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NCAA women Top-ranked North Carolina loses Tarpley for six-to-eight weeks with broken leg.
In the 15th minute of last Friday's 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference decision over Virginia Tech, Tarpley, the 2003 SoccerTimes.com College Coaches Poll "National Player of the Year," suffered a complete, non-displaced fracture of the right fibula, a bone on the outside of the leg. Tarpley is expected to be out six-to-eight weeks but, because the bone was broken cleanly, UNC head trainer Bill Prentice said no surgery will be required. Tarpley's lower right leg has been immobilized in a cast. The ACC tournament starts for the defending NCAA Division I champion Tar Heels October 31 with the NCAA postseason beginning probably on November 12. Tarpley came off the bench for the U.S. in the three preliminary-round Olympics games, then moved into the starting lineup for the three matches in the single-elimination phase, scoring the first goal in the Americans' 2-1 overtime triumph over Brazil in the final. Tarpley had eight goals in 24 appearances for the U.S. in 2004. Her current UNC teammate, forward Heather O'Reilly, and former Tar Heels teammate, defender Catherine Reddick, both played an important role in winning the Olympics. Tarpley had two goals and three assists in eight games for UNC in 2004. The junior has career totals of 41 goals -- 10 game-winners -- and 45 assists in 60 games. Tarpley, O'Reilly and current Tar Heel, midfielder Lori Chalupny, played a major part of the U.S. winning the inaugural women's under-19 world championship in 2002. UNC (10-0-1) raised its ACC record to 3-0 tonight when it rallied late with two goals to defeat host North Carolina State 3-1 before 1,234 fans at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. UNC took the lead when, off a restart, O'Reilly fed Chalupny who scored from 15 yards for a 2-1 lead after 66:31. Freshman striker Jaime Gilbert made it 3-1, converting a pass from sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Guess at 87:43. O'Reilly put away a header at the left post for her sixth goal of the season and fourth in the last three games to put the Tar Heels ahead 1-0 at 14:14. The assist went to junior midfielder Kacey White. N.C. State (7-2-2, 1-2) tied the game at 1-1 at 30:08 when freshman forward Allie Wilkerson notched her second goal of the season, beating goalkeeper Aly Winget in a one-on-one situation. |
