UCLA wins the 2022 national championship in an all-time classic, 3-2 in 2OT

GOAL 80' UCLA 1-2 North Carolina: Well then! The Bruins finally get a prime scoring chance and it's tucked away by Lexi Wright. The assist goes to Sunshine Fontes who sent in a laser from outside the area that UNC goalkeeper Emmie Allen blocked but could not secure.

This game has finally ratcheted up in intensity, just in time for the last 10 minutes to be frantic as UCLA pushes for an equalizer.

HALFTIME: UCLA 0-0 North Carolina: The score is even in Cary after the first 45. Neither team created an abundance of scoring chances, but things started to open up in the final few minutes of the half as substitutes were rotated in.

It took a while for North Carolina to start to break through UCLA low block, but eventually, UNC started to send in the low balls and cutbacks into the six-yard box it's known for. Unfortunately for the Heels, no one in white could get on the end of them. The one golden opportunity UNC had came on an Emily Moxley free kick that was just an inch or two from the right foot of Julia Dorsey.

Counterattacks have been few for UCLA, and only one resulted in any meaningful chance. Sunshine Fontes burst down the right side and was played in by Bridgette Marin-Valencia, but her shot went wide into the side netting. Unless something changes at halftime, the Bruins will need to be more ruthless on the few counterattack chances they get in the second half.

Here's a look at stats at half-time:

This will be the 16th all-time meeting between the programs, a series that North Carolina leads 11-2-2. They have met six previous times in the NCAA tournament and UNC has four wins, including the 2000 title game. However, we don’t have to think quite that far back to remember the last time the Tar Heels and Bruins met.

UCLA came from behind to drop North Carolina 2-1 on the road in September, a game that propelled the Bruins to a unanimous No. 1 ranking — a position they would hold for nine weeks. It was a huge milestone for UCLA coach Margueritte Aozasa so early in her head coaching career. Her fourth career win came over Anson Dorrance, a man who is closing in on 1,000.

Now they meet again. A rookie coach seeking her first title against a living legend with 21 to his name. It’s been 10 years since Dorrance last lifted the trophy in 2012 — the same year Aozasa wrapped up her playing career at Santa Clara. In that time, Aozasa began her coaching career at Stanford and won two championships as an assistant. Now she looks to become the first rookie head coach to ever win the College Cup.

On the pitch, the battle will be between UCLA's fast, direct style of soccer against North Carolina's relatively new three-back system that has also unlocked their offensive firepower. Click or tap here for an in-depth preview of how each team will attack the other in tonight's showdown.