HIGH POINT, N.C. - After winning the 2009 Big South Championship with a 4-2 advantage on penalty kicks against Winthrop, the High Point University women's soccer team will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play No. 5 North Carolina in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.  UNC is the defending National Champion and a No. 1 seed in this year's tournament.

"This is a very exciting time for our program, especially to make the national tournament and play the defending national champion," said head coach Marty Beall.  "It is an honor and we are going to go out and represent High Point University at the highest level.  To be the best you have to beat the best.  North Carolina has proven themselves year in and year out to be one of the best teams in the country.  They have some of the best teams in the country and in the world and one of the best coaches in the country.  We are very excited and we are going to go out there and give everything we have."

HPU, the seventh seed in the tournament, won the 2009 Big South Championship on Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 8 Winthrop, 4-2 on penalty kicks after playing to a scoreless tie in double-overtime.  Senior goalkeeper Marisa Abbott earned tournament MVP honors after posting three shutouts in the tournament and making two saves in the penalty shootout.  Junior midfielder Jillie Johnston and sophomore defenders Brielle Spencer and Danniel Rosado joined Abbott on the All-Tournament team.

The Panthers began the year with a 1-10-0 non conference record but went 4-4-1 in Conference play, including a 3-1-0 record in the final four games heading into the Big South tournament.  High Point defeated the No. 2 seed, Gardner-Webb, in the first round by a score of 2-0 on goals by sophomores Katie Taber and Laura Shupe.  In the semifinals, Johnston's 99th minute goal gave HPU a 1-0 overtime win over No. 6 Radford and berth to the championship game.

"I am so proud of the way this team has fought throughout this season," said athletic director Craig Keilitz.  "To overcome having a new coaching staff and learning a new system and some of the struggles we had to start the season.  To continue to work through it and be at their best at the end of the season was so satisfying.  I am so happy for the team, for the coaches and for High Point University."

This will be High Point's third trip to the NCAA tournament and its second in three years.  The Panthers won the Big South Championship in both 2003 and 2007 and HPU has faced North Carolina in both trips to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.  The Tar Heels won both meetings between the two squads, besting HPU by a score of 8-0 in 2003 and 6-1 in 2007.

"I am extremely excited to be back in the national tournament," said senior captain Laura Eldridge.  "It is something that I never really thought would happen again and I can't believe we are back and facing UNC.  It is going to be so much fun.  It is North Carolina, they have a history of playing great soccer.  We are going to go out there as a team and do our best and whatever the outcome, we are going to be happy."