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Bryane Heaberlin credits a tough run of on-field defeats for opening her eyes to the world around her, its problems and how to solve them through her Many Hearts, One Goal foundation.

This season showed just how much the game and the competition have changed since the days when the Tar Heels dominated the sport.

Injuries forced both teams to revise their lineups, and the result has paid dividends for defenders Hanna Gardner of North Carolina and Whitney Church of Penn State.

They both needed overtime, but Penn State and UNC outlasted opponents Florida State and top-seeded Stanford to advance to Sunday's College Cup final.

Dominating no matter which position she plays, Crystal Dunn has carried North Carolina back to the College Cup after a two-year absence.

North Carolina's Anson Dorrance has arguably coached the best ever in Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly, but he goes into Friday's College Cup semifinal feeling like the underdog against his "recruiting failures" that chose Stanford.

North Carolina tops No. 1 seed BYU. Maybe it was an upset. Maybe it wasn't. It was definitely a game anyone with a ticket was fortunate to see.

The NCAA soccer field has been whittled to eight teams. Graham Hays has all you need to know about the tournament, including how these teams have survived and what to expect in the quarterfinal matchups.

Goalkeeper Adelaide Gay was told she wouldn't play if she transferred to North Carolina. Luckily for the Tar Heels, she wouldn't be denied.

Soccer's big four met in an early-season tournament, but for UConn, Notre Dame, Santa Clara and North Carolina, staying on top of the sport they helped build is anything but easy.

North Carolina is 11-3-1, ranked in the top 10 and sits in second place in the ACC. Another loss would place this Tar Heels team among the least successful in program history. Such is the burden of expectation at a school with such a glorious history.

She was once wondering if she was good enough to play soccer for UNC. Thanks to advice from her dad, former NFL star Brent Jones, she chased her dream.

After going 0-11-0 all-time against UNC, BC women's soccer defeated the No. 1 team.

Anson Dorrance added another accolade to his already impressive resume this weekend, guiding rebuilding UNC to career victory No. 700.

The 2009 women's soccer season is over, but that doesn't mean we have to stop talking about the sport. After all, there are plenty of questions on what's to come.

There's no doubt about it: North Carolina women's soccer pressure system still works. It held Stanford scoreless as the Tar Heels won their second straight national championship Sunday. But the Cardinal's fight proves times are changing.