The North Carolina field hockey team took a page out of Dean Smith’s book Friday night against archrival and conference foe Wake Forest.
The Tar Heels began reading the former UNC basketball coach’s autobiography “The Carolina Way” prior to the season.
In the team’s first home game, it employed Smith’s patented offense-from-defense style of play to beat the Demon Deacons 4-1 in front of 1,231 fans at Henry Stadium, the largest field hockey crowd in UNC history.
The team has been reading Smith’s book throughout the beginning of the season, but senior captain Danielle Forword said the section the Tar Heels read prior to Friday’s game truly resonated with the team.
“This week what we read was one of (UNC basketball’s) mantras is pressure defense and fast-paced offense, and that’s similar to what we do,” Forword said.
“We like to defend from the back and as soon as we get the ball, fast counter-attack.”
This strategy paid early dividends on Friday as Forword took advantage of a Wake Forest mistake to set up the Tar Heels’ first goal.
Midway through the first half, with the score even at zero, Wake Forest defender Liza Casella attempted to make a routine clearance down the right flank.
But Casella mishit the ball badly, rolling it weakly to the stick of a wide open Forword at the top of the shooting circle.
Forword immediately drove to the net but was taken down from behind as she turned to shoot, meriting a penalty stroke, which senior Melanie Brill calmly converted to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.
Wake Forest, however, would not relent, forcing junior goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer into a series of quality saves before breaking through with a penalty stroke of its own to knot the score.
But with just more than a minute to play in the first half, freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick ignited a Tar Heel fast break, taking a pass out of the back and weaving through several Wake Forest defenders in midfield before finding senior Illse Davids at the top left corner of the shooting circle.
Davids then slapped a blistering shot that found the back right netting for a 2-1 UNC advantage.
After struggling to move the ball consistently throughout the first half, Kolojejchick and Davids’ combination marked the beginning of a string of fine midfield play that continued in the second half.
“In the first half we were looking for the big play,” coach Karen Shelton said.
“They were trying to thread the needle and it just wasn’t working. At some point in time you have to recognize that and say ‘OK, big ball’s not on, let’s make the two-touch combination passes that we’re so good at.’”
Energized by the dynamic play of the midfield, the Tar Heels took control of the game in the second half, stringing together crisp passes to set up numerous chances on net.
Brill added her second goal of the game on a well-executed penalty corner, and forward Elizabeth Drazdowski capped the scoring, tucking a well-timed breakaway cross from Forword into the back of the cage to seal the 4-1 victory.
While Forword believes the team still has plenty of room for improvement, the game atmosphere made this win a special one for the senior.
“It’s loud, the atmosphere is magical and it’s just great,” Forword said.
“These are the memories that you remember.”
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Field Hockey: UNC grabs ?rst ACC win against Deacons
Dani Forword launches a shot during No. 4 North Carolina’s 4-1 defeat of No. 2 Wake Forest in Chapel Hill on Friday.
