Penalty stroke costs UNC field hockey a national championship
A penalty stroke is a rare thing in field hockey, and even rarer against North Carolina.
A penalty stroke is a rare thing in field hockey, and even rarer against North Carolina.
The stage was all but set for a Sunday showdown between two of the most storied programs in NCAA Division I field hockey.
Kelsey Kolojejchick slumped and put her hands on her knees. This wasn’t how the senior envisioned her last trip to the title game. After seeing the title slip through her team’s fingers the last two seasons, this time was supposed to be different.
After watching Syracuse’s defense stop her first three shots, North Carolina forward Charlotte Craddock finally found her opening. With just more than three minutes left in the first half, senior Katie Ardrey drew a penalty corner.
The No. 1 Tar Heels ran up a 6-1 tally against the nation’s No. 5 team to advance to the national championship game, which will be played on Sunday against Princeton.
UNC Field Hockey lost 3-2 to Princeton in the 2012 NCAA National Championship on November 18th, 2012 at Powhatan Field in Norfolk, Virginia. UNC has now lost 3 consecutive National Championship games.