Just 48 hours until the Tar Heels start their quest for our 3rd 2009 National Championship!!!

In case you've missed the news, the Tar Heels men's soccer team will play the undefeated University of Akron "Zips"on Friday evening for the chance to play for the 2009 NCAA Division 1 Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday. The match will start at 7:30 pm in Cary's WakeMed Soccer Park and will follow the match between the University of Virginia and Wake Forest University. The winners of the two Friday matches will meet on Sunday at 1pm.

Just in case you've been away and didn't get the news, the Tar Heel field hockey team won the 2009 NCAA Division 1 National Championship (Carolina's six in the last 22 years) a few weeks ago, and our women won the 2009 NCAA Division 1 National Soccer Championship (our 20th in 28 tries) last weekend. What a fall for Carolina's non-revenue sports!

Now, another Tar Heel team is two matches away from bringing home Carolina's third NCAA Championship of the fall semester. This would be our men's second NCAA Championship in this decade! Need I tell you that they need our support AT THE MATCH! Yep, it will be chilly, but you and I will be in the stands in our 6 layers of warmth and gloves while the guys on the team and on the bench will be playing in their shorts and jerseys! The least we can do is to be there to cheer them on. If you live within an hour's drive of Cary, I URGE you to join me at the stadium. There will be 11 guys and a goalie on that field playing their hearts out for our alma mater. They love Carolina just as you and I do, and they are doing something about it.

The only way we can participate is to spend a couple of dollars and be in the stands cheering for them. Even if you've never seen them play - this year or any other year - they are a great team that played in the National Championship game last year, losing to Maryland 1-0. That match was not here, and you and I weren't there. That could have made the difference. Well, the Zips are undefeated (25-0) so we need to beat them to get the chance to play either the Wahoos or the Demon Deacons on Sunday. Of course, that game doesn't happen unless the Heels win on Friday night. Let's not get to Monday and wonder what would have happened if we had only been there! GO HEELS! See you on Friday night!

Friday is a HUGE day in Tar Heel sports - be there!

The Fall non-revenue sports seasons continue for two Tar Heel teams! At 8pm (EST) in College Station, TX, our Heels will take on Notre Dame in women's soccer. This is a semi-final game in the 2009 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. I am certain that you remember that our Heels won the 2008 Championship which was played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The winner of our match will play the winner of the UCLA/Stanford match on Sunday. In case you will not be able to attend the game in Texas, it will be broadcast on ESPNU. By the way, apparently it is very cold in College Station and the game-time weather is not supposed to be very good, but if you watch on ESPNU, it should be much more comfortable where you are than where our women are playing. GO HEELS!

Just before the match in Texas, our Tar Heel men will host Drake University at Fetzer Field in a quarterfinal match (I call it the "elite 8"). That game will start at 6pm. Please, please, please come out to support our guys who will be playing to take part in the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four. Those games will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on December 11 and 13. Temps at game time should be around 50 degrees, and it should be partly cloudy. Parking will be abundant since it is Friday after 5pm. Remember - our Field Hockey team won the 2009 NCAA Field Hockey Championship a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully, our women will be playing for the National Championship in women's soccer on Sunday. With your help and on-site support, perhaps our men will be doing that a week from Sunday.

There is no way to overstate the importance of all of us who love Tar Heel athletics and athletes. We owe these teams our support. See you at Fetzer? GO HEELS!

So much to be thankful for and that includes Tar Heel sports!

One month until Christmas and about 24 hours until we all give thanks for so much as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. And while my good health, my children, my family, and my friends head my list of things for which I give thanks, further down on my personal list are the young women and men who participate in sports on one of the 27 Tar Heel athletic teams. I am very thankful for their success, not only in athletics, but also in the classroom at UNC and for the joy I get every time I see them compete.

The next several days give every Tar Heel loyalist a cornucopia of Carolina sports events to watch. You know that the football team will play NC State in Raleigh and that the men's basketball team plays Nevada in Chapel Hill on Sunday evening. A football win may or may not change the bowl venue in which the team will play in late December or early January. A basketball win will be the 7th for the 11th-ranked Tar Heels. The football and basketball games just mentioned are on TV and are likely sell-outs.

But there are other games that are critical to UNC teams, they are not televised, and these two teams badly need our attendance to cheer them on to victories that will send the women to the National Championship round (Final Four) in Women's Soccer at Texas A&M and will send the men to the Quarterfinal round of the men's NCAA Soccer Championship. The women are 20-3-1 and face Wake Forest at 2pm on Friday at Fetzer. Home field advantage? Maybe not, unless you and I are there. This is Thanksgiving break at the University meaning that the students won't be there. It is up to us to be there, to be loud in their support, and to "turn it blue!" By the way, parking will not be a problem and the weather promises to be sunny with temps in the 50's. What a great way to cheer off some of the food that you ate on Thursday!

On Sunday at 2pm at Fetzer, the men host Indiana. Our men carry a 14-2-3 record into the match. A win would send them into a quarterfinal match against either Drake or Boston College the next weekend. A win in the quarterfinal round would send them to the Final Four to be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Again, while some of the students might be back in town from Thanksgiving break, it is likely that the support in the seats that the Heels need and deserve will come from you and me and others like us who love the Heels. I'll be there - how about you. Again, parking will not be a problem and the weather should be excellent!

But soccer, football, and men's basketball isn't all that is going on in the next several days. The 4th ranked Carolina Women play two games in that period. Today at 1pm, the women host Presbyterian, and on Sunday their opponent will be Charleston Southern at 12:30. Parking will not be a problem. Tickets will be on sale at the ticket office in the Williamson Building. Seating is fabulous (in the Dean Dome until late December when the games will return to a newly-renovated Carmichael Auditorium). This team also needs your support today and on Sunday. Last Sunday, they beat UNLV in Las Vegas and return home now to play two games before traveling to Michigan State on December 3. Remember, the students are away on break so it is up to us to cheer this team on. If you haven't seen them play this year, you have a real treat ahead of you. If you've never seen them play, you have missed an incredible team and an incredible sport! There is no time like the present to have the Carolina women's basketball experience!

The wrestling team is in action but in Troy, NY. If you, by some chance, are in Troy on the 28th, go by Lehigh University and pull for our Heels! By the way, in case you don't know, the men and the women both had overwhelming victories over the field in the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia last weekend. At this point in the season, the men are undefeated and the women have a single loss. Unfortunately, you will not be able to see these teams compete again in Chapel Hill until January 9 when the Clemson Tigers come to town.

In terms of sports, we Tar Heel fans have much to be thankful for. This fall season has been very good to us so far, and the soccer teams are likely to make it even better. My suggestion - show them how much you appreciate what they are doing for all of us and for our favorite university by being there for them on Friday afternoon (the women play at 2pm) and on Sunday afternoon (the men also play at 2pm). Between now and then, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The 2009 NCAA Field Hockey National Championship is OURS!

If you have read this blog over the last several weeks, you know that I have long described this year's Tar Heel field hockey team as a very special one with a real chance to win the Division 1 National Championship. Well, today my prediction came to fruition as our Tar Heels beat an undefeated Maryland team (last year's national champion) by a score of 3-2 to win its 6th Championship in the last 20 years!!!!

