UNC Bounces Back to Beat #8 Penn State
Sept. 15, 2000 SPRING, TEXAS - One game after having its 24-match winning streak snapped by #4 Clemson two nights ago, the top-ranked North Carolina women's soccer team defeated eighth-ranked Penn State 1-0 in a thriller at the adidas College Classic at Meyer Park. The Tar Heels, now 7-1 on the season, got a goal from senior midfielder Raven McDonald in the 37th minute and junior goalkeeper Kristin DePlatchett made six saves in recording the shutout. The game was a rematch of a couple of exciting UNC-PSU games a year ago when the Nittany Lions defeated the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill 3-2 during the regular season (Carolina's first home loss in four years) followed by a 2-0 Tar Heel win over Penn State in the NCAA semifinals in San Jose, Calif. McDonald's goal came in the 37th and was recorded on a header off a rebound of the initial shot by defender Tina Murphy which was saved by Emily Oleksiuk before hitting the post and ending up on the head of McDonald. The Tar Heels recorded 17 shots to 11 for the Nittany Lions and UNC had eight corner kicks to five for the Lions. Both goalkeepers played well as DePlatchett recorded her second shutout of the season with her six saves and Penn State's Emily Oleksiuk had seven saves. The main offensive push for the Nittany Lions came from sophomore forward Christie Welsh, who had six of the Nittany Lions' 11 shots on goal. Welsh was the consensus choice as National Freshman of the Year in 1999. Penn State now stands 4-2-1 on the campaign. The Tar Heels will play #18 Southern Methodist (4-1 prior to match with Texas at 7:30 p.m. C.D.T. Friday) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. C.D.T. (3:30 p.m. E.D.T.) in the final game of the 2000 adidas College Classic at Meyer Park in Spring.
#1 NORTH CAROLINA 1 0--1
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