ACC Captures Three National Championships in the Fall.
ACC teams have won NCAA National Championships in field hockey, men's soccer and women's soccer.
Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Coast Conference
 
Dec. 18, 2009



For the second straight year, Atlantic Coast Conference teams have won NCAA National Championships in field hockey, men’s soccer and women’s soccer. That brings the league total to 116 since its inception in 1953.


North Carolina captured the 2009 NCAA Championship in field hockey with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over top-ranked Maryland at Wake Forest’s Kentner Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. The title marked the sixth in school history and the second in three years.


The Tar Heels women’s soccer team won its second straight national championship, and third in four years, with a 1-0 win over previously undefeated Stanford in the Women’s College Cup final at College Station, Texas.


In men’s soccer, the University of Virginia captured its sixth national title, and first since 1994, with a thrilling 3-2 victory on penalty kicks over No. 1 Akron in the 2009 Men’s College Cup final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.


The three national titles solidified the Atlantic Coast Conference’s continued dominance in each sport.


North Carolina’s win in field hockey secured an eighth consecutive NCAA championship for an ACC school, and the 15th overall for the conference since field hockey became a league sponsored sport in 1983. The Tar Heels and Terrapins have six titles each, while Wake Forest has three after winning championships from 2002-04.


During the 2009 season, ACC schools dominated the field hockey polls with all six of its teams ranked in the Top 20 in every poll throughout the year, the only conference to accomplish that feat. Maryland began the season as the top-ranked team and held that spot until losing to third-ranked North Carolina in the national championship game. Despite failing to win the crown, the Terrapins’ Katie O’Donnell earned the 2009 Honda Sports Award for Field Hockey after leading her team to an undefeated regular season.


The North Carolina women’s soccer team finished off a historic season by winning its 20th NCAA Championship. The Tar Heels also won an AIAW title in 1981 giving them 21 national crowns in 29 seasons.


For the second straight year senior Casey Nogueira was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Women’s College Cup after scoring the game winning goal in a 1-0 semifinal victory over Notre Dame, and assisting on the championship game winner. Nogueira was also the MVP of the ACC Women’s Soccer Championship in back-to-back years.


Tar Heel head coach Anson Dorrance recorded his 696th win in the victory over Stanford and became the first head coach to win 20 NCAA crowns in a single sport. Dorrance was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008 and has been guiding North Carolina for the past 31 years.


Virginia made it 14 NCAA national titles for the ACC in men’s soccer with its win over previously undefeated Akron in the 2009 College Cup final. The Cavaliers’ victory also secured the third straight championship for an ACC school and fourth in the past five seasons. Maryland won NCAA championships in 2005 and 2008 while Wake Forest captured the crown in 2007. It also marked the 21st appearance for an ACC team in the championship final.


Heading into the 2009 NCAA Championship, the ACC led all conferences with seven teams selected and finished with a 15-2-1 mark against non-conference opponents in this year’s tournament. The ACC also placed three of four teams in the Men’s College Cup for the second straight year, a feat that prior to 2008 had never been accomplished in NCAA history. To advance to the final against Akron, Virginia knocked off Wake Forest in overtime. Akron moved on to the final after tying North Carolina 0-0 in regulation, and advancing 5-4 on penalty kicks.


In the championship game Virginia goalie Diego Restrepo proved why he is one of the top goalkeepers in the nation. After shutting out Akron through regulation and two overtime periods, Restrepo allowed only two shots to get by in the penalty kick shootout. He earned both the Men’s College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player and ACC Tournament MVP honors en route to posting a school record 16 shutouts over the 2009 season.


With the outstanding performances put up by Atlantic Coast Conference schools not only in 2009, but throughout the past two decades, the conference has proven why it is undeniably the premier league in field hockey, men’s soccer and women’s soccer.