Controversial goal stands for GW

On a cool November night at Fetzer Field, only about half of the eventual crowd had arrived.

But the players had been introduced, the national anthem had been played, and George Washington had kicked the ball off - so there was no doubt that the NCAA Tournament game was officially under way Friday.

The Atlantic-10 champion Colonials drove the ball down the field quickly, gaining an opportunity to throw the ball into the box.

An initial header by Trevor Martin then found the head of midfielder Frank Ambrosio and took a high-velocity bounce off his forehead toward North Carolina goalkeeper Ford Williams.

Williams made an anticipatory dive to his left and got his hands on the ball. As he fell to the ground, Williams lost control, and the ball bounced on the ground once before he could smother it for sure.

A second of hesitation from the officials led the Tar Heels to believe that their goalkeeper had made an impressive save.

Ambrosio's reaction and the delayed "goal" signal from the referee quickly extinguished that belief. The Tar Heels were playing from behind only 1:26 into the first round of the tournament.

Whether the shot was actually a goal is a matter of opinion.

"The ball came down, bounced, and I got it before it crossed the line," Williams said. "But that's the game, and it's not my call."

Williams had been solid throughout the year, though not as impressive as his sophomore year.

Williams' goals against average has risen from .85 to 1.27. He also has allowed 22 goals to 53 saves on the season, compared to 10 goals to 30 saves last year.

But for the next 88 minutes and 34 seconds, Williams didn't allow a single goal.

He made four saves and was in great position for two rockets from outside the box by George Washington that didn't quite make it on goal.

The early goal, though, was the difference in the game.

"I think they played the same throughout the game," Williams said. "Credit them with sticking to their game plan."

But UNC has battled through a season filled with missed opportunities and unattained expectations. The Tar Heels were ranked sixth in the preseason poll but dropped out of the rankings on Sept. 13 after losing to Florida International and Virginia Commonwealth.

And the struggles compounded against George Washington as the Tar Heels couldn't find the one goal they needed to tie things up.

"It was one of those games that you always dread," said UNC coach Elmar Bolowich. "You play on your home field, you play well, you've got everything going, and it's just not meant to be."

And for a team that felt it could have defeated the Colonials on Friday and advanced in the tournament, its frustration was apparent.

"We gave it all we had," Williams said. "You have to give credit to the boys for an amazing fight. You can't ask for more out of them than a fight. I mean, the only difference was not giving up as many opportunities."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.