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BLACKSBURG -- It was a victory the Virginia Tech women's soccer team will remember for, well, ...

"Forever," Julian Johnson said.

"Forever," Marika Gray echoed later.

On Sunday, Gray scored off a Johnson assist to give the Hokies a stunning 1-0 win over then-No. 1 North Carolina, the flagship program in NCAA women's soccer.

Last season, the Tar Heels won their 19th NCAA championship in 27 years. The UNC dynasty has produced 14 former Olympians, including Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Cindy Parlow and Heather O'Reilly.

The Hokies handed the visiting Tar Heels only the 34th loss in UNC's 31-year history. It was just the eighth time North Carolina lost an ACC game.

"I'm pretty sure we rushed the field like three seconds before the actual time ended," recalled Gray, a junior forward. "It was so exciting. It's what you work hard for, moments like that. You can't help but cry tears of joy.

"I'm still like, 'Did we beat UNC?'"

UNC entered the game with a mark of 10-0-1, 3-0 in the ACC. Among the Tar Heels who took the field were Casey Noguiera, the 2008 national player of the year, and 2008 U.S. Olympian Tobin Heath, who left Sunday's game with an injury.

It was UNC's first loss since September 2008 and first ACC loss since September 2007.

"It was like the greatest feeling in the world," said Johnson, a senior forward. "It's the pinnacle of my career."

Tech had been 0-6 against the Tar Heels, including a 4-0 loss in Chapel Hill last year and a 3-0 loss in last year's ACC tournament title game.

The previously unranked Hokies (10-2, 4-0) skyrocketed this week to No. 6 in the Soccer America Top 25 poll and No. 12 in the coaches Top 25 poll.

The Hokies, who made their varsity debut in 1993, reached the NCAA tournament last year for the second time in school history.

Another good season was expected this fall because they returned nine starters, including Johnson, who owns the Tech career record for assists (29); Cave Spring graduate Jennifer Harvey, who has five goals this year; and keeper Kristen Carden, who was named the national player of the week after recording 10 saves Sunday.

Tech also welcomed back Gray, who had been their most dynamic player before suffering a torn ACL in the eighth game last fall. She missed the rest of the season but has five goals this year.

Gray wasn't the only Hokie returning from a serious knee injury.

Johnson, who suffered two ACL injuries in high school, played hurt last fall. She underwent knee surgery in February for a torn meniscus and two patella fractures. Doctors also had to shave the bone of her previously reconstructed knee.

Gray scored from beyond the 18-yard box into an empty net in the 54th minute Sunday. Tar Heels goalie Ashlyn Harris had come out of the goal to grab the ball and collided with Johnson and a UNC defender. Johnson fed the ball to Gray.

Tech gained confidence from beating Clemson for the first time on Sept. 24, and from last Wednesday's win at then-No. 18 Virginia. It was the first time Tech had won in Charlottesville.

"Beating us and Virginia back-to-back is a great indication of their tremendous progress, on top of them getting to the ACC tournament final last year," UNC coach Anson Dorrance said in a phone interview. "They just defended with tremendous tenacity and passion, and I think their goalkeeping was very good."

Sunday's win was a "dream come true" for seventh-year coach Kelly Cagle, who had previously beaten UNC as a Duke player and as a Wake Forest assistant.

Cagle inspired the Hokies before Sunday's game by showing them a video of underdogs that Tech sports psychologist Gary Bennett gave her.

"Our coach made us know not to write off UNC," Johnson said. "A lot of teams when they go into play UNC, they're like, 'Oh, well, we're going to lose. Let's just try to keep the score close.'"

Now the Hokies wonder just how glorious their season might turn out to be.

"This team, for the first time, I feel like we can compete with anybody," Cagle said.