It was a typical, if not underwhelming, pregame routine for the No. 2 North Carolina field hockey team.
After a heartfelt Senior Day during the weekend, the team returned to its normal introductions, calling out the squad and starting line-ups. The familiar names echoed over the PA system as the starters took the field, but one name was missing — Charlotte Craddock.
After playing only three days ago, the junior All-American’s absence was somewhat of a surprise for the Tar Heels. Coach Karen Shelton said the culprit was a nagging quadriceps injury.
“She had a little tweak in her quad,” Shelton said. “We just didn’t want to take a chance if we didn’t need her.”
However, for the first 10 minutes of the first half it looked like the Tar Heels may have needed the services of one of their stars. Following a save by goalie Sassi Ammer early in the half, Longwood outshot UNC four to two.
“Charlotte’s always a huge impact,” sophomore forward Casey Di Nardo said. “She’s one of the fastest players with the ball that I’ve ever seen, so we definitely miss her on the field.”
Di Nardo also noted that Craddock’s passing skills would have helped the team during the slow start.
“We really need her in the circle,” Di Nardo said. “Both her passing and her shooting would have helped in the first half.”
But the team was able to pick up the play after stumbling out of the gates against the Lancers, going on to win the contest 9-0.
