CHAPEL HILL – The High Point University women’s soccer team hopes the third time proves the charm against North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

HPU faces the defending national champion and top-seeded Tar Heels today at 5 p.m. at UNC’s Fetzer Field. This will be High Point’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament and its second in three years. The Panthers also won the Big South Championship in 2003 and 2007 and HPU has faced North Carolina in both previous trips to the NCAAs.

The Tar Heels won 8-0 in 2003 and 6-1 in 2007.

“I am extremely excited to be back in the national tournament,” said HPU 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.”

HPU, the seventh seed in the Big South Tournament, won the crown 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.