University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Michigan (ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
No. 1 UNC Opens Season With 6-0 Shutout Of Michigan
August 30, 2008 | Field Hockey
Aug. 30, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Junior Danielle Forword scored a career-best four goals Saturday as the top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team opened the 2008 season with a 6-0 win over No. 9 Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, played at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium. Senior Britt van Beek added a goal on a penalty stroke and redshirt freshman Elizabeth Stephens chipped in the first of her career as the Tar Heels kicked off the season with a victory over the Wolverines for the sixth-straight year.
"Dani played really well, but it was also great team effort overall," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "Everyone got to play. We played a really up-tempo game and I think it set a great tone for the season."
The Tar Heels will take on Iowa on Sunday at 2 p.m. in their second game of the event. The fifth-ranked Hawkeyes lost 3-2 to No. 3 Wake Forest on Saturday.
Forword, a forward from East London, South Africa, scored 100 seconds into the game on an assist from freshman Taryn Gjurich. Forward added another goal, this one on a rebound following a save, at the 5:51 mark. After van Beek's stroke, Forword added another goal to put UNC up 4-0 at halftime. Forward's fourth goal came in the 41st minute of play, on a reverse-stick shot in the open field. Stephens, a forward from St. Louis who was seeing her first collegiate action, scored in the 51st minute on a rebound.
Junior Brianna O'Donnell and sophomore Jackie Kintzer each played a half in goal, making one save each to preserve the season's first shutout. UNC, the defending national champion, had a school-record 16 shutouts last season.
Gjurich started the game and was one of two true freshmen to play, along with forward Charlotte Verstraten. Sophomore Katelyn Falgowski, who played for the U.S. at the Olympics in Beijing earlier this month, rejoined the team during the week leading up to the Michigan game and was in the starting lineup.
UNC finished the game with 21 shots to six by Michigan. The Tar Heels had eight corners to the Wolverines' five.
No. 1 UNC 6, No. 9 Michigan 0
Scoring: UNC - Danielle Forword (Taryn Gjurich), 1:40; UNC - Forword, 5:51; UNC - Britt van Beek (penalty stroke), 16:04; UNC - Forword, 26:12: UNC - Forword, 41:02; UNC - Elizabeth Stephens, 50:37
Shots: UNC 21, UM 6
Penalty corners: UNC 8, UM 5
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 2 (Brianna O'Donnell, Jackie Kintzer); UM 6 (Paige Pickett)
UNC starters: Elizabeth Drazdowski, Kiki Norbruis, Britt van Beek, Danielle Forword, Riley Foster, Taryn Gjurich, Kate Scholl, Melanie Brill, Illse Davids, Katelyn Falgowski
UNC substitutes: Meghan Dawson, Elizabeth Stephens, Louise McNutt, Casey Burns, Charlotte Verstraten, Jen Slocum, Teryn Brill, Jackie Kintzer
