UNC field hockey collects Virginia road trip wins

The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team headed to Virginia for the weekend with the stage set for a tough two-game slate that included No. 4 Virginia.

The Tar Heels (7-0, 1-0 ACC) edged the previously undefeated Cavaliers 2-1, with a game-winning goal by junior forward Charlotte Craddock with 5 minutes of play left in UNC’s first top-5 opponent this season.

“It was a wonderful game, both teams competed hard,” coach Karen Shelton said. “There was a lot of skill displayed by both teams, it was great battle, so we are happy to come away with the win.”

UNC followed its victory against Virginia (7-1, 0-1 ACC) in Charlottesville Friday with a 6-0 win behind six first-half goals against VCU in Richmond Sunday.

All but three players on UNC’s roster saw playing time in the two-game road swing, which Shelton said is a testament of the skill level each player possesses.

“We are playing with more depth this year,” Shelton said. “We are playing with more people, we don’t really have a consistent starting line-up.”

Shelton said that the variety of players is a benefit for the team, and it makes her team more difficult to predict and defend.

“That depth and versatility is good for us,” she said. “It makes us harder to scout and it makes a stronger team overall.”

Freshman midfielder Kristy Bernatchez, who has seen time in all eight games and started one, is one of the newcomers that adds depth to the Tar Heels.

Bernatchez came off the bench in the first half against VCU and scored two of her team’s six goals.

Though she’s not a regular starter, Bernatchez said the support she’s received from her teammates and coaches gives her the confidence to know she can make an impact.

“(The coaches) are really good about getting a lot of us in every game and giving us the confidence when we go in that we’re ready and will make a difference for the team,” Bernatchez said.

Like Bernatchez, freshman Lauren Moyer has also made an impact in her short time wearing a North Carolina uniform. She scored one goal in Sunday’s game, and saw playing time against Virginia.

Moyer said she and her teammates did not let traveling influence their performance or attitude about the game.

“We definitely don’t let the fact that we’re playing away take anything away from our game plan,” Moyer said.

The Tar Heels will play their next three games with a home field advantage, something Moyer said she is looking forward to.

Though hostile game environment and high stakes made her nervous leading up to the game against the Cavaliers, Moyer was confident in the team’s ability to perform under pressure.

“I knew that it was going to be a big game, but I knew that we would rise to the occasion and play our game,” she said. “If we did what we knew we could do and play to our capabilities, then I knew we would take a win from it.”

sports@dailytarheel.com