I hope that you had the chance to see this team play at some point during the season because it was very, very special. It spent most of the season at #2 in the national polls just behind Maryland. On the 24th of October, the Terrapins came to Henry Stadium and beat the Heels 4-1. Two weeks later, the Heels were beaten again by Virginia in the ACC Tournament. Some teams might have quit at that point, but not these women. On Friday, they beat Virginia 3-2 in the semi-finals, and today, against great odds and a terrible first half, they beat Maryland 3-2 with the last goal coming with 11 seconds left in the second half. They finished the season at 20-2. Maryland had a wonderful season and finished at 23-1 - the loss to OUR TAR HEELS!!!!

With no disrespect meant for our men's basketball team, Karen Shelton's teams have won 6 national championships in 20 years while it took the men 85 years to do that. I am not sure that it is appropriate to call this a dynasty, but I am thrilled to have had the chance to watch this team play all season. I cannot wait for next season to begin and invite you to join me in Henry Stadium next August!

Didn't I tell you how great the Field Hockey team is?

As I predicted weeks ago, Karen Shelton's Field Hockey Tar Heels will play for the National Championship on Sunday afternoon! That match with the University of Maryland will be played in Kentner Stadium on the Wake Forest University campus at noon. You'll remember that the Terps beat our Heels in Chapel Hill on October 24th by a score of 4-1. The Terps remain undefeated (they beat Princeton on Friday 7-5), and we owe them a beating! Have you ever watched a national championship game of any kind from the stands? As far as I can tell, this match will NOT be televised, but you can be there tomorrow to support our team and to cheer them to a victory. When we win, it will be our 6th national championship in field hockey. Celebrating after the win is fun, but you cannot imagine the excitement of watching it happen unless you've been there. I hope you can make it! GO HEELS!

And the Tar Heel beat goes on - WOW!

I love those weekends when the Tar Heel teams of all descriptions are performing at their best, and this past weekend was one of those times. You already know that the football team beat Miami on Saturday and that the men's basketball team beat Valparaiso on Sunday, but did you know what else happened this past weekend and the import of those events?

On Saturday, the Tar Heel Field Hockey team beat Ohio State 4-1 and followed that on Sunday by beating Wake Forest on the home field 4-1!!!!! In case you don't know why that is such exciting news, that was the 3rd time this season that we bested the Deamon Deacons, and they are an excellent team. So what you ask - that puts our Tar Heels in the Field Hockey Final Four!!! In case you don't remember, the Heels are now 18-2 and have outscored their opponents 82-11!! Are you excited yet? You should be if you are a true Tar Heel fan. So what's next? On Friday of this week (Nov 20) at 4:30 on the Wake Forest campus in Winston-Salem, the Heels will take on the Wahoos of Virginia in the semi-finals of the NCAA Championship tournament. You'll remember that the two teams met twice during the season up to this point. The Tar Heels won the first match 2-1 in OT in Charlottesville and lost the second match, again in Charlottesville, during the ACC tournament. This match is on a neutral field, and a win here sends us into the championship round where we'll play either Maryland or Princeton on Sunday for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! This has huge ramifications in the competition for the Director's Cup and would be the 6th time we have won it all in this sport! If you have any way to be in Winston-Salem on Friday, do it! These women have worked extremely hard to get to this point and deserve and need the support of Tar Heel fans every where. GO HEELS!

The weekend was also a busy weekend for the women's soccer team. The Tar Heels hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and beat High Point on Friday 1-0 and also beat Georgia on Sunday 4-0. So far this season, the Heels are 19-3-1, have posted 15 shutouts, and have outscored their opponents 55-9!!! They now advance to the Sweet 16 and will host Maryland this Saturday at 1pm at Fetzer Field. This will be the 3rd match with the Terrapins this season. The women beat Maryland 1-0 in College Park and also won the second match at WakeMed Park in Cary in the ACC tournament 3-0. I know, I know - the football game with Boston College is on Saturday at noon, but if you aren't going to Boston, why not go over to Fetzer Field and cheer on our women as you enjoy the fresh air in Chapel Hill? Again, these women work extremely hard to represent our favorite university and both deserve and need our support! GO HEELS!

And that's not all. Since the beginning of November, our Tar Heels are 4-1! They beat NC State 3-0 on Nov. 3, beat Virginia 3-1 on Nov. 6, beat Virginia Tech 3-2 on Nov. 8, lost to Maryland at College Park 3-1 on Nov. 13, and beat Boston College in Boston on Nov. 14 by a score of 3-0! What a wonderful run for this team! There are 3 games left in the season - at Wake Forest on Friday, at Duke on Saturday, and at State next Wednesday, Nov. 25! We've beaten each of these teams this season and badly need to beat them again. If you are going to Winston-Salem on Friday to pull for the Tar Heels in Field Hockey, you should have something to eat quickly and then pull for the Volleyball team against Wake while you are still there. The game at Duke is at 7pm (well after the football game and women's soccer match), and the Heels would really appreciate you being there to support them against the Blue Devils. You know you are going to eat too much on Thursday so prepare for it by going to NC State on Wednesday at 1pm to pull for our Heels against the Wolfpack! There is no ACC Tournament in Volleyball so the NCAA Tournament is by invitation only. Winning these last 3 games is crucial to our team being invited to play for the NCAA championship. GO HEELS!

I keep posting that if you haven't seen Sylvia Hatchell's team play basketball, you have missed a major treat. On Friday night, the Heels hosted the College of Charleston and beat them 88-57! And that win was without Italee Lucas, Jessica Breland, and Candace Wood being able to play. This team is very special, and you owe it to yourself to see them play. Your first chance is on Wednesday, Nov. 18, when they will play Coastal Carolina at 7pm in the Dean Dome (the move to Carmichael Auditorium should happen in late December). There are lots of seats, there is plenty of parking, and these women need your support as they prepare for their first road trip of the season. On Sunday, they will play UNLV in Las Vegas, and on Wednesday, Nov. 25, they will play Presbyterian here in Chapel Hill at 1pm. Yep, that is a direct overlap with the volleyball team playing at State in Raleigh, but look at it this way. You have two incredible Tar Heel women's teams playing for all of us - take your pick - you'll love either game. On the subject of women's basketball, did I mention that you don't want to miss seeing this team play? Sylvia and her staff have these very gifted athletes running and playing great defense. You'll really enjoy cheering for this team! GO HEELS!

While they didn't compete this past weekend, the Swimming and Diving teams are moving through their respective seasons. As of November 17, the men are undefeated and the women have one loss. Remember, some of these athletes will be swimming for the US in London in the 2012 Summer Olympics. You'll have an easier time getting to see them swim here than you will in London! GO HEELS!

What would you give today to have seen Mia Hamm play at Carolina

The afternoon could not have been more perfect. The sky was Carolina Blue, the temperature was in the mid-70's, the field at WakeMed Park was in perfect condition, and the Heels were ready to play. Florida State had beaten the Heels in Tallahassee a couple of weeks earlier and would have loved to win again in the ACC Championship. As has been case 20 times out of 22 attempts, the Carolina women's soccer team was up to the task and sent the Seminoles back to Florida with a 3-0 loss! What a game and what an afternoon!

