Undefeated field hockey team faces Virginia

Last season it took the North Carolina field hockey team just more than 76 minutes to conquer the Virginia Cavaliers in a 3-2 overtime finish.

Today, No. 1 UNC travels to Charlottesville hoping for a shorter game.

But against the No. 4 Cavaliers on their home turf, it’s not exactly a sure shot.

What is, however, is North Carolina’s lethal attack.

The undefeated Tar Heels (6-0) are averaging 5.5 goals per game. But UNC hasn’t had to rely on one or two star players. This season, 14 of the team’s 22 field players have scored a goal and nine of those have scored two or more.

Coach Karen Shelton said that UNC’s offensive onslaught not only helps her team on the field, but also complicates opponents’ pregame strategizing.

“We think we’re a difficult team to scout because we have so many who can score and that can threaten the goal,” Shelton said.

Shelton said UNC can trace its goal distribution to a skilled offensive corps that focuses more on patiently moving the ball around the field with precision passing rather than one-on-one play.

“I think if you watched our game you’d say, ‘Wow, they’re passing the ball better than most teams,’” she said. “And we like that. We like our team to share the ball, to be unselfish. To work passing combinations that set each other up.”

Shelton even compared her team’s attitude to that of a UNC legend.

“Much like Dean Smith, we want to be able to point to the assist person,” she said.

Senior Meghan Drake attributes the impressive statistics to an adjustment in play style.

“We’ve really changed our approach to how we’re playing this year. We have more of a rotating group,” Drake said. “We have about 18 girls that are getting in every single game and then we try and get all our other subs in most games.”

But other teams have adjusted in an attempt to neutralize UNC’s powerhouse offense.

In the team’s first game of the season against Lock Haven, Shelton noted that their opponents had started to crowd the circle against North Carolina. Lock Haven kept more players back on defense in an attempt to clog scoring lanes and force the Tar Heels to turn the ball over. This would then allow teams the chance for a quick counterattack.

The strategy almost worked for Lock Haven — UNC’s 2-1 victory remains the closest game for the Tar Heels this season — and inspired others.

“I think teams saw that it worked for Lock Haven and they’re trying to manipulate that,” said sophomore midfielder Emma Bozek.

“But I think if we just keep playing our game we’ll be all right.”

While their opponents are working to thwart North Carolina’s offense, the Tar Heels have devoted extra time in practice to running a half-field scrimmage in preparation for the defensive strategy.

“I don’t know that Virginia will try it but if they will, certainly we’re getting practice with it,” Shelton said. “We just need to be patient.”

sports@dailytarheel.com