UNC field hockey disposes Wake quickly

It only took 12 seconds for the No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team to score enough goals to win its game on Friday. The Tar Heels added four more for good measure to beat then-No. 6 Wake Forest 5-0.

The impressive road victory gives the top-ranked Tar Heels a 3-0 record and three shutouts.

“Especially when you’re playing on the road, it’s really beneficial to take their home field advantage out of it in the beginning,” senior Elizabeth Drazdowski said. “So coming out with a really fast start kind of took maybe a little wind out of their sail.”

At the very start of the game, Wake Forest misplayed a pass back toward its own goal and sophomore Kelsey Kolojejchick took advantage, going in alone against the goalie and scoring the game’s first goal.

Only seven minutes later, freshman Sinead Loughran scored on a feed from Kolojejchick, and UNC was in complete control of the game.

Coach Karen Shelton was happy with the quick start after the team had two unimpressive beginnings to games last weekend.

“(The two quick goals) just really enabled our team to play with a little bit more flow and freedom than when it’s 0–0 and every possession is so critical,” Shelton said.

The Tar Heels didn’t just start well in the first half; they also came out with two goals within the first seven minutes of the second half with scores by junior Elizabeth Stephens and Drazdowski.

The scoring was capped with a goal by Jaclyn Radvany, who deflected a shot by Meghan Dawson into the goal.

As the score attests, UNC controlled most of the game and outshot Wake Forest 16-3. For the second straight game, goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer didn’t have to make a save.
Dawson, a junior back, said the defense’s success has to do with its ability to play together as a unit.

“I think we work really well together and take a big pride in trying to have these shutouts and all together winning the game,” Dawson said.

The Tar Heels will face Wake Forest again at home in October, and Dawson will be sure not to overlook the Demon Deacons despite the decisive victory.

“They’re a really good team, and next time we play them I’m sure they’re going to have some more fire,” Dawson said. “But it feels good because we really controlled the game and it shows how strong we are as a team all together.”

The team was once again without its captain, Katelyn Falgowski, who suffered a concussion and has missed all three of the team’s games.

Shelton hopes that Falgowski will be available for this weekend’s games against Villanova and West Chester.

“Another little caveat of the game is that we played so well without our senior captain and player-of-the-year candidate, so it was a wonderful victory for the team,” Shelton said.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.