Late Maryland goal breaks scoreless tie

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland senior midfielder Domenic Mediate broke a scoreless tie in the 75th minute to lead the No. 24 Terrapins to a 1-0 win against North Carolina on Sunday at Ludwig Field.

After outshooting the Tar Heels (3-6-2, 1-2-0 in the ACC) 10-4 in the first half, the Terps (7-3-1, 1-2-1) continued to control possession in the second half and denied counter attacks from North Carolina.

Minutes after Terp goal was negated by an offsides call, Maryland scored the game winner when Kenney Bertz won a 50-50 ball and passed the ball to Mediate's feet. After a nice move at the top-right corner of the box, Mediate slotted a ball to the far post past Tar Heel goalkeeper Ford Williams for the score with just more than 15 minutes remaining.

North Carolina pressed after falling behind but was unable to find the equalizing goal.

Williams went the distance in goal for the Tar Heels, posting four saves. UNC had nine shots on the afternoon, led by senior forward Marcus Storey, who fired three shots to lead the team's attack.

The Tar Heels, who have faced five nationally-ranked opponents in their last six matches, return to action at Elon on Wednesday.

Tar Heels squeak by Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. - Freshman forward Jaime Gilbert and senior striker Anne Morrell scored second-half goals less than two minutes apart to rally the No. 2 North Carolina women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory against No. 23 Clemson on Saturday night before a crowd of 3,820 fans at Riggs Field.

UNC (12-0-1, 5-0 in the ACC) is now undefeated in its last 40 matches, going 39-0-1 during the past two seasons.

For the second time this season, the Tar Heels fell behind early in the match just as they did earlier this season in an eventual 2-1 double-overtime victory against Maryland.

The Tigers (8-5, 3-3) got on the board at the 6:48 mark of the match as Courtney Foster tallied her third goal of the season, assisted by Lindsay Browne.

Browne played a through ball that penetrated the Tar Heel defensive line. Foster ran onto the ball, gathered it in and went one-on-one with UNC goalkeeper Aly Winget, slotting it past her for the score.

Clemson would hold on to that lead for almost 60 full minutes before Gilbert got the tying goal for the Tar Heels in the 67th minute mark.

UNC junior defender Kendall Fletcher sent a free kick from near the midfield stripe to the top of the 18-yard box where Gilbert gathered it in and roofed a shot from 18 yards out into the upper-left corner of the goal. It was Gilbert's eighth goal of the season.

Less than two minutes later, UNC scored the game winner as senior Anne Morrell tallied her second goal of the 2004 campaign.

UNC senior defender Sara Randolph gave Morrell a ball in the center midfield area, and Morrell attacked the Clemson defense, eluding one defender and then sending a cutter from about 20 yards away past diving Tiger goalkeeper Lauren Johnston.

UNC held on in the final 21 minutes to preserve the triumph with Winget making a season-high five saves in goal for the Tar Heels. Johnston finished with two saves for Clemson.

Each of the last three games between North Carolina and Clemson at Riggs Field have been decided by 2-1 scores with Clemson winning in 2000, UNC winning in double overtime in 2002 and UNC winning again this season.

The Tar Heels will return to the pitch with a match against No. 22 Wake Forest on Wednesday in Winston-Salem.