The No. 1 North Carolina field hockey team (21-0, 6-0 ACC) knocked off Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, earning head coach Karen Shelton her 11th straight Final Four berth and preserving a second straight undefeated season for the Tar Heels.
What happened?
The first period opened as a defensive chess match between the Tar Heels and the Hawkeyes, as the first decent look at goal came with just about 90 seconds remaining in the quarter.
North Carolina's Erin Matson found the ball near the right sideline and played it down the line to junior Eva Smolenaars. The midfielder sent in a low driving ball across the face of Iowa's goal, but neither of the two UNC players waiting for the pass could connect for a shot.
However, it didn't take long for the action to get underway in the second period. Maddy Murphy earned a penalty corner for the Hawkeyes in the first three minutes of the quarter and played the ball into the top of the circle to sophomore Lokke Stribos. She was able to set up her younger sister, Sofie Stribos, who deflected the ball into UNC's goal for the first-year's third score of the season.
North Carolina responded with a score of its own with less than six minutes remaining in the first half. After limping earlier in the period, Matson received a pass around the midfield line and maneuvered to the center of the field, drawing three Iowa defenders and earning the Tar Heels' first penalty corner.
Sophomore Abby Pitcairn played the ball to the top of the circle where first-year Madison Orobono settled the ball for senior Yentl Leemans. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year smacked the ball to Matson, the conference's Offensive Player of the Year, who found the back of the net to level the score, 1-1.
It took the Tar Heels just 26 seconds to open the fourth quarter with a goal to give them the lead, 2-1. Senior Marissa Creatore darted into a gap of open space to the left of Iowa's goal where she quickly received a pass and dished it across the face of the goal to senior Feline Guenther. Guenther crushed her shot into the back of the net to put UNC ahead, 2-1, a lead that North Carolina would hold for the rest of the game.
