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(10/15/10 4:36am)
Searching desperately for a gap in Florida State’s bunker defense, the North Carolina women’s soccer team earned the game’s decisive tally from the player perhaps least expected to break the 0-0 deadlock.
(09/24/10 3:56am)
As Boston College’s third and decisive goal trickled toward the left corner of North Carolina’s net, UNC defender Meg Morris could only watch helplessly and hope that the goal line paint had been laid thicker than usual Thursday night.
(09/07/10 5:21am)
The moments leading up to the second-half kickoff at Fetzer Field on Saturday set a familiar scene.
(08/27/10 3:24am)
A pair of 3-0 victories last weekend has kept the North Carolina women’s soccer team atop the national rankings. But to UNC coach Anson Dorrance, the top team in the country may be the visitor at Fetzer Field tonight.
(08/22/10 9:46pm)
The win on Friday night was familiar, but the cast bore little resemblance to 2009.
On the same field where it won the 2009 national title, North Carolina beat Texas A&M 3-0 with a very different lineup.
(04/26/10 4:27am)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — When Marcus Holman flicked a point-blank shot past Maryland goalie Brian Phipps early in the fourth quarter of Friday’s ACC semifinal, the press box announcer at Maryland’s Byrd Stadium butchered the call.“Virginia goal scored by No. 1, Marcus Holman,” he mistakenly reported.Considering North Carolina’s play throughout the night, though, it’s tough to blame the announcer for his slip-up. Lethargic from the opening whistle, the Tar Heels looked nothing like the team which started the season 10-0 and were ranked No. 3 in the country heading into the conference tournament.Out-hustled and out-matched, UNC fell to Maryland 13-5 in the Tar Heels’ worst loss of coach Joe Breschi’s tenure.“They completely outplayed us in every facet of the game,” Breschi said.“They played with a chip on their shoulder, and they played with an edge that we didn’t even come close to matching.”The Tar Heels’ lack of energy was especially evident in the midfield, where UNC was thoroughly dominated by Maryland’s aggressive contingent. The Terrapins scooped up nine more ground balls, won 14 of 22 face-offs and forced seven UNC failed clears.Even when North Carolina gained possession, Maryland’s defensive pressure never let the Tar Heels breathe. The Terrapins generated twelve caused turnovers and kept UNC’s usually potent offense off balance all night.“Their team ‘D’ just played fantastic tonight,” senior attackman Gavin Petracca said. “We kept the ball stale in our sticks, and we didn’t move quite as well as we can and as we have been.”With the offense unable to maintain any sort of possession, UNC’s second-ranked scoring defense felt some added strain. After holding opponents to just seven goals per game heading into Friday, the Tar Heels were unable to fend off a relentless Terrapin barrage, yielding 13 Maryland goals despite a 12-save effort from goalkeeper Chris Madalon.Terrapin junior attackman Grant Catalino, who was limited to a single goal in UNC’s 9-7 victory on March 27th, singlehandedly outscored UNC in the rematch, beating Madalon six times on eight shots to lead the Maryland attack. “Last game I did a lot of scouting, and I knew where I wanted to shoot, but this week I didn’t watch any video of (Madalon) and kind of just shot my shots,” Catalino said.“Maybe since I didn’t know where I was shooting, he didn’t know where he was supposed to save it.”Friday’s blowout loss continues a string of disappointing Tar Heel play heading into the end of the regular season. In last week’s matchup against unranked Robert Morris, UNC gave up a season-high 14 goals in a narrow 17-14 victory.“We haven’t played great defense the last two weeks, and maybe we’re tired,” Breschi said.“I told them in the locker room, ‘The next two weeks we’ve got to start playing with a chip on our shoulder like Maryland did.’”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/22/10 4:18am)
When Gavin Petracca scored to put No.3 North Carolina up 11-2 late in the third quarter, Dartmouth defender Andy Gagel hung his head.For the fourth time in the quarter, the Big Green had failed to clear the ball out of their own end. And for the fourth time that quarter, UNC had capitalized.After the Big Green defense forced the Tar Heels into three missed shots to regain possession, Gagel caught a pass on the far sideline and looked to clear. But just as he turned upfield, UNC freshman Marcus Holman met him with a crushing hit, sending Gagel flying to the turf and jarring the ball loose.Sophomore Thomas Wood picked up the ground ball and flipped it back to Holman, who found a wide open Petracca streaking to the cage for a point-blank score.Petracca’s goal was one of six Tar Heel tallies off Dartmouth failed clears on Friday night and capped a 10-1 UNC run that helped turn an early tie into a 15-6 UNC victory.