TALLAHASSE, FLA. - The University of North Carolina women's soccer team, ranked second nationally and the top seed in this year's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, claimed its 14th successive ACC championship Sunday afternoon by defeating 12th-ranked Clemson 6-0 at the Seminole Soccer Complex. The six-goal winning margin was the largest in ACC Tournament history. Carolina had won a quartet of 4-0 ACC Tournament championship games from 1997-2001 for the previous biggest margin of victory.

The Tar Heels, now 17-1-4 on the season, got goals Sunday from six different players including reserves Leea Murphy and Sophie Gervais. Susan Bush scored her third game-winning goal in the three games of the ACC Tournament and Catherine Reddick, just returning from two weeks playing with the U.S. National Team, had two goals and one assist. Fifth-year senior defender Leslie Gaston, who has overcome seven knee surgeries to become one of the top defenders in the nation, was named the Most Valuable Player of the ACC Tournament after leading the Tar Heels to three successive shutout victories in which opponents had only one shot on goal in the three games combined.

Besides Gaston, other UNC players named to the All-Tournament Team included senior goalkeeper Jenni Branam, senior forward Susan Bush and junior midfielder Elizabeth Ball.

Carolina dominated this ACC Tournament in every conceivable way. UNC outshot its three opponents in the tournament 62-16, including 29-1 in shots actually on goal. The Tar Heels outshot the Tigers on Sunday 18-4, including 11-1 in shots on goal. Clemson's first shot of the game came at the 62:52 mark by Allison Mitchell. A shot by Clemson's Deliah Arrington with 14:45 left in the match saved by UNC reserve goalkeeper Aly Winget was the first shot on goal against the Tar Heels in the entire tournament, a span of 255 minutes and 15 seconds.

With the victory the Tar Heels earned the automatic NCAA Tournament bid awarded to the ACC champion. UNC will begin play Friday in the NCAA Tournament by hosting the first round at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill. Carolina has now earned an NCAA Tournament bid 21 straight years.

For the third straight ACC Tournament game senior forward Susan Bush got the Tar Heels on the board early in the first half of play. The Houston, Texas native scored at 7:54 of the match off an assist by UNC senior goalkeeper Jenni Branam. The goal by Bush, her fifth score of the season, was generated by a long punt down the middle of the field by Branam. Bush ran onto the ball past the Clemson defense, dribbled into the box and beat Clemson goalkeeper Lauren Heos into the upper left corner of the goal. About 10 minutes later the Tar Heels had a scare when Branam had to make a heady play to avoid an own goal that would have tied the game. After avoiding that scare, the Tar Heels continued to put pressure on the Tigers.

At 19:16 of the match, Catherine Reddick entered the match for the Tar Heels and 21 seconds later produced UNC's second goal. Reddick arrived in Tallahassee Sunday morning after playing 95 minutes Saturday night for the U.S. National Team at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. in the championship match of the 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. The U.S. won that tournament and qualified to play in the 2003 World Cup in China on a golden goal by UNC alumna Mia Hamm 2-1 over Canada.

Reddick's goal was set up by Elizabeth Ball and Alyssa Ramsey. Ball had a throw in on the right side of the field and she led Ramsey to the end line. Ramsey's cross found the head of Reddick in the center of the box and Reddick finished past Heos into the left side of the goal. It was Reddick's second goal of the season. Ramsey got her 10th assist of the season and her sixth assist in the three games of the ACC Tournament. It was Ball's sixth assist of the season.

North Carolina freshman Kacey White, a freshman midfielder, scored the Tar Heels' third goal just before haltime. White dribbled into the center of the field around a couple of defenders and then blasted a shot from 25 yards out that hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced in for her third goal of the season and her second goal in two games.

After leading 3-0 at halftime, the Tar Heels continued to attack in the second half with a couple of reserves who have seen limited playing time this year getting into the scoresheet.

At 64:40 of the match, freshman forward Leea Murphy outworked several Clemson defenders in the box and fired her shot past Heos from close range into the top right corner of the goal. It was Murphy's first career goal.

At 75:10 the Tar Heel lead was suddenly 5-0 on Reddick's second goal of the game and third of the season. Reddick fired a howitzer from about 40 yards out on the left side of the pitch on a rope into the upper right corner of the goal past a diving Heos.

Carolina finished off the scoring in the match at 80:43 on a goal by sophomore midfielder Sophie Gervais, her second goal of the season. Reddick served a direct kick into the box after a Clemson foul and Gervais ran onto the ball and finished to Heos' left from about six yards away. Reddick's assist was her second of the season.

#12 CLEMSON (#2 Seed) 0 0--0
#2 NORTH CAROLINA (#1 Seed) 3 3--6
Scoring
7:54--UNC--Susan Bush (Jenni Branam)
19:37--UNC--Catherine Reddick (Alyssa Ramsey, Elizabeth Ball)
41:53--UNC--Kacey White
64:40--UNC--Leaa Murphy
75:10--UNC--Catherine Reddick
80:43--UNC--Sophie Gervais (Catherine Reddick)
Shots: Clemson 4, UNC 18
Shots on Goal: Clemson 1, UNC 11
Saves: Lauren Heos (CU) 5, Jenni Branam (UNC) 0, Aly Winget (UNC) 1, Tyler Griffin (UNC) 0
Corner Kicks: Clemson 2, UNC 6
Fouls: Clemson 10, UNC 6
Offsides: Clemson 3, UNC 0
Records: Clemson 14-5, UNC 17-1-4

All-ACC Tournament Team
Susan Bush, North Carolina
Elizabeth Ball, North Carolina
Jenni Branam, North Carolina
Leslie Gaston, North Carolina
Allison Mitchell, Clemson
Deliah Arrington, Clemson
Sarah Turner, Clemson
Casey McCluskey, Duke
Thora Helgadottir, Duke
Jen Biscoe, Maryland
Kimmy Francis, Maryland

MVP
Leslie Gaston, North Carolina