University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Ranked No. 6 In First Poll
September 10, 2002 | Field Hockey
Sept. 10, 2002
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina is ranked sixth in the first field hockey poll of the season, released Tuesday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
Both of the Tar Heels' losses have come to teams ranked higher in the poll. UNC dropped a 2-0 contest with No. 3 Michigan, the defending national champion, to open the season on Aug. 31. After defeating Iowa (now 2-2 and ranked 10th) on Sept. 1, the Tar Heels lost to Louisville last Saturday at the Temple Invitational. The Cardinals, 3-2 winners in overtime, are 2-0 after beating Iowa in the Temple Invitational final and are ranked No. 4 in the poll.
Maryland is ranked No. 1 with 528 points and 21 of 26 first-place votes. Old Dominion is at No. 2. The remaining first-place votes went to Michigan (four) and Louisville (one).
Thirteen of Carolina's remaining 15 regular-season games are against teams ranked among the nation's top 20 teams. The exceptions are William & Mary, which is among those receiving votes, and Radford, which UNC will host on Thursday. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Francis E. Henry Stadium and is the Tar Heels' only weeknight contest of the year.
UNC forward Kerry Falgowski currently leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring with a total of 10 points. A sophomore from Landenberg, Pa., she had two goals in each of last weekend's games and has five on the season (1.25 a game), also an ACC best.
2002 STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
Sept. 10
1. Maryland (4-0); 2. Old Dominion (3-1); 3. Michigan (3-1); 4. Louisville (2-0); 5. James Madison (3-0); 6. North Carolina (2-2); 7. Wake Forest (1-2); 8. Michigan State (3-1); 9. Virginia (3-0); 10. Iowa (2-2); 11. Northeastern (3-0); 12. Penn State (2-0); 13. Princeton (0-0); 14. Boston College (3-0); 15. Duke (2-1); 16. (tie) California-Berkeley (4-1); 16. (tie) Ohio State (2-1); 18. Hofstra (4-0); 19. Kent State (1-1); 20. Delaware (3-1)
