Carolina's 12-11 victory over Duke Saturday in the semifinals of the ACC women's lacrosse tournament won back a crucial half-point in the 2007 Carlyle Cup, deadlocking the competition at 13-13 and setting up the first tie in seven years. UNC will hold the Cup for the third straight year should the point total end that way after the NCAA women's lacrosse and the men's and women's tennis championships. Duke needs 13.5 points to wrest the Cup away from the Tar Heels for the first time since 2004.
All 26 points have been allocated, but the post-season comes into play if Duke and Carolina meet and the outcome changes the results of the season series in those sports. Carlyle Cup points are awarded, winner take all, on the season series between the old rivals.
For example, UNC won the regular-season dual meet in women's tennis for the one Carlyle Cup point. If the teams were to meet Sunday in Chapel Hill in an NCAA second-round match, and Duke won, the Blue Devils would earn a split in the season series and win back a half-point. The men could also meet in the NCAAs, if each school won three matches and advanced to the regional final. Duke won the regular-season dual meet, but Carolina could earn back a half-point by beating the Blue Devils and advancing to the men's tennis Final Four in Athens, Georgia.
Another win-back scenario is in women's lacrosse, since the schools split their two ACC match-ups. If they met in the NCAAs, the victor would win back the half-point and earn the full point. So it's conceivable that Duke could get to 13.5 points by beating UNC in either women's tennis or women's lacrosse, and lose a half-point to Carolina in men's tennis.
At the end of all NCAA play, Carolina needs 13 points to retain the Carlyle Cup. Duke must get to 13.5 to take the Cup back to Durham.
No other potential NCAA match-up can affect the Carlyle Cup. Should the women's lacrosse or either of the tennis teams not meet again in 2007, the score will end in a 13-13 tie and Carolina will retain the Cup.
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