“The second we get that turnover we’re looking to push on offense,” senior captain Sean DeLaney said.“We do a drill — five seconds, three steps — so you have to move it right away so that when the game comes, it’s just natural to pick the ball up and move it.”This type of success in the riding game, in which a team’s offensive players attempt to prevent the opposing defense from clearing the ball, helped UNC change the tempo of the game, forcing Dartmouth to play the Tar Heels’ style. “When the team’s slowing the pace down and playing zone and that sort of the thing, you want to make sure you’re riding, and our riding game is very aggressive,” North Carolina coach Joe Breschi said.In addition to the turnovers caused by its riding game, UNC was able to control possession thanks to the efforts of its midfielders. The Tar Heels scooped up 14 more ground balls than the Big Green and won 16 of the game’s 25 faceoffs, due in part to junior Michael Burns’ 10-for-14 performance.“Our long-stick middies and faceoff guys really stepped up,” Breschi said. “We challenged those guys to make plays and they played with toughness today, which was terrific.”“Michael Burns was a man-child at the ‘X,’” and I was really proud his effort as well.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(03/17/10 4:39am)
Through 57 minutes of action against No. 5 Princeton, the Tigers had Billy Bitter bottled up.Unfortunately for the Tigers (4-1), Bitter needed just 13 seconds to make two critical plays that put the North Carolina men’s lacrosse team (7-0) ahead for good.The junior scored the go-ahead goal and forced a critical turnover to help seal No. 3 UNC’s 12-11 victory Tuesday night.“Anytime you’ve got Billy Bitter on your team, you figure he’s going to make a play,” UNC coach Joe Breschi said.“With it tied at 10-10, they played zone again, and he just found the short stick in the zone as we snapped the ball around the perimeter.”After grabbing a 5-2 lead on Gavin Petracca’s third goal of the game with 9:30 remaining in the second quarter, the Tar Heels looked to be in control for much of the game.A pair of goals from sophomore Jimmy Dunster, a tally from senior Sean DeLaney and Petracca’s fourth score of the evening helped maintain a comfortable lead for UNC throughout the middle portion of the game. But after Michael Burns scored to give the Tar Heels a 10-5 advantage, Princeton rattled off five consecutive goals, including two apiece from Jack McBride and Mike Chanenchuk, to knot the score at 10.With the game tied and the Tar Heels reeling, UNC looked to Bitter to turn the tide, and the junior did not disappoint.On the Tar Heels’ next offensive possession, Bitter cradled behind the cage, slid past his defender and rifled a shot inside the near post before falling into the crease, giving the Tar Heels a lead they would not relinquish.After putting the Tigers on the ropes with his first goal of the game, Bitter helped put them on the canvas seconds later.After the Tigers won the face-off, Princeton’s John Cunningham attempted to move the ball into the attacking zone. But Bitter tracked back from his attacking position and swatted Cunningham’s stick, sending the ball trickling out of bounds and giving the Tar Heels possession. “We ask our guys to do a lot, and for Billy to come through and make some simple plays as opposed to scoring five or six goals in this game — I credit him,” Breschi said.Less than a minute later, UNC’s Cryder DiPietro buried a shot from the top of the box to give the Tar Heels a commanding 12-10 advantage with 2:10 remaining.The Tigers added a goal with two seconds left in the game, but were unable to control the face-off before time expired.“They’re an excellent team, and we knew they were going to come in fighting,” Petracca said. “We just wanted to fight for everything we got.”The victory keeps the Tar Heels undefeated on the season, and UNC’s seven wins mark the fastest start for the program since the 1993 season, when the Tar Heels won their first nine games.“I’m so proud of the guys,” Breschi said.“Two games in row now — Duke tied us 6-6, Princeton tied us 10-10 — we’ve regrouped, we haven’t panicked, we stayed the course, stayed the game plan and came out on top.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/22/10 5:24am)
