Anson Dorrance has accomplished a lot in his 28-year career as womenÆs head coach at North Carolina, but the Tar HeelsÆ 2006 NCAA Division I title was special.
It followed one of the most devastating losses in the programÆs history — a shootout loss to Florida State in the quarterfinals of the 2005 NCAA Tournament that ended the careers of one of the great UNC classes in history.
Coming off back-to-back seasons during which Carolina failed to reach the semifinals — the only two times they didnÆt make the final four in the 25-year history of the NCAA Tournament — Dorrance needed to rebuild quickly.
His young Heels exceeded all expectations, running off 27 straight wins after an opening game loss at Texas A&M and winning the schoolÆs 18th NCAA championship.
Showing confidence in his extraordinary freshman class, Dorrance started a record seven first-year players to open the second half of the final against Notre Dame — early enrollee Casey Nogueira, responding to her first start of the season with a goal and an assist in the final, red-shirt keeper Ashlyn Harris coming in for Anna Robenbough at halftime, and Whitney Engen, Ali Hawkins, Tobin Heath, Kristi Eveland and Nikki Washington — all regulars for the entire campaign.
The victory over the previously unbeaten Irish boosted DorranceÆs womenÆs career record at UNC to a remarkable 629-28-18 and his overall record — he also coached the men for 12 seasons — to 801-93-29.