Yup. Game time should be about 29 degrees and could be down to 26 by the end of the match. I sure hope that they will have appropriate covers for legs, arms and hands. (Last game the PSU team showed up with color matched (black) leggins and long sleeve under shirts while the UNC team on the pitch had a few players with gloves and that was basically it. (The keeper being the exception and was more temperature defended,) At least at that game it was ten degrees warmer.
Was disappointed I couldn’t make it out tonight but I have to say I’m just cold watching the tv! Go heels!
What a performance by UNC. They played up to their potential and honestly looked a level above Duke and that's hard to do with how good this Duke team has been. an All time coaching job by Nahas. They better have his new contract on his desk by morning
Complete domination by the Heels. What a performance! If they play like this on Monday they’ll win 5-0
I'm sort of repeated here some ravings I've been having on Twitter or X or whatever, but ... that was about as complete a 90 minute performance I've seen from UNC all season long. Some of the chances UNC missed, especially in the first half, should have seen UNC up 4-0 at the half. What an outrageous first 45 minutes. There was perhaps a little bit of a scare here and there with how easily they were giving up possession, but it felt like every time I started to type that in an update, the Heels would make a play and kill off the momentum Duke had in the moment. They really did an incredible job to smother Duke. Hase vs Alvarez wasn't as one sided as the previous matchups were. Hase won the first game they faced each other on Halloween, Alvarez the second in the ACC tournament. While I do think Alvarez won their battle again, it was a lot more contested and Hase did lead through past Alvarez a few more times tonight to create chances. Armstrong was there for each of them. Maybe I'm a broken record about my three pillars, but it really showed itself tonight. It's been the Kate Faasse and Maddie Dahlien show for most of the tournament, with Olivia Thomas being active but not having much of an impact. Tonight it felt like Duke didn't key on her so they can defend Maddie and Kate. Dahlien had only a couple of chances to drive into the 18 but she was always swarmed ... even the PK she drew was her trying to drive through 3 defenders marking her tightly. Silly challenge by the covering Duke defender. ... and that's it, isn't it? Try and stop one or two of the three headed monster and the other one will be open and hurt you, and Thomas goes off tonight against a Duke team that only ever seemed to have one player defending her ... and she absolutely manhandled every solo defender. This truly is one of the most balanced and hardest to defend offenses I've ever seen UNC have, and I'll be lying if I said I saw it coming. Kate Faasse is a big part of that. 20 goals and is now the clear favorite for the MH this year after being a bench player forced into a starting role because of injuries. The next closest player that is still active is a WFU attacker with 11 goals. I thought Libby Moore had set an unbeatable bar for most improved player from one year to the next ... Kate shattered it this year. I like Wake Forest and how they're playing but this is a different monster from what they faced back at the start of ACC play. No Thomas, no Shores, I think that was Dahlien's first game back from the U20's and she was on limited minutes. We had a slow start and were playing narrow, a common trait when things aren't working for UNC. Then against the run of play Faasse scored and UNC started clicking again. It was still a pitched battle to the end, but it never felt like the Stanford game where UNC lost there way for a stretch and an equalizer felt inevitable. As long as the Heels can recognize in the moment that they need to down shift and give themselves time to settle back into formation, I think this UNC team, as healthy and confident as they're playing right now, will handily win the title. ... that is, of course, if we can keep Samantha Martinez far, FAR, away from this final. I was *shocked* to see her in the other semi.
I don't know what this is meant to imply, but I didn't see or hear anybody giving Faasse too much, if any at all, credit for the PK that Dahlien drew. The play by play very explicitely brought up that it was something Dahlien was so good at through the year. Faasse is just the designated PK taker. She hasn't even taken all of the PK's that Dahlien has drawn this year. Dahlien took one, Sember's taken two. If you somehow think that Faasse's 20 goals this season are padded and undeserved, you just haven't been paying attention.
Sorry I was not referring to you, nor was I doubting her play. But the announcers during the game, and the post game interview asking her about the PK (no mention of Dahlien by Faasse or the interviewer). Dahlien has earned many PKs for you guys this season. That play was huge because it set the tone for the rest of the game, and you guys were on your front foot. 20 goals is good, but how many were PKs earned by others? It's like the season Alex Morgan scored a bunch but several were PKs. That is not the same accomplishment as goals in the run of play.
