UNC takes loss hard after 20-2 run

As the nal seconds of the second round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament elapsed, Duke carefully maneuvered the ball and broke into a classic celebratory tackle.

North Carolina trickled back to its bench after the 2-1 loss, leaving three Tar Heels and a chance at its first Final Four run since 2000 behind.

Sophomore Brooke Miller and seniors Laura Douglas and Katy Potter collapsed in tears, balled up trying to comprehend that their now 20-2 season was over.

Teammates aided the anguished Potter and Douglas, while Miller remained in the center of the field.

Goalkeeper Katy Tran, who made two saves, broke into a swift run from the sideline to help Miller.

Weeks spent at No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings should have guaranteed a Final Four spot, but the surprise seeding of No. 4 Duke at UNC's site threw a wrench into the system.

"I think it's unfortunate that we had to play (Duke) today," said UNC coach Karen Shelton after complimenting Duke's effort. "Somebody should be held accountable."

Despite their rank, the Blue Devils were seeded fifth.

"Everybody in the nation knew that Duke should have been the No. 4 seed," Shelton said. "This committee somehow didn't give it to them.

"The top seed, you have the best record in the country, you're supposed to be rewarded for that."

Duke coach Beth Bozman agreed the seeding was surprising.

"We're so pleased to be going to the Final Four, but at the same time I think North Carolina deserves to be going to the Final Four, too," Bozman said. "It's a bit of a travesty that we were in the same pool."

Regardless of the seeding, Shelton said she couldn't have been more proud of her team that will finish with the nation's best record, no matter who is eventual champion, after playing in the toughest conference.

"It's hard to compare when you've been a coach as long as I have about teams," said the 2004 ACC Coach of the Year. "I have not had a better team that worked as hard, that played as tough, that practiced as well as this group."

It was the five seniors, who battled past a missed tournament bid and prior mid-season slumps, who took the elimination the hardest.

Senior co-captain Carey Fetting-Smith made the long walk to the locker room with Shelton, who put a consoling arm around her shoulder.

The senior kept her head up, wiping the tears off her flushed face.

"My five seniors, they didn't deserve to go out this way," Shelton said adamantly.

The statement prompted the first slight smile from the captain.

Tran entered the press conference with puffy eyes, staring in disbelief.

"Going into the game, I was confident in my teammates," Tran said, her words quivering. "I don't want this season to end, but not everything happens the way you want it to."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.