BY SCOTT FRENCH
Senior Editor
in Cary, N.C.

Everything is in place for No. 1 North Carolina to capture its 18th national championship this weekend, but the Tar Heels' first step at the NCAA College Cup final four will be precarious.

No. 2 UCLA, which had the better of much of the regular-season showdown between the powers, but lost, 5-2, is expected to provide Carolina its greatest challenge of the season.

No. 6 Florida State and No. 23 Connecticut face off in the first of Friday's semifinals at SAS Stadium. The championship will be played Sunday.

North Carolina (25-0-0), boasting a lineup featuring four U.S. national team players, is in its 23rd successive women's soccer final four — the last 22 under NCAA auspices — but is seeking its first NCAA title since 2000. The two-year lapse is the longest the Tar Heels have gone without a trophy; last year was the first final Carolina has missed.

UCLA (20-1-3), which lost in the 2000 final to North Carolina, matches up favorably with the Tar Heels. The Bruins' speed and athleticism, and the aggressive play of central midfielder Whitney Jones, could cause Carolina problems.

Florida State (17-7-1) has lost only to North Carolina (twice) and Virginia after starting the season 1-4, with losses to USC, Penn State, Florida and Kansas. Coach Patrick Baker has in five years built the Seminoles into a national power.

Connecticut (14-5-3) benefited from a weak bracket and second-round upsets of injury-riddled Notre Dame and Virginia to reach its seventh College Cup, but it comes into the final four playing its best soccer of the season.

A look at the semifinal matchups:

No. 6 FLORIDA STATE (17-7-1) vs. No. 23 CONNECTICUT (14-5-3)
Friday, noon EST (ESPN2)

The Seminoles are strong all over the field, but sophomore forward Leah Gallegos has emerged as the star. She's got 18 goals, seven of them gamewinners, and connects well with fellow Californian Julia Schnugg up front. There is balanced scoring, with playmaking midfielder Camie Bybee and wingers Jez Ratliff and Amber Tollefson making considerable contributions, and defenders Katie Beal and Kelly Rowland also are dangerous on attack, particularly set pieces. Goalkeeper Joy McKenzie is a former walk-on who played her way into a scholarship and starting job. Rowland, Schnugg and holding midfielder India Trotter are part of an outstanding freshman class that has made an immediate imprint. Only North Carolina has played a comparable schedule, but Florida State's has been tougher because it has featured two matchups with the Tar Heels. The second, in the ACC final, was a tight contest determined won by Carolina with a late penalty kick. This wasn't considered a great UConn team, but it's young and versatile and has found its footing following a Big East tournament defeat to Villanova. Kristen Graczyk (18 goals) and Jessica Gjertsen (13) are the primary offensive weapons, with freshmen Meghan Schnur and Niki Cross, who started the season on the back line, providing ample support. The Huskies haven't played top-class competition since a mid-October loss to Notre Dame, and all their games since have been in New England. Cold, wet weather in North Carolina could prove advantageous.

Florida State
Probable starters (4-4-2): G — Joy McKenzie, J. (0.87 GAA); D — Marion Cagle, Jr. (0 goals-0 assists); Kelly Rowland, Fr. (6-4); Katie Beal, Jr. (6-7); Teresa Rivera, Soph. (0-3); M — India Trotter, Fr. (2-6); Jez Ratliff, Jr. (5-7); Camie Bybee, Jr. (8-6); Amber Tollefson, Sr. (4-11); F — Leah Gallegos, Soph. (18-3); Julia Schnugg, Fr. (6-10).
Coach: Patrick Baker (5th year at FSU, 68-40-8; 15th year overall, 155-91-14). Assistants — Robin Confer, Rob Thompson.
Atlantic Coast Conference: 4-2-1 (second place); tournament — beat Wake Forest (quarterfinals) and Maryland (semifinals), lost to North Carolina (final).
NCAA Tournament: Seeded 11th; beat Dartmouth (5-0), Auburn (2-1, 2 OT), West Virginia (3-2, 2 OT) and Florida (2-1).

