But in the 80th minute of Friday's quarterfinal game on Fetzer Field against Penn State, Ramsey's rear end gave the Tar Heels exactly what they needed -- a goal. Her tally clinched a 2-1 victory for UNC and guaranteed the Tar Heels a trip to Dallas next weekend for the NCAA Women's College Cup final four.
UNC midfielder Jordan Walker served the ball from midfield to a charging Ramsey in the center of the goal box. PSU All-American goalkeeper Emily Oleksiuk challenged the play and a scuffle ensued. Defender Bonnie Young and Oleksiuk attempted to clear the ball but were denied when it ricocheted off Ramsey and bounced into an open net.
"I fell, so I didn't know what happened until I got up," Ramsey said. "I turned around to see the ball in the back of the net. Luckily, my butt came in handy. That's the first lucky goal I think I've had."
That luck came just in time for the sputtering Tar Heels. Although UNC midfielder Sara Randolph scored in the game's sixth minute, the Tar Heels struggled late in the first half. The offense lost its sense of cohesiveness and allowed the Nittany Lions to control the game's ebb and flow.
UNC's defense held Penn State's potent All-American forward, Christie Welsh, scoreless. But in the 33rd minute another Nittany Lion broke through the Tar Heels' back line. Midfielder Joanna Lohman collected a pass from forward Heidi Drummond to sneak a grounder past diving UNC goalkeeper Jenni Branam. The Tar Heels entered halftime out of rhythm in a tied game.
"At halftime, I knew it would not be smart to panic," said senior midfielder Jena Kluegel. "We still had 45 minutes left to play so I decided we should just go out and have some fun."
In the second half, North Carolina did just that. The Tar Heels (23-0) returned to their usual unbeaten form and nailed seven shots at Oleksiuk, who had four saves on the day. Penn State (21-4-1) never regained enough momentum to contest UNC's lead.
"It's extremely frustating," Oleksiuk said. "Especially because I hated to lose on that goal. But Alyssa worked really hard, so I wouldn't call it luck -- it was unfortunate, but not lucky."
UNC will play Portland on Friday at Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas. With a win on Friday, North Carolina will advance to the championship game to play for its 17th NCAA title.