The invitations for the NCAA Championship field were published today. Carolina is a #1 seed and will be the host for 4 teams in Chapel Hill on Friday, Nov 13. Besides the Tar Heels, High Point, Georgia, and UNC-Wilmington will play here. Carolina's first round opponent is High Point. After the Heels beat the Panthers, they will play the winner of the Georgia-UNC Wilmington match on Sunday, Nov 15. In the next round, Carolina will face one of the following teams playing in an associated bracket - Monmouth, Maryland, Washington State, and Villanova. That 3rd round game will be played on either Nov 20, 21, or 22. Quarterfinal matches will be played over the Thanksgiving weekend.

So, you and I have at least 2 more chances to watch the Heels play in 2009 in Chapel Hill. That fact reminded me of how many of the past women Tar Heel soccer greats I've missed in years when I didn't have the time to attend Carolina soccer games. Perhaps, you, like I, have marveled at how many former Tar Heels have played for the United States in the Olympics and the World Cup matches in the last couple of decades. I would give a lot to have the chance to watch Mia Hamm play for the Heels on Fetzer Field one more time, but those days are long gone. My point - it is likely that some of the current Tar Heels will be on the field in London in 2012 and/or Rio in 2016 on the US Olympic team and/or on the field in Germany in 2011 for the next Women's World Cup. Perhaps you will be in one or more of those cities to see former Tar Heels play for the United States, but if not, you can see players who could be on those teams in Chapel Hill on November 13 and 15. I doubt that anyone could have predicted that Mia would have gone as far as she has gone in 1993 when she last played for Carolina. Is a future Mia Hamm on this year's team? Won't you be disappointed if you miss the chance to see that Tar Heel play? See you in Chapel Hill this weekend?

A setback in Field Hockey

After an incredible season (16-1) with 12 shutouts, the Heels playing the ACC Field Hockey Championship in Charlottesville, VA, were themselves shutout by the Wahoos of the University of Virginia on Friday! That gives the Wahoos and the Heels identical records at this point of the season. Virginia will play Maryland on Sunday at noon for the ACC Championship.

The Heels outshot the Wahoos 14-6 in the game but could not find the back of the goal during the 2 35-mimute periods. You will remember that these two teams had met once before this season when the Heels went to Charlottesville and beat the Wahoos 2-1 in overtime. As of the start of the ACC Tournament, the Terps were ranked 1st in NCAA Div 1 Field Hockey, the Heels were 2nd, and the Wahoos were 3rd. It appears to this writer that the ACC is the epicenter of college field hockey in NCAA Div 1!!!

Before you get too despondent over the Heels loss, let me remind you that the Tar Heels Men's Basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 1993, 2005, and 2009. They did NOT win the ACC Tournament in any of those seasons. All true Tar Heels would love to win every ACC Tournament, but failing to win an ACC Championship is no predictor of how a team will perform in the NCAA Tournament. With that said, on Tuesday, the NCAA will announce the Div 1 teams invited to this year's NCAA tourney. I am sure that our Heels will be included and hope that they will host games leading up to the tournament semi-finals and finals scheduled for Wake Forest's stadium on Nov 20 and 22. If that is the case, please join me in attending games at Henry Stadium so that we can help our Heels move on to Wake Forest.

Women's soccer - on the way to another ACC Championship!

In case you missed the first match, the Heels played and beat the Terps of Maryland for the second time in less than a week in the first round of the ACC Championship on Wednesday night in WakeMed Park in Cary! The score last weekend was 1-0, but this time the Heels attacked, attacked, attacked and won the match 3-0 to advance to the semifinals against Boston College. The Eagles played Virginia also on Wednesday night and beat the Wahoos on penalty kicks after two scoreless "sudden victory" overtime periods.

On Friday night, the Heels repeatedly attacked the Eagles goal with no success. Both periods and the first overtime saw the women "attack and miss," "attack and miss," attack and miss," etc. Talk about frustration! One must give the Eagle goalie credit for multiple saves, but many of the Tar Heel shots were just a hair too high or a hair too wide, but the women persisted in attacking. It was women's soccer at its best. For all of us who were there watching, the frustration finally came to an end in the 3rd minute of the second overtime when Casey Nogueira, last year's national player of the year, scored the winning goal. Many of the near misses earlier in the game were Casey's, but she got it done when it mattered most! If you don't know, Casey is one of 6 players from North Carolina on Coach Dorrance's team.

So the Heels advance to the ACC Championship Women's Soccer finals - a place they are very accustomed to being at the end of the regular season. The opponent this year is Florida State. Maybe you'll remember that the Seminoles beat the Heels a couple of weeks ago in Tallahassee. The Seminoles beat the Hokies of Virginia Tech in the first game on Friday. The Hokies also beat the Heels this season. To say that the Heels owe Florida State a whipping is a major understatement.

What are you doing on Sunday afternoon? There is no better place to be than in the seats at WakeMed Park in Cary cheering for the Heels! The match begins at 2pm and will determine the 2009 ACC Women's Soccer Champion. In case you haven't seen the weather forecast, the prediction is for a sunny afternoon with temperatures in the mid-70's - an incredible fall afternoon. The women need you there to cheer them on. Few of us could be in Tallahassee to help them when they played on October 22, but the Seminoles are on our turf this time. Yep, it will cost you a few bucks to see the game, but you'll be very glad that you were there! See you Sunday! GO HEELS!

WOW! You've got to see this new edition of the Women's Basketball Team!!!

In case you missed the exhibition game against Francis Marion on Thursday night, the Tar Heels won 105-64, but that tells you nothing. The score can only tell you how many points each team scored, but it gives you no detail about this very exciting new edition of the Tar Heel Women's Basketball team!!! They are fast, they play great defense, they are very tall, and they are #5 in the country!

All 5 freshmen played in this game. Trust me - we have years of excitement ahead of us. Watch out Connecticut and Tennessee - here come the Heels! As is normally the case, Coach Hatchell has her women RUNNING non-stop. As you would also expect, they play tough, non-stop defense. That's coaching. But coaching can't make players taller. There are 3 players on this team (two freshmen and a sophomore) that are 6'4" or taller. How many women's teams have you seen with players that tall?

The good news? You can see this team play again on Tuesday of next week in the Dean Dome at 7pm - no charge! That night, they'll play Carson-Newman. The regular season starts on Friday, Nov 13, against the College of Charleston in the Dean Dome at 7pm, but you'll pay to see that game. Tuesday is free. Of course, once you've seen these women play, you'll want to see them play every time they are in town!

The fall sports semester draws to a close

It has been a long season for some of the most successful of the Tar Heel sports teams, and ACC championships are in the offing. It is certain that some of these teams will soon be playing in NCAA championships. If you don't know how the NCAA Director's Cup points are awarded, do a web search on NCAA Directors Cup. You'll find that points are awarded for a university's participation in NCAA championships. In case you didn't know, UNC-Chapel Hill finished second last year meaning that, based on points accumulated by its athletic teams (men and women's teams), Carolina had the second most successful athletic program among Division One universities in the United States. Based on their national rankings, the Field Hockey team and both soccer teams should be invited to NCAA championships and could host early rounds in those tournaments. If that happens, it is critical that all of us attend those games to help our Tar Heel teams advance in their respective championships.

