October 18, 1998

MORAGA, Calif. - North Carolina's top-ranked women's soccer team scored three goals in the first 37:11 of the match Sunday afternoon and then coasted to a 3-0 victory over Saint Mary's College in the championship game of the 1998 Saint Mary's Fall Soccer Classic. The championship match was played before a crowd of 2,534 fans at Saint Mary's Stadium.

Carolina had defeated seventh-ranked Portland 2-0 on Friday in its first game in the tournament, while Saint Mary's beat Colorado College 3-2 in overtime. The victory boosted Carolina's record to 15-0-0 on the season, while the Gaels fell to 5-7-0 overall.

Seventh-ranked Portland defeated Colorado College 4-0 Sunday in the consolation game.

Carolina took the lead on Sunday at the 13:15 mark when senior forward Rakel Karvelsson (Peachtree City, Ga.) scored her ninth goal of the year, assisted on the play by senior midfielder Tiffany Roberts (San Ramon, Calif.), her ninth assist of the year.

Just 5:20 later, Carolina increased its lead to 2-0 when sophomore forward Meredith Florance (Dallas, Texas) scored her sixth goal of the year, assisted by Karvelsson (ninth assist) and freshman midfielder Jena Kluegel (Mahtomedi, Minn.), her seventh assist of the campaign.

Senior forward Cindy Parlow (Memphis, Tenn.) finished off the scoring for Carolina by tallying her 16th goal of the season at 37:11. She was assisted by Roberts, her second assist of the game and 10th of the season.

The Tar Heels outshot the Gaels 27-2. Saint Mary's goalkeeper Kelly Kersch had 13 saves for the Gaels.

Carolina has now won 36 matches in a row since playing to a 2-2 tie with Notre Dame on September 19, 1997 at Notre Dame, Ind., in a match that was called in the 72nd minute because of lightning.

Carolina has now gone unbeaten in its last 60 matches, going 59-0-1 since losing to Notre Dame 2-1 in overtime on October 4, 1996 in Durham, N.C. The 60-match unbeaten streak is the third-longest unbeaten streak in North Carolina women's soccer history behind a 103-game undefeated streak from 1986 to 1990 and a 101-game unbeaten streak from 1990 to 1994. UNC (15-0-0) will continue play this coming weekend when it plays host to a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference matches at Fetzer Field. The Tar Heels will meet 15th-ranked Maryland (8-6-1, ACC 3-2-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. and then face off with 22nd-ranked Virginia (10-4-2, ACC 4-1-0) next Sunday at 1 p.m.

   
#1 NORTH CAROLINA  3 0--3
SAINT MARY'S       0 0--0

UNC: Rakel Karvelsson (Cindy Parlow), 13:15
UNC: Meredith Florance (Rakel Karvelsson, Jena Kluegel), 18:35
UNC: Cindy Parlow (Tiffany Roberts), 37:11

Shots: North Carolina 27, Saint Mary's 2

Corner Kicks: North Carolina 11, Saint Mary's 0

Goalkeeper Saves: Siri Mullinix (UNC) 0, Kristin DePlatchett (UNC) 0, Kelly Kersch (SMC) 13

Fouls: North Carolina 5, Saint Mary's 5

Starting Lineups:
North Carolina-- Siri Mullinix (GK), Tiffany Roberts, Meredith Florance, Rakel Karvelsson, Lindsay Stoecker, Lorrie Fair, Raven McDonald, Cindy Parlow, Danielle Borgman, Jena Kluegel, Rebekah McDowell
Saint Mary's-- Kelly Kersch (GK), Lori Giacinti, Katharine Jasmer, Jamie Storm, Sami Conroy, Katie Winship, Stacey Shaw, Jennifer Benz, Kelli Stredwick, Sarah Hudson, Katherine Sticinsky

Officials: Dick Servaes (Referee), Craig Smith (Senior Assistant Referee), Ken Ries (Assistant Referee)

Records: North Carolina 15-0-0; Saint Mary's 5-7-0

Attendance: 2,534

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