University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Michigan
UNC Opens With 3-1 Win Over Michigan
August 26, 2006 | Field Hockey
Aug. 26, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina scored three second-half goals to earn a season-opening win against Michigan Saturday, 3-1 at Francis E. Henry Stadium in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Senior Karen Mann and freshmen Illse Davids and Danielle Forword scored for the Tar Heels, who improved to 1-0 on the season. Michigan is 0-1.
Neither team scored in the first half, as Michigan got off eight shots and drew three corners and UNC had seven shots and one corner. "I thought both teams were nervous and tentative the entire first half," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I felt like the first to score would win the game and fortunately it was us."
UNC's gamewinner came 15 minutes into the second half. Mann, who took last season away from Carolina while competing internationally for her native Canada, drew the UM goalkeeper out and shot the ball past her to put UNC up for good. "Getting that goal gave us some energy," Mann said. "I was so excited to play today. It feels so good to be playing for Carolina again." The Tar Heels' second goal game less than four minutes later, when Forword spun and shot from just in front of the goal. Davids made it 3-0 three minutes later with her first career goal.
Michigan's only goal came with nine minutes to play when Lucia Belassi flipped the ball over UNC goalkeeper Brianna O'Donnell to put her team on the board.
UNC finished the game with 16 shots to Michigan's 11, but the Wolverines had four corners to the Tar Heels' three. O'Donnell, UNC's freshman goalkeeper, had seven saves in her first college game, while Michigan senior Beth Riley made six.
"I was proud of the way Bri played in goal," Shelton said. "And Riley Foster, Illse Davids and Dani Forword all played well for us. It was good to have those four freshmen go out and play well in their first game, in front of a fantastic Carolina Fever crowd. The atmosphere here today was great.
"I also thought Brooke Miller played well for us, Liz Morris gave us some good passing at key times, Heather Kendell played really tough and Jesse Gey played well. Overall, it's just good to get a win in our first game and we look forward to getting back out on the field tomorrow."
On Sunday, UNC plays Iowa at noon to start the second day of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Wake Forest plays Michigan at 2 p.m.
The Atlantic Coast Conference was victorious in both games Saturday, with Wake Forest beating Iowa 6-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.
North Carolina 3, Michigan 1
Scoring: UNC - Karen Mann, 20:17, 2nd; UNC - Danielle Forword, 16:31, 2nd; UNC - Illse Davids, 13:37, 2nd; UM - Lucia Belassi , 9:00, 2nd
Shots: UNC 16, UM 11
Penalty corners: UNC 3, UM 4
Goalkeeper saves: UNC (Brianna O'Donnell) 7, UM (Beth Riley) 6
UNC starters: Illse Davids, Riley Foster, Alli Tanner, Brooke Miller, Heather Kendell, Jesse Gey, Ashley Judge, Karen Mann, Xan Funk, Danielle Forword, Brianna O'Donnell
UNC substitutes: Stewi Downer, Melanie Brill, Kate Scholl, Britt van Beek, Hilary Hartman, Kate Howard, Liz Morris