Field Hockey closed out a 16-1 season that contained 12 shutouts on Saturday by beating Old Dominion on its home field by a score of 2-0. You'll remember that the Heels scored 74 goals and gave up only 8 during a fantastic fall season. Talk about domination! Their regular season is over now, and the ACC Field Hockey tournament will start on Wednesday. Because of its record (finished second to regular season champion Maryland), Carolina will not play until Friday when it plays the winner of the Duke/Virginia game that will be played on Thursday. The Carolina match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 which follows the Maryland (seeded #1) match with the winner of the Boston College/Wake Forest match also played on Thursday. You should expect the Heels to beat their opponent on Friday to advance to the ACC Tournament Championship match on Sunday at Noon. That game will be broadcast on RSN-TV. If everything goes the way one would expect, the nationally-ranked #1 Terps and the #2 Tar Heels should play in that match. If you have any reason to be in Charlottesville on either Friday or Sunday, be sure to attend the game played that day and cheer for the Heels!

The women's soccer season is also over, but the ACC Tournament starts at WakeMed Park in Cary on Wednesday. The Heels finished the season with a 14-3-1 record by beating Clemson 3-1 on Thursday and Maryland 1-0 on Sunday. Coincidentally, their last opponent will be their next first opponent in the Tournament. Carolina plays Maryland in the last match of the first day at 7:30. After they beat Maryland on Wednesday, they get the day off on Thursday and will play on Friday at 7:30 against the winner of the Boston College/Virginia match which is the 5pm game on Wednesday. The Tar Heels are seeded 3rd in the Tournament with Boston College 2nd and Florida State 1st. By the way, if you can't be at the games in person, the Championship game on Sunday will start at 2pm and will also be televised. That means, depending on your satellite or cable vendor, you could watch our Field Hockey team win the ACC championship at noon and then watch the Tar Heel women win the ACC Women

's Soccer Tournament at 2pm from the comfort of your TV room. GO HEELS!

The men's soccer regular season continues briefly. The Heels beat Stetson 7-0 last Wednesday and will play Elon on Tuesday and Clemson on Friday. Both of those matches are away from Fetzer Field. The ACC Men's Soccer Tournament will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at WakeMed Park in Cary. Bracketing for the Tournament will be done following this weekend's final regular season matches. At this point in their season, the men have a record of 14-2-2 which has been a great season and promises at great ACC Tournament and a long run in the NCAA Tournament that will follow shortly. GO HEELS!

The regular season is also over for the men and women's cross country teams. In fact, the ACC championship is also in the record books. The men finished the ACC championship in 5th place while the women were 6th.

The volleyball season continues. As was posted in this blog last week, the Tar Heels started a 5-game home stand on Friday with a match against Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets handed our Tar Heels a 3-1 loss. On Saturday, Carolina hosted Clemson and lost that match 3-2. You still have 3 chances to see our Heels play - against NC State on Tuesday (11/3), against Virginia on Friday (11/6), and against Virginia Tech on Sunday (11/8). For the record, the Heels are 70-2 against NC State (sounds like our domination over Clemson in basketball in Chapel Hill doesn't it?). I am sure that you know that the men's basketball team has an exhibition game following the volleyball game so go early and catch both games!!! This team needs and deserves our support! See you there?

Our Swimming and Diving teams have started their season as has been reported here. After a great win by the men over Georgia last week (unfortunately our women lost), the Heels hosted the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Tar Heel men won their meet 165-128, and the women also won 166-119. The season continues throughout the winter, finishing with the ACC Championship in February.

All of those teams have done and continue to do extremely well, and the winter sports are just about to start. In case you have forgotten, Carolina's Women's basketball team is just about to start its season. You can see that team on Thurday in the Dean Dome when it plays the first of two exhibition games against Francis Marion. The second exhibition opponent is Carson- Newman, and that game is on Tuesday of next week. Both games start at 7pm and both games are FREE. In case you have not heard, the ACC sports writers voted last week and named the Tar Heels the prohibitive favorites to be the #1 team in the conference this season. The AP preseason poll is also out and ranks our Tar Heels #5 in the country at the start of the season!!! This is going to be a very special season for women's basketball at Carolina. If you've never seen our women play, you'll love their style of play, the quality of their play, and the speed at which they play. Their first regular season game in on Friday, Nov 13, in the Dean Dome. The move to the newly-renovated Carmichael Auditorium is expected to occur in early January! You do not want to miss any of their games! GO HEELS!

It is not how you celebrate a win; it is how you deal with a loss

Can you say Florida State? Weekend after weekend this fall, Tar Heel athletes have repeatedly won their games and matches. It was a magical fall with victory after victory for Carolina soccer, field hockey, and volleyball teams. Well, reader, this past weekend was different.

The Seminoles came to Chapel Hill on Thursday and mounted an incredible 2nd-half comeback to beat the Tar Heels in football 30-27. And if that wasn't bad enough, our women's soccer team went to Tallahassee on Thursday and lost in double overtime there to the Seminoles 3-2 in double overtime. But that's not all. The Tar Heel volleyball team also went to Tallahassee on Sunday and lost to the Seminoles 3-1. I'm not sure that I can recall a recent weekend when any one opponent university did so much damage to our athletic program. But that's OK. We'll get them in the upcoming ACC tournament in soccer.

Unfortunately, that was not all of the bad news from the weekend. After the women played soccer at Florida State, they went to Miami where the Hurricanes shut them out 1-0 on Sunday!!! Two losses in women's soccer in a row? When did that happen last?

To quote Dean Smith who once said in a very tight basketball game, "we have them right where we want them!" These two losses could be exactly what the women need to get ready for the ACC tournament which starts on November 4 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Before then, they will play Clemson at Fetzer Field on Friday and Maryland at Maryland on Sunday. I suspect that you cannot get to the game in Landover, but I hope you'll be there on Friday to help the Heels get back on their normal winning ways by beating the Tigers before they go to Maryland and beat the Terps.

Then they play and win the ACC tournament - right? If you have never been to WakeMed Park in Cary, you've missed a soccer treat. This is where the Heels won their last national championship and is the home field for the USL's Carolina Railhawks. This team needs and deserves support from all true Tar Heel fans. With that kind of support, the Heels should win another in a long series of ACC championships and be well prepared for the upcoming NCAA tournament. With any luck at all, some of the NCAA early games should be played at Fetzer. The semi-finals and finals will be played in College Station, TX - home of the Aggies of Texas A&M. See you in Cary?

There was one more loss to report. As was reported several times in this blog, the biggest game of the Tar Heel Field Hockey season occurred on Saturday at Henry Stadium when the #1 Terps of Maryland brought their undefeated record to Chapel Hill to play the #2 ranked and undefeated Tar Heels. What a match that promised to be. Unfortunately, it was fall break at Carolina so the students were away just at the time the Heels would need them most. Unfortunately, our Tar Heels gave up 4 goals (the same number they had given up in their first 15 matches) and lost 4-1. It is likely that the Heels will remain #2 in the rankings.