When senior Gavin Petracca returned to full health on Saturday against Lehigh, No.4 North Carolina’s offense followed suit.The attackman was limited to situations where the Tar Heels were playing a man up in the team’s first two games as he recovered from a knee injury, and UNC’s offense struggled without its vocal leader, especially in last week’s 5-4 victory against Bryant University.But Petracca was cleared for full duty in Saturday’s game, and the veteran’s return helped the Tar Heels to their strongest offensive performance of the season in a 17-5 victory against the Mountain Hawks.“This is the first game that I was really allowed to come back and play a full game and get up and down the field, and it felt great to help the team,” Petracca said.After scoring just five goals on 42 shots against Bryant, the Tar Heels were markedly better on Saturday, going 17-45 and putting more than half of their shots against Lehigh on goal.“We didn’t settle for shots that we might have settled for last week,” coach Joe Breschi said. “We worked the ball around, the guys played together — played as a team — and we worked for door-steppers.”In all, the attacking trio of Petracca, junior Billy Bitter and sophomore Thomas Wood combined for half of the Tar Heels’ 28 points on the afternoon, thanks in part to the return of Petracca’s leadership. “Gavin’s a quarterback of the offense by voice and really organized us well today, and we were able to produce,” Breschi said.Bitter in particular was perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Petracca’s return. The junior All-American struggled in the team’s first two games, scoring just once after netting 46 goals a year ago. But with his former high school teammate back in the lineup, Bitter notched two goals and four assists for a team-high six points against Lehigh. “(Gavin and I) played back in high school, so it’s nice to have him playing with me because our chemistry’s always high,” Bitter said.“He knows the entire offense, he knows where to be and it’s just good to have him because he’s always fired up.”The return of Petracca, as well as junior attackman Ed Prevost, has also added critical depth to the attacking line.“The first two games, it’s been 60 minutes for all three of those guys — (freshman Marcus) Holman and Bitter and Thomas Wood,” Breschi said.“To have the other two guys back, it’s really helped our riding game, and we’ve put points on the board.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/23/09 4:59am)
WINSTON-SALEM — With less than a minute to play, and a national championship hanging in the balance, North Carolina field hockey coach Karen Shelton went to her money player.And Dani Forword cashed in.The senior captain took junior Katelyn Falgowski’s penalty corner feed and drilled a shot into the back of the cage with 11.7 seconds remaining to give the North Carolina field hockey team (20-2) a 3-2 victory against Maryland and the program’s sixth NCAA Championship.“Melanie Brill on my left just kept repeating out loud, ‘I believe in you, I believe in you, I believe in you,’ even when they were rushing out just before I took that shot,” Forword said of her game winner.“There’s nothing like knowing that your teammates really need this and that they do believe in you, and I don’t know what it was that came over me, but it went in.”Forword’s goal provided a fitting conclusion to a game chock full of drama.
(11/22/09 8:17pm)
WINSTON-SALEM — With less than a minute to play, and the score tied 2-2 in the National Championship game, North Carolina coach Karen Shelton went to her money player.
(11/20/09 5:57am)
To win in its 14th appearance in the final four, the North Carolina field hockey team will have to avenge one of its two losses.
(11/16/09 6:20am)
WINSTON-SALEM — It was easy to miss North Carolina goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer in UNC’s 4-1 victory against Ohio State Saturday.In a game the Tar Heels dominated, Kintzer did not face a single shot on goal from the Buckeyes.But on Sunday against Wake Forest, the junior goalkeeper had the entirety of Kentner Stadium taking notice, especially those wearing black and gold.With each Wake Forest shot, the home crowd prepared to celebrate, only to sigh in disappointment at the gentle thump of another ball striking Kintzer’s pads.In all, Kintzer made six saves and allowed just one goal on 13 Demon Deacon shots to buoy a Tar Heel defense that withstood relentless pressure from Wake Forest.Often overlooked on a team that had allowed fewer than three shots on goal per game this season, the All-ACC performer carried the Tar Heels on Sunday, returning UNC to the final four after the team failed to make the semifinals last year.“Wake put tons of pressure on our backfield today, so it’s really comforting to have such an outstanding goalkeeper back there,” coach Karen Shelton said.“(Jackie) did a fabulous job in the second half to keep us a couple goals up.”Kintzer made a number of stops throughout the afternoon, but perhaps her most pivotal saves came on a series of penalty corners midway through the second half.With just fewer than 20 minutes to play, and North Carolina clinging to a 3-1 lead, the Demon Deacons drew three consecutive penalty corners and looked poised to cut the Tar Heel advantage in half.But Kintzer stymied all three attempts, making a number of difficult saves to preserve the two-goal margin.Seconds later, UNC generated a counterattack, resulting in an Elizabeth Drazdowski goal that put Wake Forest away for good.Plays like these allow the team’s midfielders and forwards more freedom, knowing they can breathe a little easier with Kintzer in the cage.