The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team (0-2) lost its second game of the season to No. 3 Iowa (2-0), 1-3, at Grant Field in Iowa City.
UNC opened the season with two matchups in the ACC-Big Ten challenge. When the Tar Heels played the Hawkeyes in the 2021 NCAA semifinals, UNC won 3-0. Today’s defeat, following North Carolina’s season opener against Michigan on Saturday, denotes the team's first time dropping consecutive games since 2013.
What happened?
The Hawkeyes started the first quarter offensively strong, taking six shots on goal. The Tar Heels fought back defensively, as Iowa failed to score in large part to keeper Abigail Taylor making three saves. The hosting Iowa scored within 30 seconds of the second quarter, but Erin Matson’s first goal of the season tied up the game 1-1 before halftime.
Despite UNC’s leading 12-8 shot advantage in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes took a 2-1 lead following Meghan Conroy's shot on goal. UNC’s replacement of goalkeeper Abigail Taylor for an extra attacker in the fourth quarter led to a game sealing goal for Iowa. Carolina had two penalty corner opportunities for goals, but could not convert and put more points on the board. The game ended in a 3-1 loss for North Carolina, bringing the team to an 0-2 record season start.
Who stood out?
First-year goalkeeper Abigail Taylor saved three shots on goal within the first quarter of the game, bolstering Carolina’s defensive play. Though the effort was not enough to capture a victory, it kept UNC competitive in a game that saw the team score just once.
Despite not having scored in the opening game against Michigan, senior forward Erin Matson earned the lone goal for the Tar Heels against Iowa in the 25th minute of play. Matson tied the game 1-1 and picked up the pace for Carolina’s offense heading into halftime.
When was it decided?