The team has one more match in its regular season. Unfortunately, it will be played in Norfolk on Saturday at 1pm against Old Dominion. I say "unfortunately" because it would be wonderful if this game could be played in Chapel Hill in front of hundreds of Tar Heel fans. Winning that match would be a great way to get ready for the ACC tournament which will be played in Charlottesville on Nov 5 - 8. This is a great team, and I'm sure that, even though the players and the coaches are very disappointed by their only loss of the season, they will do very well in the ACC Tournament and in the NCAA tournament that follows. Considering the record that the Heels have compiled, I have great hope that part of the NCAA tourney will be played in Chapel Hill. There will be 4 sites for the quarterfinals of the 16-team tournament - 4 teams playing at each site on Nov 14 and 15. The semifinals and finals will be played at Wake Forest the following weekend! That, of course, is where the Heels and the Terps will play again! GO HEELS!

On the subject of soccer, the Tar Heel men beat the Hokies of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Saturday. There is still a chance to see them play at Fetzer this season. Their last home game is against Stetson on Wednesday, the 28th, and they have games with Elon on Nov 3 and with Clemson on Nov 6 at Clemson. This team is currently 13-2-2 and also needs and deserves the support of every Tar Heel fan around. Wouldn't it be fabulous if they went into the ACC tourney at 16-2-2? That tournament is at WakeMed Park in Cary starting on November 10. You'll be very glad that you are there. And, by the way, the NCAA Division 1 Men's Championship will also be played at WakeMed - sort of like a home game for the Heels, don't you think?

You know from earlier in this posting that the volleyball team, like the women's soccer team, made a recent trip to Florida. The great news is that volleyball team beat the Hurricanes in Miami on Friday by a score of 3-0! Unfortunately, it was following this win that the Seminoles won the match in Tallahassee on Sunday. The good news for the team and for its fans is that its next 5 games are at home in the Dean Dome. The last time they played there (you'll remember) they beat Duke 3-1. On Friday of this week, they'll play Georgia Tech. Then on Saturday (no football game that day), they'll play Clemson followed by State on Tuesday, Virginia on Friday, and Virginia Tech on Sunday. In 8 days, you'll have 5 chances to support the Heels and help them beat 5 conference opponents. By the way, there is no ACC tournament in volleyball, The conference champion is determined by the regular season records of the teams. Needless to say, every match left in the season is critical to the Heels' chances of winning the conference championship that they shared last year with Duke. Being in the Dean Dome is the least we can do to help them become the ACC champion!

Hopefully, the coming weekend will be far more successful for the Heels than was last weekend. Let me remind you. The women play soccer on Friday at Fetzer and the volleyball team hosts GT on Friday and Clemson on Saturday at the Dean Dome. They need your voice there challenging to make the next shot the game winner! See you there? If you can be in Norfolk, help the field hockey team beat Old Dominion for the 2nd time this season. If you can be in Clemson on Friday, be sure to pull for the Heels to beat the Tigers. There are 4 ACC championships on the line in the next couple of weeks, and we owe it to all of these athletes to do our part to help them win all 4!

Another incredibly wonderful weekend for Tar Heel athletes!!!

Another wonderful weekend for Tar Heel sports fans! Where do I begin?

I'll start with Field Hockey because that team continues to add to an unbelievable season. On Saturday, the #2 Tar Heels went to the University of Virginia to play the #3 Wahoos. In their first overtime game of the year, your Carolina women BEAT the Cavaliers 2-1!!! By the way, the only other team that has beaten UVA is Maryland which, coincidentally, is the only other Div 1 Field Hockey team in the country AND will be in Henry Stadium next Saturday (Oct 24 at 1pm) to play our Heels. After that match, there will only be 1 undefeated Div 1 team, and that needs to be Carolina. Please, please, please go to that match. This week is fall break in Chapel Hill so the students will be out of town. There is no football game that day so there will be loads of free parking including the Boshamer lot directly across the street from Henry Stadium. These women are playing their hearts out, and if you are truly a Tar Heel fan, you must be there. Unfortunately, this writer is out of state and cannot be there, but my heart will be right there cheering for the 2009 National Champion to-be - the Tar Heels of UNC-Chapel Hill!!!

Oh, I forgot to tell you. The women beat Virginia on Saturday and went down the road to #11 James Madison on Sunday and beat the JMU Dukes 2-0. So let me catch you up. The Heels are 15-0. They have 11 shutouts in 15 games, and have outscored their opponents 71-4!!!! What a record, and what a team!!!

On Friday, the Tar Heel volleyball team at 8-9 on the season took on the Blue Devils who were 16-3 at the time. I am thrilled to report that these Carolina women brought home another Carlyle Cup point by beating Duke 3-1!!! And if that wasn't enough, they hosted the Deamon Deacons on Sunday and beat them 3-1! They are on a 3-game winning streak and also need your support. Support means going to the Dean Dome and yelling your head off for these Tar Heel athletes! They have two games away and will be back home on Oct 30 to play the Yellow Jackets from Georgia Tech in the Dean Dome!

I suppose the folks from Charlottesville are not real happy with us right now. I told you that the Field Hockey team spanked them. So did the women's soccer team who beat the Wahoos on Saturday at Fetzer Field by a score of 2-1. That gives our women a 10-1-1 record. Their next match is HUGE but is in Tallahassee where the Heels will take on the Seminoles on Thursday. Florida State is in the Top 5 in Div 1 women's soccer and only have 1 loss. By the way, in the latest poll there are 6 ACC teams in the Top 25! I suspect that you won't be driving to Florida for a soccer match, but if you can/will, the Heels would really appreciate you being there!

There were 4 other Tar Heel victories on Saturday. The UNC men's and women's Swimming and Diving teams hosted the Hokies from Virgina Tech and the Gamecocks from the University of South Carolina. The wonderful news is that both Tar Heel teams decidedly beat both of its opponents. You know, of course, that the Summer Olympics will be in London in 2012. My guess is that some of the swimmers competing for the US are swimming right now at Koury Natatorium. Maybe you are planning on going to London, but why wait when you can see these men and women right now. It is much, much easier to get in and far less expensive!

As far as I know, there was only 1 Tar Heel loss this weekend. The Eagles from Boston College came to Fetzer on Saturday night and left with a 2-1 victory over the Carolina men's soccer team. The Heels were ranked #2 in the country before that match and have a 12-2-2 record even with that loss. If you haven't seen them play, you have missed a treat. There is no admission for soccer matches this fall because of the construction being done to Carmichael so the time is right for you to attend a match before the season is over. Their next home match is on Wednesday, Oct 28 against Stetson. Be there - you'll have a great time!

So let me summarize. On the weekend of Friday - Sunday, Oct 16 - 18, the Tar Heel teams that played went 9-1! What a great time to be a Tar Heel fan!

One last point - since last Tuesday, the Tar Heel baseball team has been playing what they call the Fall World Series. The team has been divided in half, and those two teams play each other. It is the end of fall baseball practice and gives the players a chance to play games in front of fans. I hope you were there for one or more of those games. Coach Fox and his assistants have another amazing team. You'll want to spend many afternoons and evenings next spring in The Bosh!