“Of course we want to get back (on defense), but there’s times when I’m like, ‘whew, I can take a little break,’” freshman midfielder Kelsey Kolojejchick said.“I know she’s going to save it every time.”But perhaps the teammates who most appreciate Kintzer’s presence are her fellow defenders.“(Jackie) is my savior,” senior defender Melanie Brill said.“We owe so much to her today.”Though Kintzer said she enjoys a boring day between the pipes, she acknowledged that performances like Sunday’s do come with a little added satisfaction.“When the team does their job and I don’t have to do anything, it’s nice,” Kintzer said.“But when I make some saves, I feel like I’ve contributed to the win.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/30/09 4:26am)
While Melanie Brill launched a few extra shots at goal after practice on Thursday, her North Carolina field hockey teammates looked on.Every spectator echoed a common sentiment: “I wouldn’t want to be in the cage against her.”With 17 goals total in 16 games this season, Brill has many opposing keepers thinking similarly.But neither Brill’s stats nor her imposing stature (she stands 5’7”) scare her opponents as much as her drag flick, a special shooting technique.To execute a drag flick, a player must get low to the ground and push the ball with the shaft of the stick. This differs from a straight shot because it does not employ a backswing.Because it lacks a backswing, a drag flick shot from a penalty corner can rise higher than the half-meter-high backboard in a field hockey goal, which a shot must strike to be counted.So while all straight-shooters must aim for the backboard on penalty corners, Brill has the entire goal at her disposal.“(Brill’s presence) makes every goalkeeper nervous because there’s a couple ways you can play (the corner),” coach Karen Shelton said.Brill’s prowess is a large reason why the Tar Heels are riding a 15-1 record into their final regular-season game Saturday at Old Dominion.And if North Carolina needed any added justification for the importance of having a drag flick specialist on the roster, it came with the Tar Heels’ only loss, a 4-1 decision against Maryland — a team that also employs a drag flick specialist, Emma Thomas.Shelton approached Brill two years ago to suggest that she work on developing a drag flick, but it wasn’t until this summer that the defender was able to master the skill.“I’ve been working (on the drag flick) for probably two years, and this summer just everything finally clicked,” Brill said.Brill’s 35 percent shooting percentage — among the highest on the team — marks an extraordinary improvement from the 9 percent clip she averaged in her previous three seasons.“I do a lot on our corners, and I get really focused because I’m not an attacker. I’m a defender,” Brill said.“I get really pumped whenever my corner gets called. I just try to stay really focused and score a goal.”The Tar Heels are converting 20 percent of their penalty corners on the season, posting an average of 1.6 goals per game off corners.Much of the success from these set pieces is due to the presence of Brill.With Brill in the game, opposing keepers must protect the entire goal, making the Tar Heels especially potent off the set piece.That weapon provides a major boost to a team with national championship aspirations this season.In the summer following her junior season, Brill took her skills to the next level and was named to the 2009-10 USA Field Hockey Development Team.“Her fundamental skills have all improved, she’s playing with more confidence and she’s working harder,” Shelton said.“She’s always wanted to be good. She’s working to be good now.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/30/09 4:22am)
While Melanie Brill launched a few extra shots at goal after practice on Thursday, her North Carolina field hockey teammates looked on.Every spectator echoed a common sentiment: “I wouldn’t want to be in the cage against her.”With 17 goals total in 16 games this season, Brill has many opposing keepers thinking similarly.But neither Brill’s stats nor her imposing stature (she stands 5’7”) scare her opponents as much as her drag flick, a special shooting technique.To execute a drag flick, a player must get low to the ground and push the ball with the shaft of the stick. This differs from a straight shot because it does not employ a backswing.Because it lacks a backswing, a drag flick shot from a penalty corner can rise higher than the half-meter-high backboard in a field hockey goal, which a shot must strike to be counted.So while all straight-shooters must aim for the backboard on penalty corners, Brill has the entire goal at her disposal.