University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Indiana (NCAA Tournament)
UNC's Season Ends With 3-2 Loss To Indiana
November 12, 2005 | Field Hockey
Nov. 12, 2005
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The fifth-ranked North Carolina field hockey team fell 3-2 to No. 9 Indiana in an NCAA Tournament first round game Saturday afternoon at Kentner Stadium to finish the season 14-7. The Tar Heels trailed 2-0 early in the second half before answering with a pair of goals to tie the game, but the Hoosiers (17-4) scored the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute and held on for the victory.
"We're very disappointed not to advance in the NCAA Tournament," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I felt like our kids played hard. I thought Indiana was a little bit more opportunistic than we were. Give credit to their goalkeeper - I thought that she was outstanding. Congratulations to her and the Indiana team."
North Carolina kept the IU goalkeeper, sophomore Haley Exner, busy all day. The Tar Heels had 26 shots, their second-highest total of the season, but could only capitalize on two as Exner made 15 saves.
Indiana had just five shots on the day, but all five were on target. Two were saved by UNC keeper Katy Tran, but the other three were goals, all by junior forward Lydia Schrott, an All-Big Ten selection who had her second hat trick of the season.
Schrott's first goal came in the 20th minute of play when she put back the rebound after a saved penalty corner shot. The Hoosiers held onto that 1-0 lead at halftime, but Schrott scored an unassisted goal just 21 seconds into the second period to put her team up 2-0.
North Carolina answered quickly, scoring its first goal of the game just over a minute later. With 33:22 remaining on the game clock, Tar Heel freshman Kate Scholl got a shot past Exner to pull UNC within one. Freshman Britt van Beek assisted on the goal with a pass to Scholl.
UNC tied the score in the 48th minute on the team's 10th penalty corner of the game. Junior Rachel Dawson sent a hard shot to the right side of the goal and van Beek redirected the ball into the cage to level the score at 2-2.
Schrott's gamewinner came on a penalty corner in the 51st minute. Tran saved the initial shot by Morgan Miller, but the ball popped into the air and Schrott batted it into the goal.
Carolina had two penalty corners in the final minute of play but was unable to score on either. The Tar Heels finished with 15 corners, their second-highest total of the season.
"In field hockey, like soccer, you can dominate a game and get a lot of shots and you can lose 3-2 or 1-0 or whatever," Shelton said. "I was proud of my team for getting 26 shots and we had 15 corners - that's a lot - so there were some positives in the game. The only problem is we didn't score goals.
"The offensive side of the ball is where we were lacking all season and that was obvious today. But our defense was our strength and today we gave up three goals, well above our average. We didn't get it done on the offensive end and we didn't get it done on the defensive end and that's what happens - you lose games."
The game was the final UNC appearance for two seniors, Tran and back Naomi Weatherald, who served as team captains for the season. Indiana, playing in its first NCAA Tournament, advances into the second round to face the winner of the Saturday afternoon game between California and host Wake Forest.
No. 9 Indiana 3, No. 5 UNC 2
Scoring: IU - Lydia Schrott, 19:09; IU - Schrott, 35:21; UNC - Kate Scholl (Britt van Beek), 36:38; UNC - van Beek (Rachel Dawson), 47:10; IU - Schrott, 50:44
Shots: UNC 26, IV 5
Penalty corners: UNC 15, IV 2
Goalkeeper saves: UNC (Katy Tran) 2, IV (Haley Exner) 13
Records: UNC 14-7, Indiana 17-4
