University of North Carolina Athletics
Battle Of Unbeatens Set For Saturday
October 19, 2007 | Field Hockey
Oct. 19, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Francis E. Henry Stadium will host a battle of field hockey unbeatens Saturday as No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Maryland meet at 1 p.m. The only undefeated teams in Division I field hockey, both are 16-0 and 4-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play heading into the game.
There is no charge for admission to Henry Stadium.
Maryland has won the last two matchups in the series, 1-0 last fall in College Park, Md., and 2-1 when the teams last met in Chapel Hill, on Oct. 23, 2005. UNC's last win over the Terrapins came in the 2004 ACC Championship, when the Tar Heels beat Maryland 3-1 to claim their most recent conference crown.
But UNC hasn't beaten the Terrapins in Chapel Hill in a decade, since a 3-2 overtime victory in the 1997 ACC Tournament. Maryland has won four in a row on Carolina's home field since then, and three of those have been in overtime. Nine of the last 15 games between the two have needed extra time to decide.
Maryland is the two-time defending NCAA Champion and is led in scoring by freshman Katie O'Donnell, the NCAA leader in goals (1.06) and points (3.0) per game.
The Tar Heels lead the nation in goals per game (4.81), goals against average (0.6), scoring margin (4.51), assists per game (3.94) and points per game (13.56). They also lead the nation in shutouts with 10 and tied the NCAA record with nine in a row earlier this season.
UNC freshman Katelyn Falgowski is the NCAA leader in assists (1.13 per game). Senior Jesse Gey is second nationally in points (2.27) and second in assists. Senior Rachel Dawson is third in goals (0.93 per game) and seventh in points. Sophomore goalkeeper Brianna O'Donnell leads the NCAA in goals against average, allowing 0.45 goals per game.
Dawson and Falgowski and Maryland's O'Donnell all are members of the U.S. National Team. Gey is a member of the U.S. Developmental Squad and played as part of the National Team in a series against Japan earlier this month.
The game will be broadcast live online by ACC Select. For information, click here.
Following Saturday's game, UNC has just one regular season contest remaining, at Old Dominion on Oct. 27. The 2007 ACC Tournament is set for Nov. 1, 2 and 4 at Boston College. The Carolina-Maryland matchup will decide the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds for the event.