“(Brill’s presence) makes every goalkeeper nervous because there’s a couple ways you can play (the corner),” coach Karen Shelton said.Brill’s prowess is a large reason why the Tar Heels are riding a 15-1 record into their final regular-season game Saturday at Old Dominion.And if North Carolina needed any added justification for the importance of having a drag flick specialist on the roster, it came with the Tar Heels’ only loss, a 4-1 decision against Maryland — a team that also employs a drag flick specialist, Emma Thomas.Shelton approached Brill two years ago to suggest that she work on developing a drag flick, but it wasn’t until this summer that the defender was able to master the skill.“I’ve been working (on the drag flick) for probably two years, and this summer just everything finally clicked,” Brill said.Brill’s 35 percent shooting percentage — among the highest on the team — marks an extraordinary improvement from the 9 percent clip she averaged in her previous three seasons.“I do a lot on our corners, and I get really focused because I’m not an attacker. I’m a defender,” Brill said.“I get really pumped whenever my corner gets called. I just try to stay really focused and score a goal.”The Tar Heels are converting 20 percent of their penalty corners on the season, posting an average of 1.6 goals per game off corners.Much of the success from these set pieces is due to the presence of Brill.With Brill in the game, opposing keepers must protect the entire goal, making the Tar Heels especially potent off the set piece.That weapon provides a major boost to a team with national championship aspirations this season.In the summer following her junior season, Brill took her skills to the next level and was named to the 2009-10 USA Field Hockey Development Team.“Her fundamental skills have all improved, she’s playing with more confidence and she’s working harder,” Shelton said.“She’s always wanted to be good. She’s working to be good now.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/12/09 3:57am)
Midway through the second half of Sunday’s game, Kelsey Kolojejchick hobbled off the field, clutching her injured knee.But with less than five minutes to play, Kolojejchick had Duke feeling the pain, tipping a Dani Forword shot into the back of the cage for the game-winning goal in No. 2 North Carolina’s 2-1 win at rival Duke.With the score knotted at one in the second half, Kolojechick drove deep into the Blue Devil end, where she was met with a physical challenge and fell to the turf.Kolojejchick slowly limped to the sidelines to get her knee examined by a trainer, but just moments later, the freshman sprinted back onto the field.“I knew I had to go back in. I hated sitting out with this tough game (going on),” Kolojejchick said.“My adrenaline was flowing, so I didn’t feel it until afterwards.”The rookie midfielder certainly looked no worse for the wear, breaking up multiple Duke penalty corner chances before burying the go-ahead goal.Upon receiving a pass off a penalty corner, senior Forword sent a blistering shot towards the far post, where Kolojejchick lay in wait, re-directing the effort past the Duke keeper to give the Tar Heels the lead.“It was just great execution, and I was just there for the tip-in,” Kolojejchick said.The goal was scored in characteristic fashion for Kolojejchick, who continues to make life easier on Tar Heel shooters on penalty corners.“We call Kelsey’s position ‘the widener’ — it widens the goal,” coach Karen Shelton said. “If somebody’s there and you shoot wide, it makes the goal wider.”Sunday’s game adds yet another chapter to a season of fine play by Kolojejchick, who has tallied 13 goals in her first season with the Tar Heels.“I think she’s the premier freshman in the country,” Shelton said.“She’s a tough, gutty player, and I trust her like I trust a veteran.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/28/09 4:07am)
No. 2 North Carolina gave two clinics at Henry Stadium on Saturday afternoon: a free one for kids following a costly one for Duke.The Tar Heels scored in the opening moments of the game and did not relent, tallying five goals in the first half en route to a 7-0 victory against the Blue Devils. The game was UNC’s first ACC win of the season.Duke’s loss, meanwhile, is their second in conference play, slotting them in last place in the ACC.Freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick netted her 11th and 12th goals of the season for the Tar Heels, while five other UNC players added a goal of their own for the Tar Heels, who outshot the Blue Devils 23-3.North Carolina (10-0, 1-0) wasted no time in applying pressure to the Blue Devils’ defense, driving into the Duke shooting circle and drawing a penalty corner just 66 seconds into the game.Senior Melanie Brill took the corner feed and launched a low shot, which freshman Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany deflected into the top of the goal to give the Tar Heels an early 1-0 lead and ease many of the nerves generated by the rivalry match-up.