CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –  Jessica Price scored on a rebound in the 105^th minute Sunday afternoon to lift 17^th-ranked Florida State to a 1-0 victory over 11^th-ranked North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ACC Women’s Soccer Tournament at Fetzer Field.

 

The winning sequence for the Seminoles was set up by a corner kick by Tiana Brockway and an initial shot by Ella Stephan that was saved by UNC goalkeeper Anna Sieloff, who tipped the ball off the cross bar.  The rebound fell to Price, however, and she assuredly put the ball over the line for here fourth goal of the season.  With the win, Florida State becomes the first team in ACC history to have beaten the Tar Heels three times.  Only Notre Dame with five wins and Santa Clara with four wins own more victories over the Tar Heels than the Seminoles do.

 

The loss was also the first-ever for UNC in ACC Women’s Soccer Tournament history dating to the inaugural tournament in 1988.   Carolina falls to 58-1-4 in ACC Tournament play with the loss.

 

Both teams had plenty of chances to score in the opening 104 minutes of the game but the match stayed tied throughout because of stellar defensive efforts on both sides.  UNC had 18 shots in the game, but only three were on goal.  A Florida State defender cleared a Crystal Dunn shot off the line in the first half and Kelsey Wys made her only two saves of the match in the waning moments of regulation.

 

Florida State had 14 shots in the game.  Nine of the 14 FSU shots were on frame.  Adelaide Gay made two saves in the first half for Carolina and Anna Sieloff made three saves in the final 60 minutes of action.  UNC defenders were also credited with three saves, keeping other Seminole chances from turning into goals.

 

Florida State improved to 13-6 on the season with the win and the Seminoles will now play Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.  Duke and Wake Forest will play in the first semifinal game at 5:30 p.m.  Two higher seeds were knocked off in the quarterfinal round on their home field as not only did Carolina lose but fourth-seeded Boston College lost to Wake Forest 3-2 at home on Sunday.

 

Carolina finished its regular season with an 11-5-1 mark.  That equals the most losses in a single season in UNC history.  The 1980 team also lost five games, going 21-5.  UNC ended the season on a three-match losing streak with one-goal setbacks against Virginia Tech, Maryland and Florida State.  That’s the longest losing streak in UNC women’s soccer history.

 

Carolina still hopes to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2011.  That will have to wait until Monday, November 7 when bids are announced that night.  First round games in the 2011 NCAA Tournament will be played at on-campus sites the weekend of November 12-14.  The 32 winners of the first round games will advanced to eight four-team regionals to be played the weekend of November 19-21.  The eight third-round winners will then advance to the NCAA quarterfinals the weekend of November 26-28 at campus sites.  The NCAA College Cup will be played in Kennesaw, Ga., on December 2 and 4.