What an incredible afternoon for a baseball game, and the Tar Heels did not disappoint! The sky was Carolina Blue and white, fluffy clouds with temps in the high 70's made it perfect. I told you that you'd love this team. Tommy Coyle, a freshman from Pennsylvania, started at 2nd base for the Blue team. He went 3-3 with two stolen bases, had a walk, and scored 2 runs. This was his first game in a Tar Heel uniform in front of a group of fans, and he really showed those of us there why we are going to be very glad that he chose to play college baseball here. Dillon Hazlett started at 3rd base and did very well also. In fact, all of the freshmen who played did very well. Patrick Johnson pitched for the Blue team. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up 2 earned runs, struck out 3 and walked 2. Matt Harvey, who was a starter on the 2009 team, struck out 6 but also gave up 4 runs. All in all, it was a great afternoon. I wish everyone who is a Tar Heel fan could have been there. Starting at 2pm on a weekday is a problem for lots of fans. In case you haven't seen the change, the game on Wednesday has been moved up to 2:30 from 6pm because of the threat of more rain. The game postponed from Monday will be played on Thursday at 2:30. The game on Friday will begin at 3pm. By the way, these games are 7-inning games.

More great Tar Heel sports news over the weekend!

It appears that I posted too soon because there was more great news from the weekend sporting events if you relish wins by the Tar Heels. First, the Tar Heel Volleyball team visited Virginia over the weekend and left with a 3-0 win! Second, several of our teams who play their regular seasons in the spring use the fall to keep in shape and to make adjustments to the team and the way the team plays. That was true of the men's lacrosse team which played in a tournament in San Francisco and beat Brown University by a score of 13-5. Meanwhile, the UNC rowing team was in a tournament in Occoquan, VA. The women won the eights and the fours. Other Tar Heel boats finished 3rd in the eights and 5th and 8th in the fours. But perhaps the most surprising score of the day was in the Field Hockey victory at Duke on Sunday. You may remember that Duke played in Chapel Hill a couple of weeks ago. The score in that match was 7-0 with the Heels crushing the Blue Devils. On Sunday in Durham, the score was 2-1. I am very glad to tell you that the victor was the Heels, but did you see that score? In the very first match of the season, the Tar Heels gave up a goal. Two matches later in Chapel Hill, Wake Forest also scored a goal. No goal had been scored against the Heels since that 3rd game until today when Duke did it. You'll remember that this blog has consistently told you about the goals scored to goals allowed statistic. For weeks, the goals scored number had risen at an incredible rate while the goals allowed number had stopped at 2. Well, fans that number rose to 3 today. Is that a problem? Absolutely not, but it is amazing. The ratio after today is 67-3 which is incredible. On the season, the Tar Heel women are now 13-0. They have also provided 2 points in the Carlyle Cup competition. This incredible season goes on!!!

I'm sure that you'll agree with me that Carolina had an incredibly successful weekend in athletics. I know that it smacks of greed on my part, but I love those times when ALL of the teams who represent our university in sports are successful. What a pleasure it is to be able to see the games/matches/meets played by those teams. I hope you'll be there the next time any of the Tar Heel teams play in Chapel Hill!

How about tomorrow? I know, I know, the Heels are playing each other so that's different. In one way it certainly is. The games that will be played in The Bosh this week make no difference in the conference or in the national standings. There is no team from some other university playing against the Heels. It's not like it will be next February when the regular season gets underway. But there is one thing that really matters. There are 16 freshmen on the Tar Heel baseball team who elected to come to Chapel Hill to play. ALL of them could have either played in the major leagues or at some other university. This is our first chance to show them the Tar Heel fans support baseball. Not only do we have a rich heritage in baseball; not only do we have one of the best baseball facilities in the country; not only do we have a fantastic coaching staff, but we also have great fans who understand the game and appreciate all of the athletes who play for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. They'll know that when they run out of the dugouts and there are Tar Heel fans cheering from the stands. I'll be there, and I hope you'll be there with me! GO HEELS!

What a great weekend for Tar Heel sports - the winning beat goes on!!!

I know that it is something of a stretch to include it when I am talking about the "weekend," but give me enough slack to start on Thursday. ECU was here to swim against our Tar Heel men and women and went home badly beaten. Our men beat the Pirates 187-105 while the women won 183-105. What a great way to start this season! Maybe you've attended a swimming and diving meet here, but if not, there is no time like the present to see your first. Remember, the summer Olympics are coming up in 2012 in London. Seeing an olympic-quality swimmer in Chapel Hill is a lot less expensive than traveling to England IF you can even get tickets for that venue over there. There is never a problem attending a meet here in Chapel Hill. The score as of end-of-day Thursday was Tar Heels 2, Opponents 0.

On Friday night, the women's soccer team hosted the Wolfpack at Fetzer Field. Anytime any Tar Heel team hosts Duke or State, it is a major game. As you know, there is absolutely nothing that is as much fun as playing either of those universities in any sport in Chapel Hill. Friday was no exception. While this writer has no proof that this happened, it appeared from the way the women played early in the match that the coach had reminded his team about the importance of focus. After losing its first match of this season and its first ACC game in two years by losing to Virginia Tech 1-0 last Sunday, the Tar Heels scored 3 unanswered goals in the first 9 minutes against NC State. When the match ended, the Heels won the match 5-0 and are now 11-1-1. If you missed it, you also missed an incredibly beautiful October night for anything outdoors. That was the 8th shutout in 12 matches. Just to remind you, you have two more chances to see the Tar Heel women play soccer in Chapel Hill - next Saturday (Oct 17) at 1pm or on Thursday, Oct 29th at 7pm. The Heels host the Wahoos on the 17th and the Clemson Tigers on the 29th. Now, I know that you may be planning to attend the ACC tournament when it is played at WakeMed Park in Cary, but why not take advantage of the two home games that remain to see the women in light blue play on their home field.

At the same time the women were playing in Chapel Hill, the men were visiting the Deamon Deacons in Winston-Salem. They didn't win that match, but they didn't lose it either. After 2 overtimes, the score was 2-2 giving the Tar Heel soccer men an 8-1-2 record for this season! In case you didn't know, the men are ranked second in the country behind Akron. Wake Forest was ranked 6th coming into this game. By the way, if you prefer men's soccer to women's, the men will play two games next week at Fetzer Field - on Tuesday, they play Campbell at 7pm, and on Saturday, they play Boston College at 7 also. What a day Saturday will be - you can watch the #2 ranked women play at 1pm. From there, go down to Franklin Street for a couple of hours, have something to eat, and come back to Fetzer to watch the #2 ranked men play at 7! We are blessed to have such great teams and such great coaching staffs here in Chapel Hill. The players need our support! OK, OK, if you just can't do a full day of soccer, do it this way - go to Boshamer Stadium at 1pm to watch the 5th game of the Fall World Series at 1 then go to Franklin St and then back to Fetzer for the men's soccer game. What a great way to support the athletes in light blue!!!

So that was almost all that happened in Carolina sports on Friday, but there was one more thing. Unfortunately, the Tar Heel volleyball team lost to the Hokies in Blacksburg by a score of 3-2. What that means is that this team needs your support more than ever for the two upcoming games next week. Remember, the Heels will host Duke in the Dean Dome on Friday afternoon at 5pm, just before Late Night with Roy. I know that you wouldn't miss that event so go early and cheer for the volleyball Heels. Because Duke is the opponent, this will count in the Carlyle Cup computation. So after your day of soccer-soccer or baseball-soccer on Saturday, go back to the Dean Dome at 1pm on Sunday to help the volleyball team beat Wake Forest! As of end-of-day Friday, the Tar Heel weekend score was now Tar Heels 3, Opponents 1 with 1 tie.

