North Carolina Women Claim National Championship

The North Carolina womens soccer team rallied with 2 Casey Nogueira goals in the 2nd half to defeat Notre Dame and take the 2008 Womens National Championship.  Notre Dame had shocked the favorites with a Kerry Hanks goal only 16 seconds into the match.  UNC recovered from the stunner and settled into the game, but  Notre Dame would take the lead into halftime.

UNC would even the match in the 51st minute when Jessica McDonald earned a free kick just outside the Notre Dame penalty area.  Casey Nogueira fired the shot past the Notre Dame keeper and into the net.  North Carolina would create the better chances as the 2nd half wore on, but it looked like the match was headed inot overtime. 

Then in the 88th minute, Nogueira gained possession and dribbled down the left  where she then ripped a 20 yard shot with her left foot that she bent over the goalkeeper into the top middle of the net for the winner. 

The match was not over though, as in the final minute of play Notre Dame's Kerry Hanks was brought down in the penalty area.  The referee did not award a penalty though and the match ended 2-1 to North Carolina.  It marked the 19th National Championship for the North Carolina womens soccer program.