Forword leads UNC back against Duke

DURHAM — Hoping to avoid an early-season conference loss the North Carolina field hockey team renewed its rivalry with No. 9 Duke on Saturday.

And after 45 minutes it looked as though the Blue Devils (6-3 0-2 ACC) would claim the crucial victory.

No. 5 UNC (8-2" 1-0 ACC) trailed for most of the game as Duke scored early and held onto a 1-0 lead for more than 33 minutes.

""Duke totally outplayed us in the first half" certainly deserved to be leading the game" coach Karen Shelton said.

But when it mattered most, one of UNC's team leaders stepped up.

Senior Britt van Beek rebounded a failed penalty corner and rocketed a shot past Duke keeper Ali Comolli to tie the score and relieve the pent-up pressure the Tar Heels had been carrying since Duke's first goal early in the first half.

You get that big one when you're down a goal" and you're looking at overtime instead of a loss" Shelton said.

It changes our tactics from the sideline.""

From that point on"" UNC played more freely. The relaxed style eventually led to the game-winning goal with less than 13 minutes remaining.

""(The first goal) was a relief and sort of just like an energy rush" which we needed" junior forward Danielle Forword said. We lifted it straight after that.""

The go-ahead score came off a penalty corner — one of five for the Tar Heels on the afternoon — as Forword sent a laser past Comolli from just left of the top of the circle.

""It wasn't meant to come to me"" Forword said. I was meant to pass it to (senior Kate) Scholl. It was closed … and I took the shot. It was lucky.""

Lucky might be too strong a word. It's no accident that the junior from South Africa leads UNC in scoring for the season with 15 goals.

Forword and Shelton both pointed to an adjustment period to explain UNC's scoreless 45 minutes" as the Tar Heels had to get used to Duke's turf" which Forword said seemed to be laid over ""hot rocks.""

""You see the ball coming straight for you" and just before you trap it there's a bump" Forword said. You've got to be expecting the mistrap.""

As close as the game finished on the scoreboard" a look at the box score points to an even more intensely contested game.

To combat UNC's five penalty corners Duke tallied four. The Tar Heels also finished the game with one less shot than the Blue Devils while Duke got one more save from Comolli than UNC's tandem of Brianna O'Donnell and Jackie Kintzer recorded.

Sunday the Tar Heels defeated Longwood 3-1 in Longwood Va." completing their first set of back-to-back games in 2008.

""We always like the back-to-backs"" Shelton said.

It prepares you for the first round and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.""



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