University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Iowa (ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
Top-Ranked Tar Heels Fall To No. 5 Iowa
August 31, 2008 | Field Hockey
Aug. 31, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Fifth-ranked Iowa handed the North Carolina field hockey team its first loss since the 2006 season on Sunday, winning 3-2 in ACC-Big Ten Challenge play at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium. The top-ranked Tar Heels (1-1) led 2-0 before Iowa (1-1) scored three times in the final 20:28 of the game, including twice in the final 3:04.
"We congratulate Iowa," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "They had seven seniors who refused to quit. They really wanted to win. After we got a two goal lead, we sat back a little bit and didn't play with the same poise and composure. Bottom line, Iowa deserved to win."
Junior Danielle Forword, who scored four times in Carolina's 6-0 victory against No. 9 Michigan Saturday, opened the scoring against the Hawkeyes with an unassisted goal at the 9:15 mark. After leading 1-0 at halftime, the Tar Heels got another goal 10 minutes into the second period when sophomore Kiki Norbruis collected the rebound after a penalty corner shot and fed the ball to junior Illse Davids, who put UNC up 2-0.
Caitlin McCurdy got Iowa on the board at the 49:32 mark, when she took a pass from Caroline Blaum just in front of the goal and put a shot past junior goalkeeper Brianna O'Donnell, who replaced starter Jackie Kintzer at halftime.
UNC held the lead until the 66:56 mark, when Katie Naughton scored after gathering the rebound of a shot by Blaum. McCurdy got the gamewinner for the Hawkeyes less than two minutes later when she scored on a breakaway, again assisted by Blaum.
Carolina pulled O'Donnell for the last minute and played without a goalkeeper in an effort to pick up the tying goal but was unable to score.
The Tar Heels had 15 shots on the day - 10 in the second half - to eight by Iowa. UNC had 10 corners - seven in the second half - to the Hawkeyes' three. O'Donnell finished with two saves and Kintzer one.
After playing a pair of games in Winston-Salem in the season's opening weekend, Carolina will return to Kentner Stadium on Friday for a matchup with Wake Forest, the only team to get out of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge undefeated. The No. 3 Demon Deacons beat Iowa 3-2 on Saturday and Michigan 5-3 on Sunday.
Carolina finished last season undefeated at 24-0, so hadn't come out of a game without a win since the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels had swept Michigan and Iowa in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge to open the previous five seasons.
"We always hope to be able to learn lessons while still getting the win," Shelton said, "but we're going to learn from this and get better. We don't have a lot of time to dwell on this. We've got to look ahead to our next game."
No. 5 Iowa 3, No. 1 UNC 2
Scoring: UNC - Danielle Forword, 9:15; UNC - Illse Davids (Kiki Norbruis), 46:54; Iowa - Caitlin McCurdy (Caroline Blaum), 49:32; Iowa - Katie Naughton, 66:56; Iowa - McCurdy (Blaum), 68:43
Shots: UNC 15, Iowa 8
Penalty corners: UNC 10, Iowa 3
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 3 (Jackie Kintzer 1, Brianna O'Donnell 2); Iowa 7 (Lissa Munley 6, Team 1)
Records: UNC 1-1, Iowa 1-1
UNC starters: Elizabeth Drazdowski, Kiki Norbruis, Britt van Beek, Danielle Forword, Riley Foster, Taryn Gjurich, Kate Scholl, Melanie Brill, Illse Davids, Katelyn Falgowski, Jackie Kintzer
UNC substitutes: Meghan Dawson, Elizabeth Stephens, Charlotte Verstraten, Jen Slocum, Teryn Brill, Brianna O'Donnell
