Syracuse End UNC’s Nine-Year ACC Reign in a Shootout as Boston College Set Up an All-Upset Final
Nine years. Nine straight ACC finals, nine straight titles. Gone in one shootout.
Syracuse walked into Karen Shelton Stadium on Wednesday, took everything North Carolina threw at them, and walked out with a 3-2 shootout win after the semifinal finished 2-2. It’s Syracuse’s first win over the Tar Heels on UNC’s home field, and it sends the Orange to their first ACC title game since 2015.
The shootout wasn’t close in the end. Ryleigh Heck converted North Carolina’s opening attempt, and then goalkeeper Tane King slammed the door, stopping three straight Tar Heel shooters. Taylor Bigbie and Hattie Madden converted for Syracuse, and Sammie Goin buried the clincher in the fourth round.
There’s a sliding-doors moment in this one too. A video review wiped out a UNC goal, and Heck’s penalty stroke in the 58th minute went high. On another night, that’s the moment that keeps the streak alive. On this night, it was the moment the streak started slipping away.
For our money, this is the biggest ACC result in years. UNC weren’t just winning this tournament, they owned it. Syracuse didn’t nick this either. They survived a barrage at the champions’ own ground and held their nerve when it mattered most.
The other semifinal was no quieter. Boston College beat Virginia 2-1, which means Friday’s final is Syracuse v Boston College, two teams who weren’t supposed to be here at the start of the week. Virginia had already ended Wake Forest’s title defence in the quarterfinals, and BC had dumped Duke. One of them had to go one step further. It was BC.
Friday’s final is at 3 p.m. ET in Chapel Hill, live on ACC Network. The winner takes the ACC’s automatic NCAA bid, and the loser waits for Selection Sunday on 8 November. After Wednesday, don’t try to pick it. This tournament has stopped following the script.
