March 22, 2003

CARY, N.C. - Defending WUSA Champion Carolina Courage suffered a 4-2 loss at the hands of perennial college power the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday night at SAS Stadium.

UNC started fast, pushing the Courage into their own end from the start. A fifth-minute shot by national team forward Lindsay Tarpley from 20 yards was tipped wide by Courage goalkeeper Meghann Burke at the left post, making it clear that UNC was ready to play. The Heels produced a goal a minute later when Mary McDowell finished off a goal-mouth scramble in the sixth minute to give UNC the early 1-0 lead.

The Courage regrouped after the goal and began to mount a consistent attack. Venus James, starting at forward with Danielle Fotopoulos, banged a wicked volley off the crossbar in the 12th minute in the Courage's best chance of the half.

In the 25th, McDowell's glancing header off a Lori Chalupny corner kick skimmed off the crossbar before the Courage cleared it safely away, but the Courage began to move the ball fluidly toward the end of the half, creating two good opportunities, both times coming through Staci Burt. Starting the game at right midfield, Burt ventured forward regularly, and in the 30th minute she collected a cross on the right side of the penalty area and cracked a shot across the frame of the goal that went unfinished. Five minutes later, Burt got behind the defense, and her cross ended up in front of Brooke O'Hanley, who blasted it high.

In the 43rd minute, McDowell, the younger sister of Courage tryout player and ex-Philadelphia Charge midfielder Rebekah McDowell, had another chance, but her shot from, 16 yards went wide of the far post.

The Tar Heels started the second half the way they began the first. Just one minute after intermission, Maggie Tomeka, the Heels' towering rising senior central midfielder, knocked a header past Meredith Flaherty, who replaced Burke in the Courage's goal at halftime. Then in the 66th minute, UNC made it 3-0. Chalupny, a member of the world champion U.S. under-19 national team who has recently spent time with the full national team, broke down the right side in a foot race with Danielle Borgman. Chalupny's shot from 15 yards hit the left post and ricocheted along the goal line and just inside the left post.

Catherine Reddick, who returned from national team duty in Portugal Friday night - along with Courage players Tiffany Roberts and Danielle Slaton - made it 4-0 in the 82nd minute, blasting a loose ball from the top of the penalty area.

The Courage finally responded with time winding down. They cracked the scoreboard in the 85th when Danielle Fotopoulos headed in a cross from Kelsey Carlson. Then, a nice piece of attacking play made it 4-2 in the 87th. Rebekah McDowell sent a ball wide to Brooke O'Hanley on the right flank. O'Hanley drove a cross to the left side where Robin McCullough volleyed a shot from 10 yards to make it 4-2.

McCullough and McDowell almost hooked up again in stoppage time. McCullough ran on to a low cross at the near post from McDowell, but her redirection skidded wide of the net.

Courage coach Jay Entlich, still without the services of internationals Hege Riise, Unni Lehn and Birgit Prinz, was able to use the match to evaluate players before trimming his active roster to 16 players on Monday.

"It will be good for us to take a look at the tape," Entlich said after the match. "They gave us a great test. They are a high-quality team with national team caliber players, players that could start for pretty much any WUSA team."

"It was a great environment for our team," said Entlich. "Now we'll meet as a team and take a look at our roster."

Lineups:

Courage: Meghann Burke (Meredith Flaherty, 46), Danielle Borgman, Nel Fettig, Erin Baxter, Danielle Slaton (Kate Gordon, 46), Staci Burt, Tiffany Roberts (Rebekah McDowell, 63), Katie Barnes (Kelsey Carlson, 20th), Brooke O'Hanley, Venus James (Robin McCullough 63), Danielle Fotopoulos.

UNC starters: Aly Winget, Catherine Reddick, Carmen Watley, Sara Randolph, Maggie Tomecka, Kacey White, Amy Stedman, Lori Chalupny, Lindsay Tarpley, Mary McDowell, Anne Morrell.