UNC field hockey remains undefeated after two-game gauntlet against BC and UConn

After matchups with two heavyweights this weekend, the No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team (15-0, 6-0 ACC) will return to Chapel Hill with a 4-1 win against No. 12 Boston College and a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Connecticut. 

The Tar Heels secured the outright ACC regular season title on Friday and redeemed last year’s Final Four loss to the Huskies on Sunday.

No. 1 UNC vs. No. 12 Boston College

In the opening minutes of the game, Boston College (9-5, 2-3 ACC) found a rare opening in the UNC defense, resulting in a sequence ending with senior Lucy Lytle tapping the ball into the back of the net. Facing a deficit for only the fourth time this year, the Tar Heels found themselves briefly caught off guard just over 10 minutes into the contest. 

That feeling was short-lived as just eight minutes later, junior Catherine Hayden sent a pass directly in front of the cage, allowing junior Marissa Creatore the chance to control the ball and shoot it past the goalie. 

In the following minutes, Boston College had chances to retake the lead, most notably in the 23rd minute, when forward Brooke Matherson placed the ball in between UNC goalkeeper Amanda Hendry’s legs. While the shot seemed destined to become the Eagles’ second goal of the day, UNC sophomore Cassie Sumfest came out of nowhere to knock the ball out of danger, mere inches from the goal line.

Shortly afterwards, Hayden smacked in the game-winning goal, giving her team a 2-1 advantage heading into halftime. In the second half, while the game went back and forth in many respects, UNC finished strong. 

Senior midfielder Ashley Hoffman stretched her team’s lead in the 40th minute with a goal off a penalty corner, while senior Eva van’t Hoog provided the exclamation point in the 54th minute with a goal of her own. Despite being outshot for the first time all season (Boston College led, 9-8), the Tar Heels were able to prevail in the end to stay undefeated — securing the ACC regular season title in the process.

No. 1 UNC vs. No. 5 Connecticut

In a rematch of last year’s NCAA semifinal, the Tar Heels avenged their postseason loss to the defending national champion UConn (12-3, 5-0 Big East).

UNC placed its mark on the game first during a penalty corner in the 12th minute, as senior Malin Evert passed the ball towards the goal, leaving van’t Hoog with the golden opportunity to tap it in and give the Tar Heels an early lead. 

UNC was successful in keeping this lead well into the second half, until the Huskies were able to draw a penalty corner themselves. During the 44th minute, Connecticut forward Kourtney Kennedy penetrated the UNC defense with a powerful strike past the goalkeeper.

Only four minutes later, UNC responded. First-year Erin Matson struck with the first shot of the possession during a counterattack, resulting in a timely save by UConn keeper Cheyenne Sprecher. However, Creatore was able to battle through the chaos and shoot the ball into the back of the cage, giving the Tar Heels a 2-1 advantage that would last for the remainder of the game. 

Who stood out?

Creatore and van't Hoog were the stars of the action-packed weekend, as each scored a pair of goals. Shelton credits van’t Hoog as a player that can do it all.

Although van’t Hoog hasn’t been a top scorer this season — she only had two goals heading into the weekend — she came up big when needed.

"She hadn’t been scoring much, but now as the season has gone on and we’re getting into stride, she had two big goals on the weekend,” Shelton said. “She’s just a mature senior for us, and I think she’s having a terrific year."

Creatore's impact on both games was huge, especially against UConn as she came away with the game-winner in the 48th minute.

“She’s playing so well," Shelton said. "She brings a lot of energy to our group, so it was fun to see her get a reward with a big banger

Why does it matter?

After beating Boston College on Friday night, UNC secured another ACC regular season title, which has been one of the team’s goals for the entire year.

“We know we still have work to do, but one of our goals at the beginning of the season was to actually get the top seed and earn the bye in the ACC Tournament. We achieved that and we’re very happy where we are now.”

When do they play next?

UNC next plays a senior night rematch against archival and No. 4 Duke next Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium, as the Tar Heels hope to close out their opening season in the team’s new venue with a perfect record.

“It’s always fun to play Duke, whether it’s at their place or at our place, so we look forward to that traditional rivalry,” Shelton said. “It would be nice to go through the regular season undefeated at our new stadium, so that’s another goal of ours as well.”

@keberly1996

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