Saturday - what an incredible team for the Tar Heels again. First, at 11 in the morning, the unbeaten, #2 Tar Heel Field Hockey team hosted Boston College. As has become their custom this season, the women sent their guests home with a 4-0 loss!!! Just to catch you up, that's 10 shutouts out of 12 matches. I will give the Eagles credit, for the first time that I personally have witnessed this season, BC did challenge the Heels. Most of our opponents have had very few shots of goal (great defense by the Heels and unrelenting offense by our women is the reason for so few shots), but BC managed 9 shots on goal and was awarded 10 penalty corners. Great defense by the goalie and her teammates prevented a score. Now, let me catch you up on goals scored vs goals allowed. The Heels after 12 games have now scored 65 (!!!!) goals and have only allowed 2 goals (!!!!).

If you haven't seen this team, you have one more chance in Chapel Hill during the regular season, and it is a HUGE match. Today, the ACC has 4 teams in the top 4 NCAA Division 1 Field Hockey rankings - Maryland, #1 and undefeated, Carolina, #2 and undefeated, Virginia, #3 with 1 loss to Maryland, Wake Forest #4 with two losses (Carolina and Maryland). The Terps will come to Chapel Hill on Saturday, Oct 24. Trust me, you do NOT want to miss this match, even if you have never seen a Field Hockey match in your life. Everything is on the line for this one, and the Field Hockey team needs every Tar Heel fan in the stadium cheering for them.

By now, I am sure that you know that the football team won its fourth game. The purpose of this blog is to report on non-revenue Tar Heel sports so I will provide no details here as I think you will find write-ups and reports on the game in a variety of places. I will, however, include the football win in the final weekend report here - Tar Heels 5 wins, Opponents 1 win with 1 tie!

What an incredible weekend for Tar Heel sports!

One more reminder - don't forget that the baseball Fall World Series starts on Monday at 6pm at The Bosh. Did I tell you? You're really going to like this baseball team!

Women's soccer - Carolina vs NC State

On Friday, Oct 9, at 7pm, the Carolina women's soccer team will host the team from NC State. There is no admission charged, and it should be a wonderful evening from a weather perspective. But most important of all, this is NC State! As is the case with Duke, this game would be huge even if both teams were winless at this point in the season. If you are a passionate Tar Heel fan, beating State at anything is a major reason to celebrate. Well, on Friday, you and I will have the chance to cheer for the home team and help them bring home another victory over the Wolfpack! Parking should be easy, the weather should be perfect, there is no charge for admission, the opponent is the Wolfpack - what else do we need to be there? GO HEELS!!!

Megan Owens, Branagan Fuller, Heather Brooks, Christine Vaughen, and Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland are seniors. They came to Carolina from Indiana, California (2), Michigan, and Illinois to earn degrees and to play their favorite sport - VOLLEYBALL! Their time on the Tar Heel court is nearly over, but there are still seven home games at which you can see these women and their peers represent our university.

Their next game is a big game because it is Duke. The winner of this game gets a Carlyle Cup point. So far this fall, Carolina has won the soccer matches (men and women) and the field hockey match. The football game with Duke is coming, but next Friday at 5pm, you can cheer for the volleyball Heels just before Late Night with Roy starts in the Dean Dome. In fact, make it an afternoon with the Tar Heels. The baseball team plays in "the Bosh" at 3pm. Watch most of that game, but leave in time to catch the volleyball game at 5. When that is over, stick around and watch the Tar Heel basketball players (men and women) as they begin practice for the upcoming season! What an afternoon!

After Duke, the Tar Heels have 6 more home games - Wake Forest (Oct 18), Georgia Tech (Oct 30), Clemson (Oct 31), NC State (Nov 3), Virginia (Nov 6) and Virginia Tech (Nov 8). As you see, all of these games are conference games and are, therefore, crucial to our standing in the conference race/championship. You've played volleyball, and I suspect that you've watched volleyball being played, especially during the summer Olympics. No, this isn't beach volleyball where two players in bathing suits play in the sand against two other players. This is 6 Tar Heel women playing for bragging rights (theirs and ours) in the ACC and in the NCAA. You and I can make a huge difference for these young women and their coaches if we'll be there to support them. Their schedule is on tarheelblue.com. Their is no admission charged, and all of the games are in the Dean Dome. Next season, when Carmichael Auditorium is open again, they'll be back there, but for the rest of the 2009 season, you'll find them in the Dome. Nothing is finer than beating the other teams in the conference, and you have the chance to watch them do that in all of their remaining home games!

Candace Wood, Nyree Williams, Krista Gross, Waltiea Rolle, Cierra Robertson-Warren, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt have chosen to play basketball for Coach Hatchell as Tar Heels. They are the new freshmen. Candace is a red-shirt, and her dad is Al Wood - do you know him? Oh, her sister, Martina, is a senior on this team as well. This team opens play on November 5 (less than a month from now) in an exhibition game in the Dean Dome. Did I tell you that Waltiea is 6'6" and Cierra is 6'4"? Oops, I forgot to tell you that Chay Shegog, a 6'5" sophomore, played on a US national team that won a gold medal this summer. This team is TALL. Add to that, some very experienced players from last year, and you'll begin to believe that this team will be very fast, very exciting, and could be very, very successful! If you didn't see them last year, you MUST see them this year and often.

You must know that Carmichael is being renovated which started at the end of the 2006-2007 season. I have heard it described as a state-of-the-art basketball arena. I have also been told that it is the ONLY arena in the country dedicated to women's basketball. It is going to be a magical place to watch our Tar Heels play. The question that remains is when will it open. From a variety of sources, it appears that early January is the most likely opening time, but December continues to be mentioned as a possibility. Personally, I don't think it matters to anyone who is a true Tar Heel fan. There are over 22,000 seats in the Dean Dome and around 8,000 in the new Carmichael. Season tickets are on sale now, and single-game tickets go on sale on October 17. The Heels play 18 games at home including games against Duke, State, and Maryland. If you are interested, they also play in Las Vegas on November 22 and in Myrtle Beach on December 20 (I'm going - great hotel rate for this game at the Breakers). And if you are really adventurous, they play UConn in Storrs, CT, on January 9. Talk about sweet - beating UConn at UConn is amazing! Tickets are very inexpensive so get them now. If you can't afford a full season (time or money), build and buy your own mini-season package. If you have children or grandchildren, buy tickets and take them. You won't find better entertainment for less money. Remember, November 5 is the first game!

Illse Davids, Riley Foster, Melanie Brill, Danielle Forword, and Briana O'Donell - winners of a NCAA National Championship in Field Hockey in 2007. Illse and Danielle are from South Africa. So why am I writing about them. These 5 Tar Heels are all seniors. Each has 2 more home games in Henry Stadium. If you are like most Tar Heel fans, you've never had the chance to see these ladies play the sport they are so good at. They won the 2007 Div 1 NCAA National Championship, and they have an excellent chance to do it again. Carolina has won 5 since 1988 so this would be #6 and would tie them with the Carolina men's basketball team for team championships. What a wonderful record and what an exciting prospect for the end of this season!

