Thanks to five consecutive goals, the No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team eliminated Delaware by picking up a 5-1 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
In the semifinals of the ACC Championship, the North Carolina field hockey team picked up a narrow 2-1 win over Syracuse to advance to the final on Friday.
Sunday’s game was a microcosm of this class’ success — as on Senior Day, they led UNC to a 6-0 victory over No. 9 Saint Joseph’s. The victory not only highlighted UNC's veteran stars but also showed glimpses of the program's future, with three goals from first-year forward Ryleigh Heck.
The Tar Heels hadn’t seen the Cavaliers on the turf since the ACC tournament championship last season, when UNC won its fifth straight conference title in a 1-0 shutout. Going into Friday’s matchup, the No. 1 seed for the 2022 ACC tournament was on the line for both teams.
UNC graduate outside hitter Charley Niego is North Carolina volleyball's most experienced player, exercising her fifth year with the Tar Heels after playing for four years at Notre Dame.
UNC’s contest against UConn caps the Tar Heels’ 11-0 win streak and sixth shutout of the season.
After rebuilding the roster to take care of both sides of the field, No. 2 UNC has already bulldozed through four of the current top-10 teams early in the season.
The Tar Heels were relentless in their press Friday and sealed their perfect 7-0 record and ACC dominance.
While the offense didn't play up to the standard that it set the past two contests, the defense showed a vast improvement from the high scoring affairs against Florida A&M and Appalachian State.
The numbers on the board in Karen Shelton Stadium not only reflected the outcome of UNC field hockey’s game against Penn in the ACC-Ivy League Challenge, but also the team’s undefeated record: 4-0. Not only did the Tar Heels beat three top-15 teams in their first four games in 2022, but they earned their first shutout win at home since the 2020 spring season. “It's something that we pride ourselves on, to start off challenging ourselves,” junior midfielder Kiersten Thomassey said.
Mack Brown speaks at a virtual press conference on Thursday July 8, 2021. Screenshot by Kaitlyn Schmidt.
