UNC has reclaimed its championship crown, winning a historic 23rd national title after topping Wake Forest 1-0 in the Women’s College Cup Championship.
The Tar Heels ended their season on top in Cary, N.C., on Monday night, thanks to a thrilling set piece strike from Olivia Thomas in the 62nd minute.
It was a stunning moment for the sophomore forward, who capitalized off a Wake Forest foul just outside the box. The joy in Thomas was contagious and carried with her until the final whistle when she lifted the NCAA trophy at WakeMed Soccer Park.
“It means everything. It’s been a 12-year drought,” Thomas said in a post-game interview. “I don’t know. I’m just really shocked right now. I don’t know what to say. We’ve been working all year for this.”
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS…FOR THE 23RD TIME 🏆
(2) @uncwomenssoccer defeats (2) Wake Forest, 1-0, to win the 2024 Women’s College Cup.#WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/H7ndKOCisi
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 10, 2024
With the win, North Carolina has regained its spot as soccer’s top collegiate program, returning to the championship stage following an overtime loss to UCLA in 2022. This year’s championship run followed a series of setbacks, starting with longtime coach Anson Dorrance’s retirement just days before the season opener.
Interim head coach Damon Nahas stepped in to lead a team full of underclassmen, during a season in which many players missed weeks of play due to the U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Tar Heels, who have appeared in 28 national championships, have not lifted the trophy since 2012.
“Damon has put a lot of time and effort into this,” Thomas said. “He has worked with all of us individually.
“With the complete rebuild, there were only 12 people left. We call it the great migration, and all of the transfers came in, club players came up and we just meshed together so well from the beginning of the summer. It could have gone any direction, but here we are and we won it all.”
After Monday’s win, UNC has 22 NCAA titles and the 1981 AIAW title.
The national championship was a game of inches, with the win going to the first team that capitalized off an opponent’s error. That moment came when Thomas scored a sensational goal off a free kick just outside the box. This drastically changed the game’s momentum, with the Tar Heels only growing stronger as the clock dwindled.
Wake Forest started the night as the stronger team, creating more opportunities in their attacking third despite a scoreless first half. Junior forward Caiya Hanks persistently pressed at the top, missing an opportunity to open scoring off a cross by captain Emily Murphy by a hair.
UNC, ending the season 22-5, came into the second half prepared to learn from their mistakes in the first 45, successfully shutting Wake Forest down and pressing up top.
This was Wake Forest’s first showing in the national championship game, having featured in the College Cup only once before. The team had a historic season, ending the year 16-4-4. The Demon Deacons missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 2023 after finishing sixth in the ACC, and this year had a roster filled with veteran talent.
The Monday night game marked the first time since 1992 that the championship game featured two North Carolina-based teams, after an all-ACC College Cup. Wake Forest and UNC saw each other earlier this year during conference play in September, with Carolina topping the Deacons, 1-0, in Chapel Hill off a loan goal from Kate Faasse.
(Photo: Ryan Hunt / Getty Images)
