Women’s Soccer Falls To North Carolina In Overtime, 1-0

Nov. 5, 1999

CHAPEL HILL, N.C – The third-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels and eighth-ranked Clemson Tigers played a classic women’s soccer game Friday in the semifinals of the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at Fetzer Field before a crowd of 2,705. And it ended in the most unusual of ways.

The top-seeded Tar Heels, winner of 10 ACC titles in a row, needed a goal from freshman Elizabeth Ball 6:19 into the first sudden death overtime period to finally subdue the fourth-seeded Tigers 1-0. It was the fourth consecutive year the Tar Heels have eliminated Clemson in the ACC Tournament (twice beating the Tigers in the title game and twice winning in the semifinals).

What was unusual about this game was not so much that it went to overtime—it was Carolina’s third golden goal win of the 1999 campaign, but rather the way the Tar Heels scored the winning goal. Ball scored the winner directly off a corner kick. After Clemson cleared the ball over the end just shy of six minutes into overtime, Ball waited for her teammates to get into position before launching a bending kick from the left corner kick circle. Ball’s missile kept bending inward and Clemson sophomore goalkeeper Katie Carson, who was brilliant all night, realized she had to make a play on the ball. She moved to the left side of the goal and got her hands on the ball but it slipped through her hands and deflected into the upper right corner of the netting. It was the first time UNC has scored directly on a corner kick since Mia Hamm did so in a game in 1990.

The victory propels the Tar Heels into the championship game of the ACC Tournament for the 12th successive year. Carolina will play third-seeded Wake Forest (15-5), in its sixth year as a varsity program and making its first appearance in the ACC Tournament finals. The third-seeded Demon Deacons defeated second-seed Maryland 1-0 Friday in the first semifinal game.

The championship game will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Fetzer Field. The contest will be televised live by Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South and the Sunshine Network.

Carolina won its 12th game in a row Friday night and improved to 18-2 on the season. Clemson ended its regular season at 13-6-1 but the Tigers will assuredly get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

1999 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament Semifinal Game #2 Fetzer Field, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C.

                 1st Half   2nd Half   1st Overtime   Final#4 CLEMSON          0          0            0            0#1 NORTH CAROLINA   0          0            1            1

SCORING SUMMARY: North Carolina: Elizabeth Ball (Unassisted), 96:19

Shots: Clemson 3, North Carolina 19Corner Kicks: Clemson 3, North Carolina 10Goalkeeper Saves: Katie Carson (Clemson) 7, Jenni Branam (UNC) 1Back Saves: None.Fouls: Clemson 9, North Carolina 14Offsides: Clemson 4, North Caolina 0Yellow Cards: None

Starting Lineups:Clemson-Katie Carson (GK), Beth Keller, Audria Lyons, Alison Burpee, Leigh Clark, Lea Shreve, Cindy Mullinix, Julie Augustyniak,. Heather Beem, Tricia Williams, Nancy AugustyniakNorth Carolina-Jenni Branam (GK), Kim Patrick, Rebekah McDowell, Jena Kluegel, Anne Remy, Lorrie Fair, Lindsay Stoecker, Beth Sheppard, Raven McDonald, Meredith Florance, Danielle BorgmanOfficials: Federico Ruiz (Referee) , Michael Balson (Assistant Referee), Cory Rockwell (Assistant Referee), Tom Richardson (Fourth Official) Team Records: Clemson 13-6-1, North Carolina 18-2Attendance: 2,705