The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team (23-0, 6-0 ACC) finished off its season in the only way fitting for the nation’s most dominant team — by winning the 2018 NCAA Championship. Here’s a look back at the moments that defined the season.
“This year our team is super special”
The Tar Heels knew it from the very beginning.
It started with a season-opening victory over Michigan, who was ranked No. 5 in the country at the time. The Tar Heels took down the Wolverines, 5-1, in the first game in the now-named Karen Shelton Stadium. After the win, junior forward Megan DuVernois hinted at how good UNC knew it could be.
“This year our team is super special because everyone really connects on the field and off the field, so it’s a very good start,” she said on Aug. 25.
This team, indeed, has been special. North Carolina scored 103 goals all season and allowed only 16. It gave up more than one goal only three times, and still won those games by a combined 11 goals.
The Tar Heels’ blistering start against Michigan foreshadowed how they would dominate other top-ranked teams throughout the season, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. UNC nearly stumbled in a 2-1 overtime win against Iowa.
North Carolina conceded an early goal, and trailed for most of the game. Yet a trend that would become familiar emerged: first-year Erin Matson and senior Ashley Hoffman were the heroes. Matson scored an equalizer in minute 62, and Hoffman closed out the win with a penalty goal in overtime.
