WINSTON-SALEM - With players on both teams shoving, checking and tripping, calling the match between No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Wake Forest physical would be an understatement.
"They probably looked at the tape from last week where we played a little bit more physical," said Coach Karen Shelton. "They probably made the adjustment to be more physical this week."
Early in the game, as senior Kelsey Keeran was trying to get the ball down to the offensive end, Wake Forest defender Claire Laubach elbowed her out of the way and managed to steal the ball.
Soon after, WFU's Kelly Dostal was forced into a collision with UNC's Rachel Dawson, tossing Dostal's stick high into the air and causing her to fall.
"We tried to just concentrate on our defense and how we were going to play as a team, whether it's trapping (UNC) to one side or just all the pressure that we put on them," Laubach said.
The tenacious play of Wake's defense continued through the half. One of the Tar Heels' scoring opportunities demonstrated the attacking nature of the game.
Fifteen minutes into the first half, Keeran came sliding out in front of the Deacon defense to catch a pass, muscling her way through Laubach for a shot.
"We talked about it a little bit at halftime," said UNC midfielder Brooke Miller. "Last week, we thought that we were more physical than them, and they were much more physical this week."
Miller's aggressive play even earned a somewhat controversial yellow card when she knocked over a Wake Forest midfielder.