UNC maintains perfect season

For the North Carolina field hockey team, this weekend's games against Duke and William & Mary were comparable to following an organic chemistry midterm with a geology midterm.

You work to the point of exhaustion for the first test and stagger into the second, mustering your remaining energy for the less difficult but still challenging exam.

But UNC not only performed its best against No. 5 Duke 2-1 in Durham on Saturday but also regrouped to shut out the Tribe 3-0 on Sunday.

While the match against the Blue Devils (7-2, 1-1 in the ACC) was brimming with energy and intensity, the first half against William & Mary (5-4) was scoreless and slower.

"It's a little bit of human nature to have somewhat of a letdown after a big emotional game like we had yesterday," said Coach Karen Shelton on Sunday. "Winning at Duke was really a great accomplishment, and I think that our team had a natural letdown in the first half."

The No. 2 Tar Heels (11-0, 2-0) overcame a 1-0 Duke lead at the half to score two goals off corners Saturday. Junior Karen Mann tied up the score five minutes into the second, and senior Carey Fetting-Smith slapped in the game-winning goal after a slip from sophomore Rachel Dawson with 16 minutes remaining.

Shelton said Saturday's away game was draining and that there might have been some fatigue before Sunday's game against an unranked opponent.

"We wanted to match yesterday's work ethic and intensity level in today's game, and it just didn't happen," Shelton said.

She added that the Tar Heels aspire to playing like a tournament team that is capable of playing back-to-back games well.

After a scoreless first half in which UNC drew four corners and the Tribe had three, Shelton said she was proud of the team's halftime adjustments.

Dawson turned up UNC's pace when she scored the first goal of the game 12 minutes into the second half on a corner.

With no stick stopper on the play, Fetting-Smith made a key call, Dawson said. "She came to the top of the circle, took charge and said, 'Rachel, take the ball, stop it upright, take it right and shoot it.' So, I just did what she said. It was really her doing."

But Dawson's powerful drag flick and clear vision helped as well.

"That was a heads-up play on Rachel's part," Shelton said. "She read the defense, took what was available to her and knocked it in."

The Tribe regrouped and called a timeout. Their defense handled the re-energized Tar Heels with skill, as the Tribe goalies made eight saves and saw 25 UNC shots.

"(William & Mary) tackled us when we didn't expect them to, and I give them credit for making it a tough one for us," Shelton said.

Freshman Anne Marie Janus, who has scored three goals and has one assist this season, said she and some of her teammates had a few problems connecting Sunday.

"(The Tribe) played good defense," Janus said. "It was tough for me to get my stick in for a tip. I was so close, but it's just that one inch that I can't get the ball, and it's frustrating."

UNC has been working on that skill, which turns long shots from the top of the circle into goals.

"It's just connecting - it's the midfield and the backfield giving better balls for them to tip in," Dawson said.

Regardless of the contrast in games, Dawson said the match against William & Mary was still important.

"We made a statement today that even if we don't play our best game, we can still come out and win."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.