It is critical that Henry Stadium have as many fans in it as is possible for these last two home games. One is Saturday, Oct 10, at 11 a.m. and the other is on Saturday, Oct 24, at 1 p.m. These 5 seniors and their teammates have done an incredible job so far this season, but it is time for all true Tar Heel fans to show them how much we appreciate what they continue to do for Carolina. These games are free, last about 90 minutes (2 35-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time), and will give the fan who attends a real rush as these women record another victory!

There is a football game on the 10th so come early, see the Heels win and get ready for the game in Kenan. The game on the 24th is HUGE since the #1 team in the country, the Maryland Terps, will come to Henry. That weekend is during fall break at the university so the students will be away and there will be plenty of parking at Boshamer (across the street), at the Law School, and at the Institute of Government. That is the LAST chance that we'll have to cheer for and applaud Illse, Riley, Melanie, Danielle, and Briana for all that they've done during their 4 years in Chapel Hill!

Speaking of Boshamer Stadium, Coach Fox and his assistant coaches have recruited an incredible class of new baseball players. Yep, the team lost incredible talent to graduation and the MLB draft, but the future is extremely bright for the baseball Heels. The season won't start until February, but all of us have a chance to see the 2010 baseball team play in their Fall World Series. The team will be divided in half and those two teams will play each other in 2 best-of-3 series. If need be, there will be a championship game to determine the overall winner. All of the games will be played in Boshamer Stadium, and no admission will be charged. The first game of the first 3-game series will start at 6pm on Monday, Oct 12 (University Day - Happy Birthday, UNC!). The second game is scheduled for 2 pm on Tuesday, Oct 13. If there is the need for a 3rd game in this series, it will be played on Wednesday, Oct 14 at 6pm. There will be no game on Thursday, Oct 15. The first game of the second series will be played on Friday, Oct 16, at 3pm. Game two will be on Saturday, Oct 17, at 1 pm. If there is a need for a 3rd game in this second series, it will be played on Sunday, Oct 18, at 1pm. When both series have been completed, if there is a need to determine the overall champion, that game will be played on Tuesday, Oct 20, at 2pm.

I have had the chance to meet a couple of the new players. If you like baseball, you are going to like this team. If you are a Tar Heel fan and like baseball, you are REALLY going to like this team. It has been to the Division 1 College World Series for the last 4 years in a row. It is way too early to predict a 5th trip, but you are REALLY going to like this team. If you are a Tar Heel fan and haven't ever seen a Carolina baseball game, you have missed a major treat. There is no better time than next week to see your first game! There are over 4400 arm-chair seats in Boshamer Stadium, and one of them is waiting for you!

Whitney Engen, Ashlyn Harris, Caroline Boneparth, Nikki Washington, Kristi Eveland, Ashley Moore, Sterling Smith, Casey Nogueira, and Tobin Heath are soccer seniors. They were members of the team that won the NCAA Div 1 National Championship in 2006 and that won the NCAA Div 1 National Championship in 2008. As you would expect, they are having another incredible season. They are 10-1-1 and ranked #1 in Div 1. Based on the history of the Women's Soccer Program at Carolina, you may see one or more of these players in the future on the US National team playing for the World Cup or the Olympic Gold Medal, In the next 3 weeks, you can see these women playing soccer right here in Chapel Hill. They have 3 remaining home games - one on Friday, Oct 9, at 7pm versus NC State, one on Saturday, Oct 17, at 1pm versus Virginia, and the last is on Thursday, Oct 29, at 7pm versus Clemson. The team plays on Fetzer Field where there are over 4000 seats. Admission is FREE.

There is no athletic program anywhere that rivals the history of this one. Like every other team at Carolina, this team needs and deserves our support. Could there be another championship in store for the seniors on this team? Time will tell, but if you are a true Tar Heel fan, you do not want to miss seeing this team play. You have 3 more regular season home games. The ACC tournament will be played at WakeMed Park in Cary, but why not see one or more of these games right on campus? And what could be more fun than watching Anson's team beat the Wolfpack? They've already beaten UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Duke and Wake Forest. The team needs us there to power them past State. I'll be there. How about you?

Talking about non-revenue Tar Heel sports - an on-going commentary

There are 28 varsity sports at UNC-Chapel Hill. 15 of them are women's sports while the remaining 13 are men's. In my experience, one can find lots of information about football and men's basketball, but what can anyone find about field hockey, soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, fencing, wrestling, softball, baseball, track and field, tennis, golf, or rowing. Yep, it will always be on tarheelblue.com, but how about the newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, blogs, facebook, etc. I think true Tar Heel sports fans need to know more so that is what I am going to do here. I'll give the reader of this page some of the things you won't find on tarheelblue.com and will encourage the reader to come to campus to see these teams play. For example, the Tar Heel field hockey team is ranked 2nd in the country in Div 1. They have two home games left - on Oct 10 against Boston College at 11am at Henry Stadium (directly across the street from Boshamer Stadium). The game is FREE. This team is 10-0, has recorded 8 shutouts, and has outscored its opponents 58-2. They also have a HUGE match today in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest. The Heels beat the Deacons 4-1 in Chapel Hill a couple of weeks ago, but, as you know, EVERY WF team loves to beat the Heels in any sport. And the really BIG game at home that is left is a match on Oct 24 against Maryland. The Terps are defending national champions, are ranked #1 in Div 1, and are also 10-0. If you can't make but one game, do everything you can to be in Henry to cheer for the Heels against the Terps! By the way, I attended most of the home games in 2007. That was the year we won the national championship. My opinion? This team may be better! The one thing that is missing from every home match - ENOUGH FANS TO FILL EVERY SEAT IN THE STADIUM. We owe it to this team to be there. On another subject, the women's soccer team is ranked #1 in Div 1. They had a close shave in Boston last night but won 2-1 on two late penalty kicks. If you have never been to see this team play, find a way to be there next Friday (Oct 9) at 7pm. They will play NC State that night. The last time I was there (the Duke game a week or two ago), there were over 2000 empty seats FOR THE DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND THE #! TEAM IN THE COUNTRY. Again, the only thing that is missing are the Tar Heel fans.They are 10-0-1 and have beaten teams like Notre Dame, UCLA, and Texas A&M. They have 3 home matches left - NC State on Oct 9, Virginia on the 17th, and Maryland on the 29th. They need us, folks! One last thing for now, the men's soccer team is #5 in the country. They are 7-1-1 (not counting exhibition games). The one loss was to Maryland in College Park. You'll remember that Maryland beat us in the national championship game last year so this was a rematch. Last night, they beat Virginia 1-0 in Chapel Hill in double overtime - talk about exciting. They have 4 home games left. I know, I know, soccer and field hockey are not as exciting to you as is football, but these athletes work just as hard as do Butch's boys and the points they put up are just as important in the Director's Cup competition as are the points football puts up. I'm going to cheer for these teams and hope to see you there!!!! GO HEELS!

First Post!

Hey Tar Heel Sports fans!

Just wanted this to be the first post of a blog that is all about Tarheel Olympic sports. From scores to just general observations, this blog is going to get you informed and interested in Tarheel Sports!