“(An early goal) takes all kinds of pressure off,” coach Karen Shelton said. “We wanted to have a quick start, and the fact that we executed the corner that we called perfectly just let our team play with some more flow.”Radvany’s goal was the first of five penalty corner conversions in the game for the Tar Heels, continuing a season-long trend of strong execution on the set piece.“It’s a free shot on goal, so it’s great when it works,” senior Dani Forword said of the penalty corner.“We have confidence in our penalty corners, that we can actually get a goal from it.”After drawing first blood, the Tar Heels remained hungry, testing Duke goalkeeper Samantha Nelson several times before drawing a second penalty corner.Brill again fired a shot on net off the corner play, but this time, her shot struck Duke defender Rhian Jones.The ball ricocheted off Jones and directly onto the stick of Kolojejchick, who slapped it out of the air and into the net to double the Tar Heels’ advantage.Kolojejchick, who is stationed at the back post for the penalty corner, has made a habit of tallying garbage goals off the corner this season.“Kelsey’s come in and been able to produce, both in scoring just from our initial option to that side, and also on rebounds,” Shelton said.The Tar Heels added goals on unassisted efforts from Charlotte Verstraten and Katelyn Falgowski, as well as another rebound goal from Kolojejchick, which pushed the margin to 5-0 at halftime.Forword and Brill each added goals off penalty corners after the break to establish the final score.After the game, UNC players and coaches laughed and smiled as they put on a brief skills clinic for children, while the Blue Devils headed somberly home to Durham.“Anybody that’s associated with Carolina understands the Duke rivalry, so it’s an awfully sweet win for our team and our program to play as well as we did in the first 35 minutes and come away with such a convincing, decisive victory,” Shelton said. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/21/09 4:40am)
Just moments after Kelsey Kolojejchick slapped a bouncing rebound past Old Dominion goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll to give No. 2 North Carolina a late 3-0 lead in Friday’s game, Driscoll became visibly upset, throwing her gloves to the ground and chewing out her defense.Such sentiments have become common among Tar Heel field hockey opponents, who have failed to tally a goal in UNC’s last six games and have been outscored 51-2 through nine games this season.The Tar Heels (9-0) added ODU and Longwood to the list of shutout victories this weekend, beating the Monarchs and the Lancers 4-0 and 6-0, respectively.Senior Dani Forword scored three goals in the two games, while senior Melanie Brill and freshman Kolojejchick each added a pair for the Tar Heels, who outshot their opponents 50-2 for the weekend.Such dominating offensive performances play a big role in keeping opponents off the scoreboard, coach Karen Shelton said.“I think (the streak) is a total team effort because we defend from front to back, so it starts with our forwards that are working hard on the press and pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers,” Shelton said.The Tar Heels’ constant pressure against the Monarchs on Friday rendered Old Dominion’s forwards ineffective, as the Tar Heels were able to control possession for much of the game.The game was still in doubt with just more than 15 minutes to play until Kolojejchick found a loose ball in front of the Old Dominion net and smacked it home to give UNC a three-goal advantage.Seventy seconds later, Forword put the game on ice, taking a feed from Katelyn Falgowski at the top of the shooting circle and slapping it into the net to seal a 4-0 victory.“There are certain games that you just get really excited for, and Old Dominion is one of them because you always know you’re going to get a battle,” Shelton said.Against Longwood on Sunday, UNC looked lethargic early but regained their explosive offensive form midway through the game, scoring four goals in about seven minutes to put the Lancers away.After taking the lead on a penalty corner strike from Brill midway through the first half, the Tar Heels played at a deliberate pace. UNC attempted to navigate Longwood’s bunker defense without finding much success.“We were passing the ball with precision. We were creating some chances,” Shelton said. “I think we just got a little bit too patient.”But with just seconds remaining before the break, Brill struck again on a penalty corner, taking a feed from Falgowski and burying a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.Brill’s second goal, her team-leading 13th of the season, gave UNC an added boost heading into halftime.“Getting up 2-0 is really big for our team because after we get that then we know we can keep going, we can keep pressing offensively and get more goals,” Brill said.
