CHAPEL HILL – The No. 1 seed UNC women’s soccer team is one win away from returning to the College Cup to defend its national title, but it’s going to have to do so without last year’s player of the year, Crystal Dunn.

“We were playing Texas A&M, and she stepped wrong and developed a high-ankle sprain,” UNC head coach, Anson Dorrance says. “Unfortunately she’s back on the injured list; we’re not sure about her ability to play this weekend.”

***Listen to the Full Interview – Click Here***

Dunn missed the ACC semifinals and the first round of the NCAAs. She returned to face Indiana in the second round and Texas A&M in the third.

Coach Dorrance says her time off the field has really shown him the strength of the rest of the team.

“Obviously we’re hoping she comes back,” Coach Dorrance says. “The cool thing about losing her actually was watching these young kids step up and fill her spot. It allowed us to compete effectively against A&M. Jo Boyles—a young kid from Raleigh—stepped in and filled Crystal’s minutes.”

UNC has won 22 national titles, including 21 NCAA championships. Collegiate women’s soccer is only 34 years old. Carolina also has a winning percentage of .934.

A win against No. 2 seed UCLA Saturday means consecutive trips to the College Cup. But, Coach Dorrance says this hasn’t been and won’t be the same journey as last season.

“Honestly, this team is stronger thank last year’s,” Coach Dorrance says. “Last year’s run was a miracle run. We were a No. 2 seed. This year’s team is fighting the fact that we’ve got three starters out. Last year’s team did not have that. So even though this year’s team is stronger, the injury bug has taken that off the table.”

The Bruins are 20-1-2 and have shut out each of their opponents in the opening rounds just like Carolina.

“They’ve got excellent leadership in their coaching ranks,” Coach Dorrance says. “They have talent all over the field. They’re a team with a lot of seniors on the field, and, of course, that makes them more dangerous. So, they can certainly not just beat us, but they could also win the national championship.”

But, while Coach Dorrance says he’s concerned about the strength facing him down the sideline in UCLA’s Amanda Cromwell—a former player he coached on a US National team—UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunninham says he’s got the utmost confidence in the veteran leader, Dorrance.

“They do a remarkable job year in and year out, and it begins with the coaching staff with his ability—and the entire staff—to attrack women that are outstanding students and players as well,” Cunningham says.

Heading into the quarterfinals, six of the eight teams remaining were from the ACC. In all, eight ACC teams made it to the big dance with WakeForest and Notre Dame both being knocked out in the third round.

NCAA Quarterfinals (Friday)
Boston College at No. 1 Florida State – 3:00 p.m. – Live Stats/Result
Duke at No. 1 Virginia Tech – 4:00 p.m. – Live Stats/Result
No. 3 Michigan at No. 1 Virginia – 7:00 p.m. – Live Stats/Result

Complete Bracket

Kickoff between Carolina and UCLA is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Saturday at Fetzer Field. You can hear all the action live on WCHL immediately following the UNC-Duke football game.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Soccer Stocks Increasing
The UNC men’s and women’s soccer teams saw improvements in recent polls, although the women haven’t seen the pitch competitively in ten days.
UCLA Eliminates UNC Women's Soccer From NCAAs
The NCAA quarterfinal matchup between second-ranked UCLA and fifth-ranked North Carolina lived up to its billing Saturday night as the Bruins advanced to the NCAA College Cup for the first time since 2009, beating the Tar Heels 1-0 in double overtime at Fetzer Field.
Women's Soccer: No. 17 Pepperdine Blanks No. 9 UNC, 1-0
Carolina traveled West for the weekend and earned a 0-0 tie at top-ranked UCLA Friday night before falling to the Waves on Sunday.
Santa Clara Ends UNC Women's Soccer's National Title Hopes With College Cup Semifinal Victory
In pursuit of the program’s first national title since 2012, the No. 2 UNC women’s soccer team saw its season come to a crashing halt Thursday night in Cary — as Santa Clara defeated the Tar Heels 3-1 in the College Cup Semifinals. UNC ends the year with a record of 18-2-0 as it suffered […]
Women's Soccer: Four Tar Heels Named to All-Region Team
Four Tar Heels were named Wednesday to the women’s United Soccer Coaches Division I All-Atlantic Team, led by three First Team choices. Midfielder Brianna Pinto, goalkeeper Claudia Dickey and forward Rachel Jones were each named to the First Team, while versatile freshman Talia Dellaperuta earned a spot on the Second Team. Pinto ranks fourth nationally […]
Brianna Pinto Named a Semifinalist for MAC Hermann Trophy
For the second time in her career, UNC junior midfielder Brianna Pinto was selected Tuesday by the United Soccer Coaches and the Missouri Athletic Club as one of 15 semifinalists for this year’s women’s MAC Hermann Trophy — an award recognizing the top player in the country. Pinto has racked up 13 goals and five […]
No. 2 UNC Women's Soccer Blanks Denver in Second Round of NCAA Tournament
The No. 2 seed UNC women’s soccer team began its run in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night in Matthews, North Carolina with a 2-0 victory over Denver in the second round. Abby Allen found the back of the net in the 41st minute to give the Tar Heels (16-1-0) a lead they would ultimately […]
Women's Soccer: No. 2 UNC Rolls to Victory Over Columbus State
Led by two goals from star midfielder Brianna Pinto, the No. 2 ranked UNC women’s soccer team cruised to a 6-0 victory on Tuesday night at Dorrance Field over Columbus State. It took less than four minutes for UNC (15-1-0) to find the back of the net, as Abby Allen took advantage of a great […]
No. 2 UNC Women's Soccer Blanks Villanova
Brianna Pinto scored 30 seconds into the second half on Thursday night at Dorrance Field to lift the No. 2 UNC women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Villanova. The Tar Heels (14-1-0) racked up 16 shots in the match while holding Villanova (2-9-2) to just one for the entirety of the night. UNC […]
Brianna Pinto Named ACC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
UNC junior midfielder Brianna Pinto was selected Tuesday as the ACC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals in the Tar Heels’ 7-0 win at Tennessee this past Saturday. Pinto and teammate Ruby Grant each had hat tricks against the Volunteers, becoming the first Tar Heel teammates to accomplish the feat […]
›