The No. 1 UNC field hockey team (10-0, 3-0 ACC) narrowly escaped the No. 19 Boston College Eagles (5-7, 2-2 ACC), 4-3, in Newton, Mass. First-years Ashley Sessa and Ryleigh Heck and sophomore midfielder Jasmina Smolenaars all earned first-half goals and senior forward Erin Matson closed out the game in the fourth quarter.
What happened?
UNC started to apply the offensive pressure early, putting up three shots to Boston College’s zero in the opening quarter.
After inserting the ball on UNC‘s first penalty corner of the game, Sessa quickly gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead with her seventh goal of the season. This came just over nine minutes into the game with a missile into the top-right corner of the goal.
North Carolina went up 3-0 in the second quarter thanks to two more goals off of UNC penalty corners.
In the 18th minute, Smolenaars fired off a long shot. Boston College first-year goalkeeper Carine Van Wiechen initially tipped the ball, but it still found the back of the net for Smolenaars’ third goal of the season and a 2-0 UNC lead.
Smolenaars earned an assist on North Carolina’s next goal, which came from Heck following a penalty corner insert from sophomore midfielder Lisa Slinkert in the 25th minute.
As the clock ticked down in the opening half, the Eagles earned a penalty corner of their own after a few saves from first-year Kylie Walbert in goal. On the penalty corner, Walbert made another diving save to keep the score at 3-0 entering halftime.
In the second half, the Eagles clawed back into the game thanks to two goals from junior forward Kara Heck, the older sister of UNC’s Ryleigh Heck. Her spinning shot at the beginning of the third quarter and second goal of the game in the fourth quarter brought Boston College within one goal of the Tar Heels at 3-2.
