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The Daily Tar Heel

Goalie switch not holding field hockey team back

Former starting goalie Sassi Ammer (00) recently lost her starting position to sophomore Shannon Johnson.
Former starting goalie Sassi Ammer (00) recently lost her starting position to sophomore Shannon Johnson.

But now, the senior has been relegated to the bench in favor of sophomore Shannon Johnson.

Despite Ammer’s 62 career starts, Coach Karen Shelton gave the starting nod to Johnson to open the season in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge during the weekend. No. 2 UNC (2-0) easily defeated No. 17 Michigan 5-1 on Saturday with Johnson in goal and No. 20 Iowa 4-1 on Sunday with the goalies each taking a half.

“I think we’re pretty close, but you have to compete with each other, so it’s a little bit tense at times, but we’re pretty good friends,” said Johnson of her relationship with Ammer.

Though Johnson only faced 10 shots in two games, and Ammer only saw five in her half of work, each made some timely saves, especially against Iowa’s Natalie Cafone, who led the NCAA in points per game last season.

With UNC leading 4-0, Ammer allowed the lone goal to Cafone, but Ammer also made several key saves to preserve the win.

“It’s different for me,” Ammer said. “I’ve been starting for three years, but you’ve got to adjust, play with the flow and do the best with the playing time you get.”

Senior captain and defender Sam Travers said there’s not a big difference between the two, but the internal competition has become a source of motivation for both of them.

“We’re all athletes,” Travers said. “We all want to play. (Sassi’s) been a three-year starter, and now things are changing, so I’m sure it’s pretty hard.”

Offensively, the Tar Heels lived up to their No. 2 ranking. The offensive machine hummed, surgically knifing through the Wolverine (0-2) and Hawkeye (1-1) defenses and launching 47 shots. Against Iowa, Loren Shealy needed just 21 seconds to put UNC on the board.

Even without the help of the goalie, UNC showed an active defense with position players reading passing lanes well. On numerous occasions, a forward or midfielder intercepted the ball to help UNC control the game flow.

With the result and play from the weekend, Shelton said she’s pleasantly surprised with where her team is.

“I think we’re a bit stronger than we were last year,” Shelton said. “I’ve been impressed in our development in the last two weeks. We have the talent. It’s a matter of continuing to develop the chemistry. Our defense is proving to be pretty darn good.”

sports@dailytarheel.com

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