UNC takes on UCLA for Women's College Cup title

Cary, N.C. — No. 2 quadrant seed North Carolina will face No. 1 ranked UCLA in the championship match of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship on Monday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

The Tar Heels are making their 27th NCAA championship game appearance (28th overall) and third in the last five years. UNC is 21-5 all-time in NCAA championship games (22-5 overall). This will be North Carolina's second appearance in the championship game as a No. 2 seed, winning the 2012 championship from that seed line.

The 2022 Tar Heels will look to join the 2012 Tar Heels and 2013 UCLA as the only teams to defeat three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. In 2012, Carolina defeated BYU, Stanford and Penn State.

Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 2001, Carolina has a record of 6-0-1 in NCAA championship matches.

North Carolina is 8-2 in College Cup games played at Wake Med Soccer Park including a 3-1 record in national championship games. UNC won the national championship at the venue in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

HOW WE GOT HERE
• Tori Hansen and Julia Dorsey scored seven minutes apart in the second half and North Carolina held off No. 1 overall seed Florida State 3-2 on Friday night in the semifinals. North Carolina took a 3-0 lead in the 66th minute when Dorsey headed home Emily Moxley's free kick.
• The Seminoles pulled within 3-2 in the 76th when Heather Payne headed a cross through the legs of goalkeeper Emmie Allen. Allen made a season-high nine saves to help North Carolina avenge a 2-1 loss to Florida State on Nov. 6 in the ACC championship game.

LAST TIME WE MET
• This will be the second meeting of the season between the Tar Heels and Bruins. UCLA won the previous matchup 2-1 at Dorrance Field.
• The Tar Heels scored first but could not hold the lead as UCLA scored twice in the final 30 minutes to rally past UNC.
• Tori Dellaperuta scored in 48th minute on a corner kick and UCLA evened the score in the 61st minute as Lexi Wright scored. Reilyn Turner scored in the game-winning goal in the 84th.
• The Tar Heels controlled possession for 66 percent of the allotted time and took more than twice as many shots as UCLA, 16-7, and had 10 corner kicks compared to the Bruins' one.

THE SERIES VS. UCLA
• North Carolina leads the all-time series with UCLA, 11-2-2.
• Monday's game will be the second national championship match between UNC and UCLA with the Tar Heels defeating the Bruins 2-1 in the 2000 final in San Jose, Calif.
• The Tar Heels are 4-1-1 against UCLA in NCAA Championship play with a 3-0 mark against the Bruins in Cary.

TAR HEEL TOURNAMENT TRENDS
• Carolina has outscored its opponents 16-5 thus far in the NCAA Tournament with eight players having scored a goal. UNC has scored a goal in each half of the tournament.
• The Tar Heels' 16 goals in their first five tournament games are their most since scoring 22 through the semifinal round in 2006.
• The 16 goals are the Tar Heels' most in a single tournament since scoring 19 in six games in 2012.
• The 16 goals are tied for the most by Carolina in a five-game stretch since scoring 16 goals in the first five games of the season.
• UNC's 16 goals are the second-most in the tournament this year. Alabama scored 17 in its five games.
• The Tar Heels haven't surrendered two goals in back-to-back games this season.
• Ally Sentnor's five tournament goals are most by any player remaining in the field and third-most in the tournament this year behind Duke's Michelle Cooper and Arkansas' Jessica De Flippo (6).
• Sentnor has scored five goals in five NCAA tournament games after scoring five goals in 19 regular season matches. She ranks second on the team with 10 goals.
• Avery Patterson's five assists in the NCAA Tournament are the most by any player in this year's 64-team field.
• Patterson has recorded a point in four of the last six games and five of the last eight. She scored a goal against Miami, Florida State and Old Dominion with an assists against BYU, Georgia and Old Dominion. UNC is 12-2 this season when she records a point.