The Tar Heels are back on top.

A 62nd-minute free-kick goal from Olivia Thomas was all Carolina needed to gut out a 1-0 win against Wake Forest in the national championship match in Cary on Monday night. It’s UNC’s 23rd national title and first since 2012.

“What an amazing group of women that I’ve been fortunate to coach over the course of this year,” said head coach Damon Nahas, whose interim tag was removed Monday morning by athletic director Bubba Cunningham. “A lot of people say their team deserves it. This is a special group.”

Wake Forest controlled much of the possession throughout a tense first half. The Demon Deacons sent three shots toward the Carolina net in a span of six minutes early in the half, but Tar Heel keeper Clare Gagne was up to the task each time. The half ended with Wake Forest holding a 5-1 edge in shots.

“I told them, ‘We won that first half,'” Nahas said. “What I mean by that is, Wake Forest dominated us. We won being 0-0… that, to me, was the biggest message.”

UNC controlled more possession in the second half and found its best chance of the night when the Demon Deacons were assessed a yellow card just outside their own 18-yard box. Thomas stepped in to take the free kick and blasted it into the Wake Forest net for the night’s only goal. It turned out to be Carolina’s final shot on goal of the evening.

“I don’t know how to put it into words, honestly,” Thomas said. “In the moment, I blacked out.”

Despite Wake Forest pressing ferociously for the remaining 28 minutes, the Tar Heel defense did not allow another shot on goal. The Demon Deacons only accounted for two total shots in the second half, while Carolina had five. The 1-0 win is UNC’s fifth shutout in six matches in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Tar Heels allowed just one total goal during their tournament run.

Gagne was named the College’s Cup’s Defensive Most Outstanding Player, while Thomas took home Offensive Most Outstanding Player honors.

The championship win breaks a run of three straight losses in national title matches for the Tar Heels since their last title in 2012. Carolina came up short in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Monday’s victory was also the second win for Carolina against the Demon Deacons this season. UNC beat Wake Forest 1-0 on September 12 in Chapel Hill.

The 2024 title is the first won by the program without head coach Anson Dorrance, who retired just days before the season started. Though Dorrance was not in attendance for Monday’s game, Nahas said he found a way to get his old mentor involved.

“I FaceTimed Anson as soon as the game [ended],” Nahas said. “This is a gift for him. They love him and he’s around us all the time, and he deserved to be a part of this with us.”

UNC finishes the season 22-5 overall. Nahas is the 15th different head coach to win a national championship with the Tar Heels, and the title is the school’s 51st overall in any sport.

 

Featured image via NCAA Soccer on Twitter

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