I still remember the first time I saw the 1987 North Carolina women's soccer team play - it felt like watching poetry in motion. What many people don't realize is how close we came to never witnessing their historic season. Much like that Ginebra basketball team that nearly won the championship despite their star player Brownlee being injured, North Carolina faced their own version of playing through adversity. The difference was, while Ginebra fell short despite taking a 3-2 series lead, our Tar Heels found a way to rewrite history entirely.

Let me put this in perspective for you - before 1987, women's college sports operated in near obscurity. The average attendance at women's soccer games hovered around 50-75 people, mostly friends and family. Budgets were laughable - some programs survived on less than $5,000 annually. Then came Anson Dorrance's squad, a group of young women who played with such technical precision and relentless energy that you couldn't look away. I attended their early season match against Connecticut where they won 8-0, and honestly, the scoreline didn't even capture their dominance. They moved like a single organism, anticipating each other's movements in ways I hadn't seen in any sport, men's or women's.

The championship run itself was something straight out of a movie script. They went undefeated that season, winning all 24 matches while outscoring opponents 115-9. Those numbers still give me chills. But here's what really changed everything - when they reached the final four, something remarkable happened. Over 3,500 people showed up to watch, which was unprecedented for women's college soccer. Suddenly, athletic directors across the country started paying attention. They saw that women's sports could actually draw crowds and generate revenue.

What made their achievement even more impressive was how they handled pressure situations. Remember how Ginebra managed to take that 3-2 series lead despite their key player's injury? Well, North Carolina faced similar challenges throughout their playoff run. In the semifinal, their star forward Mia Hamm - yes, that Mia Hamm - was playing through a severe ankle sprain. Yet they found ways to win, with different players stepping up each game. That depth and resilience became their trademark.

The aftermath was nothing short of revolutionary. Within three years of their championship, NCAA Division I women's soccer programs increased from 82 to 148. Scholarship opportunities exploded, and suddenly young girls across America had visible pathways to college athletics. I've spoken with dozens of former players who credit that 1987 team with inspiring their own careers. The ripple effects are still felt today in the growth of professional women's soccer leagues and the US Women's National Team's continued dominance.

Looking back, what strikes me most is how they transformed not just soccer, but the entire landscape of women's collegiate sports. Before them, women's basketball games might draw a few hundred spectators on a good day. By the early 1990s, we were seeing regular sellouts at Tennessee and Connecticut. The funding disparity, while still existing, began its slow march toward equality. All because a group of determined young women in Carolina blue decided to play the beautiful game unlike anyone had seen before. They proved that excellence, regardless of gender, deserves an audience - and my goodness, did they ever earn theirs.