David Price: “I rise today to celebrate an accomplishment for which my constituents and all North Carolinians have tremendous pride.…”

“I rise today to celebrate an accomplishment for which my constituents and all North Carolinians have tremendous pride. The 2006 Lady Tarheels of the University of North Carolina have just claimed their 19th Women's Soccer National Championship, beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2-1 in the title game last Sunday. Under the leadership of Head Coach Anson Dorrance, Carolina women's Soccer has been the most dominant program in the history of college athletics, winning 18 of the last 25 national championships since the NCAA established the women's tournament. The national title game capped off a stellar career for senior captain Heather O'Reilly, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player, as well as for Carolina's other seniors. Junior Defender Robyn Gayle was named Most Outstanding Defense Player, and seven freshmen played for the Lady Tarheels in the game. I also take great pride in the fact that the championship game took place in my district at the SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The sell-out crowd of more than 8,300 enthusiastic fans is a testament to the growing popularity of soccer in North Carolina and across the country. So I extend my congratulations to the Lady Tarheels on their outstanding success, to a Notre Dame squad for a well-played tournament, and to the university community in Chapel Hill that has come to embrace women's soccer as one of its most precious gems.”