The Duke Women's Soccer Classic opens with a bang night at 5 p.m., when No. 1 North Carolina battles No. 2 Notre Dame at Duke Soccer Stadium. The doubleheader also features host Duke (5-4-1) against No. 10 William & Mary at 7 p.m.
North Carolina's matchup with Notre Dame is a rematch of last year's NCAA semifinal game, played at Chapel Hill. The top-ranked Tar Heels will be looking to avenge that result, a 1-0 loss on an own goal which kept them out of the NCAA championship game for the first time ever.
Both teams remain unbeaten entering tonight's game, Carolina at 8-0 and Notre Dame at 10-0. At stake is the top position in the polls as the midway point in the season passes.
The victor will emerge a clear favorite to capture the NCAA championship. For UNC, a national title would be its 13th-an NCAA record-and sweet revenge on the team that snapped their unprecedented run of nine straight NCAA titles. The Irish, who went on to defeat Portland 1-0 in last year's final, are hoping for a repeat of that success.
"It's not just another game," Irish midfielder Cindy Daws said. "It won't make or break our season, but these are the games we play for-big games like this."
Tonight's second game pits No. 10 William & Mary against Duke. The Blue Devils are unranked for the first time this season after a 2-1 week, which included a shocking last-minute loss at Wake Forest. Duke is looking to re-enter the postseason picture with wins this weekend.
The Classic ends Saturday with another doubleheader as UNC plays William & Mary at 5 p.m., followed by Duke and Notre Dame at 7 p.m.
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