Carolina Claims Program's 20th ACC Crown

Sunday, November 5

Louisville, KY

1:00 PM

North Carolina

(16-4)

Louisville (ACC Championship Final)

(14-7)

North Carolina

Louisville

Photo by: ACC

November 5, 2017 | Field Hockey

Box Score NCAA Bracket Photo Gallery

By: UNC Athletic Communications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The North Carolina field hockey team claimed the 20th Atlantic Coast Conference championship in program history Sunday afternoon, defeating host Louisville 1-0 at Trager Stadium. Junior Malin Evert scored the game-winner in the 19th minute of play and the Tar Heel defense held on to earn its second shutout in as many games, the seventh of the season.

With the win, No. 6 UNC (16-4) earns the ACC's automatic berth in the 2017 NCAA Championship field, which will be announced Sunday at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.

"I told the team it was fitting for a Carolina team to get our 20th ACC Championship with a defensive battle like that one and earn the shutout against a very good Louisville team," said UNC coach Karen Shelton, a defender in her playing days who emphasizes the defense-first mentality with her teams. "I'm so happy for our team. They've had wonderful attitudes throughout the course of the season, they're mature, they listen, and they've just been a dream to coach."

Evert's goal, her team-best 11th of the season, came off UNC's first penalty corner of the game and was assisted by the team's two Evas: freshman Eva Smolenaars on the insert and junior Eva van't Hoog on the stick stop. Evert's shot into the right side of the cage put the Tar Heels up 1-0, a score that would hold up for the remaining 51 minutes of the game.

"It was a great, hard shot," Shelton said. "When you get a goal, that loosens things up a little bit. I thought we passed the ball well today, played smart and tried to stick with the game plan. We played a good game. It wasn't perfect and I never felt comfortable, not even in the last minute. Credit to Louisville – they're super well-coached and a classy team."

Junior Ashley Hoffman, the team's center back, co-captain and 2017 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was named the tournament MVP. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Evert, van't Hoog and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Amanda Hendry.

UNC led 13-4 in shots and only gave up a single penalty corner while drawing four.

Now the Tar Heels turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament, in which they'll begin play on Saturday. The top four seeds in the field have the opportunity to host, but UNC will certainly be on the road – the Tar Heels are without a home facility this season while a new one is under construction.

"It's an honor to win the ACC's automatic bid," said Shelton, who will lead her team into its 34th NCAA Tournament, more than any other program, and 15th in a row. "For years and years we didn't even have that. Now, a lot of teams are waiting and hoping, but we know we're in – it's just a matter of where we're assigned. We know we'll be traveling, but that's OK. We've been a good road team all year."

Appropriately, UNC will be on the road Sunday evening – busing back to Chapel Hill – when it learns its next stop.

No. 6 UNC 1, No. 10 Louisville 0
Scoring: UNC – Malin Evert (Eva Smolenaars, Eva van't Hoog), 18:32
Shots: UNC 13 (6/7), UL 4 (1/3)
Penalty corners: UNC 4 (1/3), UL 1 (0/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 4 (Amanda Hendry, 70:00, 0 goals allowed, 4 saves), UL 5 (Ayeisha McFerran, 67:44, 1 goal allowed, 5 saves; Team, 2:12, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves)
Records: UNC 16-4, Louisville 14-7

UNC starters: Amanda Hendry, Eef Andriessen, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Eva Smolenaars, Eva van't Hoog, Gab Major, Marissa Creatore
UNC subs: Meredith Sholder, Bryn Boylan, Catherine Hayden, Megan DuVernois, Courtnie Williamson