University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Penn State
Dawson's Hat Trick Leads UNC Over Penn State
September 16, 2007 | Field Hockey
Sept. 16, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team excelled on both ends of the field Sunday afternoon in handing No. 7 Penn State a 6-0 loss at Francis E. Henry Stadium. The shutout win was UNC's third in a row and second of the weekend against a ranked team, following Friday's 3-0 victory against No. 13 Old Dominion. The Tar Heels are now 8-0, while Penn State fell to 5-3.
"I feel like we're making progress as a group and I'm proud of the team for defending their home so well this weekend," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "We had an emphasis on tightening up our defense and playing together, not giving up some of the corners and goals that we have been early on. To shut out two teams like Old Dominion and Penn State in the same weekend is a great accomplishment for the girls and an important statement for this year's team."
Senior Rachel Dawson recorded a hat trick against the Nittany Lions, with three penalty corner goals within a 13-minute span in the second half. Junior Britt van Beek scored twice and also had an assist. Senior Jesse Gey had a goal and three assists and freshman Katelyn Falgowski added two assists. Defensively, UNC held the Nittany Lions without a shot.
The Tar Heels wasted little time in taking the lead. Gey's goal came just 3:10 into the match and proved to be the gamewinner, her sixth of the season. Less than 11 minutes later, UNC scored again. After PSU goalkeeper Jen Beaumont saved a shot by senior Alli Tanner, van Beek grabbed the rebound and put it back for a 2-0 lead that stood at halftime.
In the second half, Dawson's first goal came 8:21 into the period on a direct shot, with assists to Gey and Falgowski. Dawson's second, less than two minutes later, was almost a carbon copy of the first. On the third, about 10 minutes later, van Beek had the stick stop instead of Falgowski and Dawson's drag flick sailed past Beaumont to put UNC up 5-0. "We work on those plays all the time," said Shelton, whose team scored on three of its four second-half penalty corners. "Some days they're on and some days they're not. Today, Rachel was on."
Van Beek finished the scoring in the 63rd minute of play. Her first shot was saved, but she gathered the rebound and shot again to put UNC up 6-0.
UNC is back in action on Thursday, hosting Appalachian State for a 7 p.m. game at Henry Stadium. On Saturday, Duke visits Chapel Hill for a 1 p.m. game that will be the Tar Heels' Atlantic Coast Conference opener.
No. 1 North Carolina 6, No. 7 Penn State 0
Scoring: UNC - Jesse Gey, 3:10; UNC - Britt van Beek, 14:03; UNC - Rachel Dawson (Jesse Gey, Katelyn Falgowski), 43:21; UNC - Rachel Dawson (Jesse Gey, Katelyn Falgowski), 45:05; UNC - Rachel Dawson (Jesse Gey, van Beek), 55:54; UNC - Van Beek, 62:09
Shots: UNC 18, PSU 0
Penalty corners: UNC 6, Penn State 5
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 0 (Brianna O'Donnell, Jackie Kintzer), PSU 4 (Jen Beaumont)
Records: UNC 8-0, Penn State 5-3
UNC starters: Brianna O'Donnell, Illse Davids, Kiki Norbruis, Rachel Dawson, Melanie Brill, Jesse Gey, Laree Beans, Elizabeth Drazdowski, Xan Funk, Danielle Forword, Katelyn Falgowski
UNC substitutes: Riley Foster, Alli Tanner, Heather Kendell, Kate Scholl, Britt van Beek, Hilary Hartman, Meghan Dawson, Liz Morris, Jen Slocum, Jackie Kintzer, Casey Burns
