The last two times the UNC field hockey team held a 7-0 record, the Tar Heels won national championships. But spending time on the team’s past and distant future directly contradicts the 2022 squad's motto to take each day at a time.
On Friday in Karen Shelton Stadium, another test awaits against No. 15 Wake Forest.
After rebuilding the roster to take care of both sides of the field, No. 2 UNC has already bulldozed through four of the current top-10 teams early in the season.
Dubbed "unsung" by head coach Karen Shelton, senior forward and midfielder Meredith Sholder has spearheaded UNC’s defensive effort since 2018 and was just honored with ACC Defensive Player of the Week. A key weapon against Louisville in the last matchup, Sholder’s corner defense suffocated all six of the Cardinals’ penalty corner opportunities.
Backing up the defensive unit, UNC's goalkeepers — sophomore Abigail Taylor and first-year Kylie Walbert, who have split halves of games so far — have allowed only six goals this season, the lowest among ACC teams.
North Carolina will need to prepare to take on Wake Forest’s playmakers in midfielders Meike Lanckohr and Grace Delmotte.
Lanckohr ranks third in the conference in shots with an average of 3.67 a game, and second in points, totaling 15 in six games. Delmotte leads the ACC in assists with six and is a key factor in why Wake Forest sits atop the conference rankings for assists per game, averaging 3.14 per contest compared to North Carolina’s 2.57.
The Demon Deacons also have a clear leg up offensively in drawing corner opportunities, an area where UNC has struggled to capitalize on all season. Wake Forest has earned 15 more penalty corners than the Tar Heels thus far and will look to earn these opportunities early on Friday.
After season-opening losses to Iowa and Michigan, Wake Forest has rattled off five straight victories, including a 1-0 win over Ohio State in Columbus.
