The No. 2 North Carolina field hockey team defeated No. 9 Michigan 5-1 on Sunday. The Tar Heels redeemed themselves from their loss to the Wolverines earlier in the year, while earning another top-10 victory.
What happened?
Michigan (7-4) struck first in the game’s ninth minute. A counter attack overwhelmed the Tar Heels (9-2, 3-1 ACC), with Michigan’s Eliza Stein scoring off of a rebound.
UNC struggled to muster offense in the game’s first fifteen minutes, rarely possessing the ball in the attack area. The Wolverine defense routinely dispossessed the Tar Heels any time they reached the circle.
A Michigan foul gave UNC a chance at a penalty corner. Ashley Hoffman’s attempt was blocked, but Eva van’t Hoog capitalized on the second corner, rocketing the ball to the goalie’s left to tie the game at 1-1.
In the half’s last ten minutes, both teams had multiple penalty corners but came up empty. Goalie Shannon Johnson’s four first-half saves were instrumental in keeping the game tied.
UNC started quickly in the second, scoring on a penalty corner to take the lead. Hoffman fired a shot toward goal that Emma Bozek deflected into the back of the net for the go-ahead goal. The lead grew to 3-1 as Gab Major scored on an assist from Lauren Moyer, poking the ball through the goalie’s legs.
The offense continued to pressure the Michigan defense, with shots on goal from Moyer and Major that required impressive saves by Michigan’s Sam Swenson.
Pressure burst pipes, and that’s what happened when Hoffman found the back of cage on a penalty corner, giving UNC the 4-1 lead and effectively sealing the game. Moyer would add a goal for good measure on a penalty corner.
