Since then, however, the Tar Heels have accumulated an 0-3 losing streak.
Sunday, the team halted its slide with a 2-1 victory in extra time against Iowa at Henry Stadium. "We came out, we fought hard and we fought to the end," said midfielder Katy Potter. "I think it (came down to) determination and whoever wanted to win the game more."
Less than five minutes into the game Potter snagged a rebound in front of the goal and pushed it past Hawkeye goalkeeper Barbara Weinberg to give UNC a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until 15 minutes into the second quarter when Iowa's Lauren Stiver won a rebound off UNC goalkeeper Amy Tran's pads and dumped the ball in to tie the score, 1-1.
As the second half progressed, neither team could convert its opportunities.
With 15 seconds left in the game UNC got one last chance to go ahead with a penalty corner, but the push-in from junior Alison Stewart squirted away from setter Meredith Keller, sending the game into sudden death.
Four minutes and 32 seconds into the extra period, the Tar Heels ended their overtime losing streak when Kerry Falgowski caught the rebound of a Keller shot and introduced the ball to the back of the net, giving UNC the 2-1 victory.
"(The weekend) served its purpose in that it was exciting," said UNC coach Karen Shelton. "But it did point out areas where we need to improve."
The Tar Heels saw many areas that needed improvement during the first game of the weekend, which pitted UNC against defending national champion Michigan. This was the first time the two had met since UNC's heartbreaking loss to the Wolverines in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year.
