The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team completed a perfect season on Sunday afternoon at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Ky., with a 2-0 shutout over No. 2 Maryland in the 2018 National Championship.
With goals from junior forward Megan DuVernois and first-year forward Erin Matson, the Tar Heels captured their first national title since 2009.
What happened?
UNC (23-0, 6-0 ACC) faced Maryland in the National Championship for the first time since 2011 and both sides got off to a slow start.
Less than five minutes into the match, the Tar Heels were awarded a penalty corner, but failed to capitalize. After 15 minutes of play, neither side had yet scored, with UNC holding a 1-0 shot advantage.
In the 21st minute, UNC struck first. DuVernois fired off a shot on a pass from sophomore forward Meredith Sholder that found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Less than 12 minutes remaining in the first half, the Terrapins garnered their first corner of the match. However, the team failed to get a shot off, thanks to strong play from the Tar Heel defense.
Just a few minutes remaining in the first half in the 31st minute, Matson added her name to the score sheet with her team-high 20th goal of the season. The score held heading into halftime.
The Terrapins failed to score in the second half thanks to the play of the Tar Heel defense and sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Hendry. UNC recorded six saves in the second half to preserve the 2-0 victory and win the national title.
