Motivated Ramsey Wins MVP

A quick smile escaped her lips, breaking Ramsey's business-like expression.

She couldn't help but enjoy her new status as ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

It was evident the disappointment of last Wednesday had vanished.

Last week, conference coaches voted UNC's biggest scoring threat to the All-ACC second-team.

Meanwhile, three other Tar Heels were elected to the conference's first team.

"I guess not making the conference team was kind of motivation," said Ramsey, who is the first sophomore to be named MVP since 1990. "The game MVP was a huge honor. I didn't expect it at all. I just went out there and played."

Ramsey scored the championship game's second goal when she penetrated Florida State's back line, and she assisted on two others to aid North Carolina's run for the conference title.

She also scored two goals in Friday's semifinal match against Wake Forest, one of them on a penalty kick.

"Tactically, she's playing very well," said UNC coach Anson Dorrance. "She's always been an excellent finisher. She doesn't shoot the ball enough, but if you look at her finishing percentage, even going back to her freshman year, it's remarkable."

Ramsey displayed a special knack for timing her breakaway runs into the offensive zone.

Where some players might jump the gun and get whistled for an off-sides, Ramsey attacks with a precise timing that's evident in her team-leading 13 goals and 12 assists.

"She has the capacity of walking that line and when the ball is struck, get in," Dorrance said. "The goal she scored today, and also the pentalty kick she drew yesterday, were all off her negociating this line. It's a very hard thing to do."

But Ramsey makes it look easy.

Dorrance compared Ramsey's ability to take over a game to that of former Tar Heel Meredith Florance.

And as the UNC offense emulates Florance, the rest of the ACC is looking up to Ramsey.

"I look at her and I'm like, 'OK, I need to do this,'" said FSU forward Cindy Schofield. "I see stuff that she does that I could implement in my game."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.