the Bulldogs gave Cornish's club a 2-1 win and a trip to the Big South championship game.
Awaiting Asheville was second-seeded Liberty. The Flames had stunned the Bulldogs in the title game a year ago 3-0 and rubbed it in a little bit afterwards. One comment came from a Lady Flame player saying: "We just know how to win these games and Asheville just doesn't."Â
Well this Asheville team didn't get the message from Liberty. The Flames were the top-scoring team in the conference and ranked nationally in scoring. Once again Asheville's defense was up to the cause as it shut down the Liberty offense.
The match would remain scoreless and go to penalty kicks. This wasn't exactly what the Bulldogs wanted as they had lost two other Big South title games in PK's (1996 & 2003).
But this was a determined Asheville team. The Bulldogs got successful kicks from Duncan and Busha plus one from senior Ashleigh Carter to go up 3-2.
Lazar stopped two shots from Liberty which set the stage for Maegan Bradham. She calmly put the ball into the back of the net giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 PK win and a trip to the NCAA College Cup.
In addition, this would be Asheville's first ever women's team advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Midfielder Ashleigh Carter would be named as the tournament's MVP. She had done a great job all year long leading Asheville's offense and helping anchor the Bulldogs' defense.
Sara Pahl and Juliana Duncan would also make the All-Tournament team long with Veronica Lazar. Veronica began the season as Asheville's back-up goalkeeper but ended up helping propel the Bulldogs to a championship.
Â
Thursday, November 05
Thursday, October 22
Thursday, October 08
Thursday, June 18