(09/08/09 4:08am)
The North Carolina field hockey team took a page out of Dean Smith’s book Friday night against archrival and conference foe Wake Forest.The Tar Heels began reading the former UNC basketball coach’s autobiography “The Carolina Way” prior to the season. In the team’s first home game, it employed Smith’s patented offense-from-defense style of play to beat the Demon Deacons 4-1 in front of 1,231 fans at Henry Stadium, the largest field hockey crowd in UNC history.The team has been reading Smith’s book throughout the beginning of the season, but senior captain Danielle Forword said the section the Tar Heels read prior to Friday’s game truly resonated with the team.“This week what we read was one of (UNC basketball’s) mantras is pressure defense and fast-paced offense, and that’s similar to what we do,” Forword said.“We like to defend from the back and as soon as we get the ball, fast counter-attack.”This strategy paid early dividends on Friday as Forword took advantage of a Wake Forest mistake to set up the Tar Heels’ first goal.Midway through the first half, with the score even at zero, Wake Forest defender Liza Casella attempted to make a routine clearance down the right flank.But Casella mishit the ball badly, rolling it weakly to the stick of a wide open Forword at the top of the shooting circle.Forword immediately drove to the net but was taken down from behind as she turned to shoot, meriting a penalty stroke, which senior Melanie Brill calmly converted to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.Wake Forest, however, would not relent, forcing junior goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer into a series of quality saves before breaking through with a penalty stroke of its own to knot the score.But with just more than a minute to play in the first half, freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick ignited a Tar Heel fast break, taking a pass out of the back and weaving through several Wake Forest defenders in midfield before finding senior Illse Davids at the top left corner of the shooting circle.Davids then slapped a blistering shot that found the back right netting for a 2-1 UNC advantage.After struggling to move the ball consistently throughout the first half, Kolojejchick and Davids’ combination marked the beginning of a string of fine midfield play that continued in the second half.“In the first half we were looking for the big play,” coach Karen Shelton said.“They were trying to thread the needle and it just wasn’t working. At some point in time you have to recognize that and say ‘OK, big ball’s not on, let’s make the two-touch combination passes that we’re so good at.’”Energized by the dynamic play of the midfield, the Tar Heels took control of the game in the second half, stringing together crisp passes to set up numerous chances on net.Brill added her second goal of the game on a well-executed penalty corner, and forward Elizabeth Drazdowski capped the scoring, tucking a well-timed breakaway cross from Forword into the back of the cage to seal the 4-1 victory.While Forword believes the team still has plenty of room for improvement, the game atmosphere made this win a special one for the senior.“It’s loud, the atmosphere is magical and it’s just great,” Forword said.“These are the memories that you remember.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/31/09 4:33am)
Her dorm room may not even be organized yet, but this weekend freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick already started to make herself at home on the hockey field.The rookie midfielder Kolojejchick notched two goals and chipped in an assist to help No. 4 North Carolina to victories against No. 19 Michigan and No. 9 Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City.Considered by many — including UNC coach Karen Shelton — to be the top recruit in the nation a year ago, Kolojejchick wasted no time living up to the billing against a stingy Michigan team Saturday.After senior Danielle Forword evened the score at one, Kolojejchick slapped a rebound of another Forword shot past Michigan keeper Paige Pickett, giving the Tar Heels a 2-1 lead that would hold for the final margin. On Sunday, Kolojejchick capped a furious and proficient offensive attack by the Tar Heels, deflecting a penalty corner into the back of the net for the fifth goal in North Carolina’s 5-0 victory against Iowa in the second installment of their ACC/Big Ten Challenge slate.Kolojejchick’s quick start has come as no surprise to Shelton, who believes that the freshman will bolster a midfield that already looked to be among the nation’s best.“I’m not surprised by (her play) only because I know the quality of athlete that she is,” Shelton said.“I think the addition of Kelsey to the midfield line of Katelyn Falgowski and Illse Davids makes us a formidable opponent.”The freshman attributes much of her early success to the leadership of the Tar Heels’ more experienced teammates who have helped ease her transition to Chapel Hill from Larksville, Pa.“(The seniors) have been really supportive in helping me throughout all the summer training.” Kolojejchick said.“They’ve really been really nice to me, helping me out with positioning and things like that.”Kolojejchick’s play highlights a successful weekend on the hockey field for the Tar Heels.Not only did the team score two wins over top-20 teams, but North Carolina dominated the run of play in both games, out-shooting their two opponents 37-8 for the weekend.Against Michigan many of these chances went for naught, forcing the Tar Heels to scrap out a hard-fought victory.Sunday was a different story, as the Tar Heels scored five goals on sixteen shots to down the Hawkeyes.“In the first game we had a lot of chances to score, we just didn’t convert,” Shelton said.“But in the second game (Sunday) against Iowa, we were able to find the back of the net thoroughly.”Sunday’s strong showing gives the team additional momentum as they gear up for a showdown against perennial rival and ACC opponent No. 2 Wake Forest on Friday.“It definitely gives us a confidence booster,” Kolojejchick said.“Having a great win today, like 5-0, on a really strong team, that really helps us.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.