NEW HAVEN, CONN. - Yael Averbuch set an NCAA record for the fastest goal scored in NCAA women's soccer history and she figured in the scoring on the first three North Carolina goals as the No. 9 Tar Heels defeated No. 23 Yale 4-0 in the East Coast Invitational at Reese Stadium.

Averbuch's goal came off the opening kickoff as she shot the ball off the ground from the midfield stripe and sent it into the top center of the goal from 55 yards away. Yale goalkeeper Susan Starr retreated to her line but could only tip the ball slightly as it went into the goal. The goal was the fastest ever in NCAA women's soccer, regardless of division, and it tied the fastest goal ever scored by a man in the collegiate ranks, a goal scored by an NCAA Division III player seven years ago.

The previous fastest women's goal was six seconds which was accomplished twice by NCAA Division I players and once by an Division III player. Solfrid Anderson of Virginia Commonwealth connected six seconds into the match against Charlotte on September 5, 2004 and Kristi Cummings of UNC Asheville scored at the six second mark against Furman on September 18, 1995. Sara Gross of NCAA Division III St. Norbert also scored at the six-second mark against Edgewood on September 1, 2004.

Averbuch's effort also tied the record for any men's game set when Stuart Hulke of NCAA Division III Roger Williams scored against Johnson and Wales (R.I.) on September 14, 1999 at four seconds.

Averbuch's goal gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead and set off a dominating effort by the Tar Heels in the first half. Carolina outshot the Bulldogs 12-1 in the first half and added two more goals to build a 3-0 lead at intermission.

At 12:08, the Tar Heels increased their lead to 2-0 when Robyn Gayle, just back from a stint with the Canadian National Team and playing in her second game back with the Tar Heels this season, drilled a shot from 25 yards away into the top left corner after taking a pass from Yael Averbuch. It was Gayle's first goal since she scored against Miami on October 7, 2004 at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.

Yael Averbuch then gave the Tar Heels a 3-0 advantage when she scored at the 28:21 mark on another long range shot. Dribbling on the left wing, Averbuch pivoted around a defender and then sent a shot from the lower left edge of the box that curled into the upper right corner for her fourth goal of the season. With the goal Averbuch equaled her goal total of her freshman season in 2005.

The Tar Heels' lead could have been greater if it were not for Susan Starr's six saves in the first half. Among the saves were shots she punched over the bar that were taken by Ali Hawkins and Elizabeth Guess. Those shots, both drilled hard, would otherwise have been goals.

Carolina finished off the scoring at 86:23 as senior striker Heather O'Reilly scored her first goal of the season off an assist by freshman forward Caroline Boneparth, her first career point, as well as a second assist by freshman Whitney Engen. O'Reilly took the ball at the top of the box, pivoted and scored into the top left corner after taking the setup pass from Boneparth who centered the ball from the right wing.

Averbuch was named Carolina's offensive Most Valuable Player for the East Coast Invitational while Robyn Gayle was named UNC's Defensive MVP.

The game was the fifth in 10 days for the Tar Heels to start the season, a stretch in which Carolina went 4-1. Yale fell to 0-2 with the loss.

The Tar Heels will now have five days off before their next game. They travel next weekend to Portland, Ore. for the 2006 Nike Portland Invitational. The Tar Heels will play Washington on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and then face off against defending NCAA champion Portland on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.