Connecticut
Probable starters (3-4-3): G — Erin Rice, Sr. (0.89 GAA); D — Courtney Sands, Fr. (0 goals-0 assists); Alisse Kosloski, Soph. (0-1); Karlyn Miselis, Soph. (0-0); M — Zahra Jalalian, Jr. (1-0); Niki Cross, Fr. (3-2); Meghan Schnur, Fr. (5-9); Kristi Lefebvre, Soph. (2-3); F — Jessica Gjertsen, Jr. (13-8); Brittany Barakat, Soph. (5-0); Kristen Graczyk, Jr. (18-12).
Coach: Len Tsantiris (23rd year, 397-102-26). Assistants — Sarah Barnes, Carey Dorn.
Big East Conference: 5-1-0 (Northeast Division champion); tournament — lost to Villanova (quarterfinals).
NCAA Tournament: Unseeded; beat Boston University (1-0), Central Connecticut State (3-2, 2 OT), Michigan (5-0) and Brigham Young (3-1).

Prediction: Florida State 2 Connecticut 0

No. 1 NORTH CAROLINA (25-0-0) vs. No. 2 UCLA (20-1-3)
Friday, 2:30 p.m. EST (ESPN2)

These are, clearly, the nation's two best sides, and this is, in effect, the real final. North Carolina has one of its finest teams, with scads of talent, solid depth and, importantly, home-field advantage. The Tar Heels should be rested — they've played outside the Raleigh-Durham area just once, at Virginia, since early October — and they come into the final four after dominating four NCAA foes by a 23-0 margin. Their scoring margin this season is 104-11, with forward Lindsay Tarpley the primary orchestrator. Tarpley, one of the national-teamers, is the only candidate for National Player of the Year; she's set an NCAA tournament record for assists (with nine) and will claim sole possession of the Division I scoring title with one more point. Fellow U.S. standout Heather O'Reilly has fully recovered from a broken leg and ankle ligament surgery and has scored 10 goals in the past 10 games. Alyssa Ramsey is second nationally to Tarpley in assists. Kacey White and national-teamer Lori Chalupny are the best wing tandem in the college game, and U.S. World Cup starter Catherine Reddick anchors a solid backline but will move up front if goals are needed. Like the Tar Heels, UCLA hasn't allowed a goal in the NCAA Tournament, and its backline — led by national-teamer Nandi Pryce — and midfield are arguably stronger than Carolina's. Whitney Jones, who also plays for the Bruins' women's basketball team, and Jill Oakes provide strength and prowess in central midfield, and Sarah-Gayle Swanson's speed if fearsome on the left flank. Mexican national team star Iris Mora's acclimation to the American game has coincided with UCLA's rise, and the chemistry between her and freshman Bristyn Davis has been pivotal to UCLA's postseason success.

North Carolina
Probable starters (3-4-3): G — Aly Winget, Soph. (0.47 GAA); D — Carmen Watley, Sr. (0-0); Catherine Reddick, Sr. (6-5); Kendall Fletcher, Soph. (3-6); M — Maggie Tomecka, Sr. (6-8); Kacey White, Soph. (6-16); Jordan Walker, Sr. (1-3); Lori Chalupny, Soph. (10-11); F — Heather O'Reilly, Fr. (13-10); Lindsay Tarpley, Soph. (21-25); Alyssa Ramsey, Sr. (9-23).
Coach: Anson Dorrance (25th year, 557-25-15). Assistants — Bill Palladino and Chris Ducar.
Atlantic Coast Conference: 7-0-0 (champion); tournament — beat North Carolina State (quarterfinals), Duke (semifinals) and Florida State (final).
NCAA Tournament: Seeded 1st; beat High Point (8-0), UNC Greensboro (5-0), Purdue (7-0) and Santa Clara (3-0).

UCLA
Probable starters (4-4-2): G — Arianna Criscione, Fr. (0.53 GAA); D — Kendal Billingsley, Jr. (3 goals-1 assist); Kathryn Lee, Sr. (0-0); Nandi Pryce, Sr. (0-5); Amy Fazio, Jr. (0-5); M — Lindsay Greco, Jr. (6-2); Jill Oakes, Soph. (1-2); Whitney Jones, Sr. (9-5); Sarah-Gayle Swanson, Sr. (10-6); F — Bristyn Davis, Fr. (9-3); Iris Mora, Soph. (13-14).
Coach: Jillian Ellis (5th season at UCLA, 92-17-5; 7th season overall, 111-35-5). Assistants — Katherine Mertz and Mark Carr.
Pacific-10 Conference: 8-0-1 (champion); no conference tournament.
NCAA Tournament: Seeded 4th; beat San Diego (2-0), Pepperdine (2-0), Kansas (1-0) and Penn State (4-0).

Prediction: North Carolina 3 UCLA 1