CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – A trio of Atlantic Coast Conference teams punched their tickets to Cary, North Carolina, for the 2024 Women’s College Cup set for Friday, December 6, as North Carolina, Stanford and Wake Forest all advanced to the national semifinals. With the three teams advancing, the ACC has clinched all four spots in this year’s College Cup.
Top-seeded Duke and seventh-seeded Virginia Tech will play for the final spot in this year’s College Cup on Saturday, November 30, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
With all four teams from the ACC, this marks the first time in the 43-year history of the Women’s College Cup that all four teams in the national semifinals will be from the same conference. The ACC sent three teams in 2011, 2013 and in the shortened field in 2020.
Third-seeded Stanford earned a 2-0 home win over league foe and fourth-seeded Notre Dame, while second-seeded North Carolina fended off fourth-seeded Penn State, 2-1, in the first overtime period. Second-seeded Wake Forest and top-seeded Southern California played to a 2-2 draw after 110 minutes before the Demon Deacons prevailed 4-3 in penalty kicks.
The Cardinal found a goal in each half, as Shae Harvey scored in the 25th minute and Andrea Kitahata found the back of the net in the 50th minute. Stanford, which finished as the national runner-up a season ago, returns to the College Cup for the 12th time in program history.
After facing a 1-0 deficit at halftime, North Carolina’s Bella Gaetino’s long distance shot beat the PSU goalkeeper for the Tar Heels’ 49th-minute equalizer. Later in the 98th minute of overtime, Kate Faasse headed in a corner to send North Carolina back to the College Cup for the 32nd time, the most of any program.
Wake Forest went up early after a Caiya Hanks’ goal in the 22nd minute, as the visiting Deacs took a 1-0 lead at the break. After USC responded with a pair of second-half goals and took a 2-1 advantage, Wake’s Alex Wood knocked in a Hanks cross and equalized in the 80th minute. Following two overtime periods, Wake Forest goalkeeper Valentina Amaral made two key saves in the penalty-kick shootout and Kristin Johnson sealed the match with the Deacons’ fourth made penalty. Wake clinched just its second…
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