Simply the best

As much as it pains this Dookie to admit, I ought to begin by saying that the women's college soccer program in Chapel Hill is probably the greatest dynasty in the history of American sports.

North Carolina has won 17 of the last 20 national championships, and the national team's roster is littered with Tar Heels. Coach Anson Dorrance can literally pick and choose any recruit he wants.

Even Dean Smith, the legendary North Carolina basketball coach, once uttered,"this is a women's soccer school. We are just trying to keep up with them."

Duke's program, however, ain't chopped liver.

Duke is obviously not at North Carolina's skill level, but the Blue Devils are a program on the rise. This year's team has been ranked in the top-ten nationally--it knocked off the No. 4 team in the nation several weeks ago--and with a lineup composed mostly of freshmen and sophomores, it's only going to improve.

Last night's game, which North Carolina won 4-0 at Duke's Koskinen Stadium, was a great example. The Tar Heels were up three goals before most fans were settled in their seats.

Most soccer games are rhythmic. They start slowly as both teams feel each other out, then peak and valley. Goals usually come at the peak of a rush. The attacking team has been on the defenders' side of the field for awhile--there has to be a sufficient level of tension on the field; scores that come in a lull certainly happen, but not usually. And what's more, goals don't usually come back-to-back: It's peak, score, lull, peak, score.

North Carolina's first goal last night came in a lull. It came when the two teams were still feeling each other out.

For what's it worth, it shouldn't have been a goal. The Tar Heels' Lindsay Tarpley, who had a hat trick in the first 15 minutes of the game, was offsides, five yards past the Duke defensive line. To make it worse, the second referee came running across the field, whistling blowing, seemingly with the purpose of overturning the goal. But the score stood up. Why would the second ref, who seemed so self-assured in his sprint across the pitch, make the trip just to agree with the offside call, especially when there were no signs of disagreement between the two zebras?

But the Tar Heels scored again less than a minute later while, according to Duke head coach Robbie Church, the Blue Devils were still thinking about what hit them. Church also said he was still yelling like a wild man on the sidelines while the Duke players were wondering what had just happened.

Ten minutes later, within 15 minutes of kickoff, North Carolina had struck twice more.

It wasn't supposed to be a 4-0 game--period. It was apparent that after last year's 0--0 tie in Chapel Hill, the Duke players were gearing up for a defensive struggle, a 1-0, a 2-1 game. Not 4-0 after 15 minutes, not 4-0 after 90 minutes.

But that's the thing: Great teams attack, and that's what Duke should take away from this game. After the contest, Dorrance said he thought his team started the game like it was shot out of a cannon. The Tar Heels started the game on the offensive, the way Dorrance said he wants it to.

Maybe that is the difference between a great team and a good team getting better: The Tar Heels don't wait for a peak and a rush. They get after it and attack.

Perhaps Church put it best, likening the Tar Heels to sharks.

"They smell an opportunity to put the game away," Church said. "I think, yeah, they wanted it more, early in the match. They saw opportunities to be aggressive. They are the best. They have done it for years and years. Whenever they score goals, they come back with a second goal."

"And that's the direction we want to go in," Church said.