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The Daily Tar Heel

Shannon Johnson keeps her cool in ACC tournament loss

DURHAM — Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Johnson had just given up more than two goals for only the second time all season. The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team had just been knocked out of the ACC tournament in a brutal semi-final game against No. 6 Syracuse. And she had faced 23 shots in two days — nine from Duke, 14 from Syracuse.

But despite all that had been going on around her, she remained calm and composed, during and after the game.

“She’s a rock,” Coach Karen Shelton said. “We have every confidence in her.”

UNC lost 3-2 in overtime to Syracuse Friday at Williams Field at Duke. Syracuse outshot the Tar Heels 14-11, and for a stretch in the second half, maintained possession of the ball at UNC’s end for about 15 minutes.

Syracuse also drew eight corners in the game, which Shelton said was more than the average number UNC gives up. But UNC only allowed the Orange to convert one into a goal, a credit to the defense and to Johnson.

“Even during the game, Shannon’s very like — we always say she’s very like, not like a princess, but she’s very calm, like the queen,” junior forward Casey Di Nardo said. “She’s not like a very ‘Oh, get out of here,’ she’s just chilling.”

Johnson made seven saves against Syracuse and five against Duke — 12 saves in two games. In the last six games she started in the regular season, she only had to make 11 saves while allowing just three goals. UNC also only allowed 28 shots in the last six games Johnson started compared to the 23 they allowed in two games in the ACC tournament.

But Johnson wasn’t phased by the increased offensive pressure against her in the tournament.

“It’s just like the same mindset as every other game,” she said. “It’s just: be ready at all times, kind of keeping your mind focused and just paying attention to where everyone is, especially key players.”

Johnson faced a particularly talented player, Syracuse’s forward Emma Russell, who notched four shots and two goals — her 18th and 19th of the year — against UNC. Russell set an ACC tournament record with six goals in the tournament, and she scored the game-winner in overtime with a reverse shot into the top of the cage.

“I thought that last goal was hard for any keeper to probably get any touch on, so Shannon’s an amazing player, I thought she played great,” Di Nardo said. “I mean by the score it shows that she made so many saves and that the game was even, so Shannon did her part, played her role as always.”

Shelton said Syracuse’s effort and desire to win and UNC’s defense were the reason for the increased shots and that Johnson did everything she could under pressure.

“It certainly wasn’t Shannon,” she said. “It’s more our defense has to — she’s making saves she’s supposed to make, that’s how I feel. We know the difference between a good goal and a cheap goal. Shannon’s making those saves, and it’s up to our defense to prevent some of those shots, you know the big time shots.”

Johnson is second in the NCAA and first in the ACC for goals against average. She allowed Syracuse to get three goals, but she was also facing one of the top offensive players in the nation. After two consecutive overtime games and an energetic Syracuse offense, UNC struggled across the board to find a way to slow down Syracuse’s shots and to put up offensive pressure of its own, and Johnson still made some key saves for the Tar Heels throughout the game.

“It’s kind of funny because she’ll make an amazing save and then she’ll just be steady in the goal,” Di Nardo said. “She’ll act like she didn’t exude any energy, but she’s crushing it.”

For Johnson, it goes both ways — calm after a win, and equally calm after a loss.

sports@dailytarheel.com

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