UNC exits NCAA tourney early

It was not supposed to end like this for the North Carolina field hockey team.

No. 1 UNC was not supposed to play No. 4 Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels were not supposed to lose at Henry Stadium, where they had been undefeated for a year.

The talented senior class was not supposed to leave Chapel Hill without making it to the Final Four.

But the Blue Devils beat the Tar Heels 2-1, cutting UNC's season short - short of the team's national championship dream.

Short by a goal.

The Tar Heels (20-2) had made a habit of winning nailbiters and erasing second-half deficits all season, but they couldn't do it Sunday.

With the score tied at one, Duke (17-4) came out aggressively in the second half, controlling the midfield and forcing the ball into the UNC zone.

Finally, with 17 minutes to play, the Blue Devils broke through and scored their second goal of the day with a rebound shot off the stick of forward Chrissie Murphy after a flurry of shots.

"I got my leg across to save the initial tip," said UNC goalie Katy Tran. "It was more of a scramble than anything."

UNC came back strong, forcing four consecutive penalty corners - a play that the team has consistently converted into goals all season - but UNC was not able to find the net.

"We had our chances, and I'm proud of them for earning their chances," said North Carolina coach Karen Shelton. "It was just unfortunate we didn't score a goal."

Duke coach Beth Bozman said the team used a special defense for the powerful UNC corner.

"We prayed," Bozman said. "We set our defense, and it's just like, 'Please God, get us through this.'"

The stream of corners was the last viable chance the team had, as Duke kept the Tar Heels away from the net for the rest of the game.

But early in the game, UNC took control. Ten minutes into the first half, the Tar Heels scored on a Rachel Dawson drag flick during a corner.

The fast start was a change of pace for the Tar Heels, who fell behind early in ACC Tournament wins against Wake Forest and Maryland, as well as their first meeting with Duke this year.

"I felt really strong about our first half, our first 15 minutes," said senior midfielder Carey Fetting-Smith. "I think both teams really went at it hard."

Duke responded to UNC's strong start less than five minutes later when Johanna Bischof converted a penalty stroke to tie the game.

The intense rivalry and high stakes of the matchup led to a physical game. Officials handed out two yellow cards and three green cards.

"When you are playing North Carolina, you always expect a physical game," said Duke midfielder Amy Stopford. "They're physical, and we're going to be physical right back because we both want it."

UNC's desire translated to pain after the clock hit zero on its season.

A seven-game winning streak, a championship in the toughest conference in the nation and a No. 1 ranking - not to mention heart and intensity - failed to produce a Final Four bid.

"Our kids fought really, really hard, and they gave it everything they had," Shelton said.

"We just couldn't find the back of the net."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.