What? I am giving Dahlien credit. She has been your best forward all season. She sets everything up. And, yeah Faasse could have given Dahlien some (actually all) credit.
Well, to return to the match and to restate the obvious, this wonderful team plays hard for each other--great defense and dangerous offence-- heck Thomas could have had 3 goals herself--one off the post and one off the crossbar--the straw that stirred the drink tonight. But too many heroes to count! A money coach. Love this team.
First of all, as the kick taker, its your job to score the PK, regardless of who draws the foul. All that is already built in. Winning a corner is never given the same level of inportance as actually scoring on the corner. Why whould a pk be any different? You don't get an assist for drawing the initial foul or winning a corner. I have never heard any reporter post game asking about a lead up foul as opposed to the actual game winning goal. So why are you insistant that she gives up her spotlight for actually scoring a well taken PK for Dahlien? Dahlien didn't score the PK. They asked her about her emotions during the PK, so she answered regarding her emotions during the PK. She thanked ALL her teammates for believing in her to step up in a big moment. That includes Dahlien, who was among the first to hug her by the way. So whatever issue it is you have with Kate, let it go. If it doesn't bother Dahlien, it shouldn't bother you.
Taking nothing from Faasse ... I think Dahlien drawing the PK was the play of the game. If she can do this at the next, and then the next level, she will end up with an amazing career. There are very few players on the wing who can get around the end consistently and she seems to be able to do it against good opposition. That kind of player makes an attack. Of course, when I played back in the dark ages, I was a winger. She's way better than I ever dreamed of being.
According to the announcers, Dahlien has drawn 6 PKs this year. She created 6 goals that she gets zero credit for. That was my point. I am not sure why you two Tar Heel fans are so bothered that I am giving credit to your player. What she does to create the PKs is impressive. Much more so than hitting a shot from 12 yards away where the keeper has to stay on her line. Give credit where due.
Both Faasse and Dahlien have been super impressive this year. Neither one negates what the other has done imo. As much trouble as Dellaperuta had scoring last season, Kate has looked like a natural goal scorer. And obviously Maddie is so effective creating and going 1v1 at defenders and crossing the ball.
if that was your point, why did you bring up Faasse getting too much credit, even making a direct comparison to a year where you think Alex Morgan stat padded her goal total with PK's? You can celebrate and emphasize Maddie Dahlien's ability to earn PK's with her speed and power without diminishing Kate Faasse's capability and contributions. Kate Faasse has 20 goals this year, only three from the spot ... they are: Equalizer vs Colorado Winner vs Colorado Opening Goal vs GA The Second insurance Goal vs NDU Opening and Game Winning Goal vs Columbia Opening and Game Winning Goal vs WFU Opening and Game Winning Goal vs Pitt Equalizing goal vs UVA Opening and Game Winning Goal vs LOU The second insurance goal vs LOU The second insurance goal vs Clemson Late goal trying to come back vs Duke on Halloween Opening and Game Winning Goal vs VT *PK The first Insurance Goal vs VT Opening Goal vs FSU *PK Go ahead goal vs FSU before FSU came back to win The first insurance goal against USCU The second insurance goal against USCU OT Winner vs Penn State Opening and Game Winning Goal vs Duke *PK
Yes I specifically pointed out that Faasse got too much credit from the announcers and post game interview. All that work you put in to gather this information doesn’t change that.
Samantha Martinez was there just like the teams. She earned her way there through performance. Each game of the final four has a completely different crew.
To my eye, Aven was just money all game. Her defensive positioning was amazing and her on ball possession in the second half, in particular, helped control the game and run clock.
Feels like this team is destined to win it all. Who would’ve ever thought after the mass exodus? Truly incredible. They’re getting stronger as each game goes by.
Well, going into the season, my system had them ranked #2 (behind FSU). So with FSU upset in the Tournament, that would put them in the driver's seat. As they say, "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose."
Uh oh, cpthomas is feeling it, he’s talking in French now. His posts are always welcome, always informative, even when he resorts to foreign languages.
Can you say a little about why your system had them ranked so high, with only one starter returning? BTW, in addition to adapting to a new roster, they also had do without Migli, who suffered a stroke and apparently decided, eventually and extremely reluctantly, that it was counterproductive to try to push through it as if it were an ordinary injury. There's a nice article on her at https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article296487129.html .