Tar Heels Top Virginia To Advance To Title Game

Friday, November 20

Winston-Salem, N.C.

4:30 PM

North Carolina

Virginia

November 20, 2009 | Field Hockey

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Nov. 20, 2009

Final Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - With a 3-2 win over second-ranked Virginia Friday, the North Carolina field hockey team advanced to the NCAA championship game for the 12th time in school history and will meet top-ranked and undefeated Maryland on Sunday for the national title. The game is set for noon at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium and will be televised live by the CBS College Sports Network. The third-ranked Tar Heels have won five NCAA titles, most recently in 2007.

Senior Danielle Forword, junior Elizabeth Drazdowski and sophomore Taryn Gjurich scored goals for the Carolina, which improved to 19-2 win the win, the third one-goal margin against Virginia this season. UNC beat the Cavaliers 2-1 in overtime during the regular season, but UVa eliminated Carolina from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament with a 1-0 victory in the semifinals.

"I want to start by congratulating the University of Virginia for an outstanding season," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "Today's game was quite a battle. On another day, Virginia could've beaten us and they gave us everything we could handle."

UNC got on the board in th 23rd minute of play on a penalty corner, when Forword took the stick stop from junior Katelyn Falgowski and dribbled into the center of the circle before getting a shot past Virginia goalkeeper Kim Kastuk to put Carolina up 1-0. That lead held into the second half, but Virginia tied the score in the 48th minute, as senior Traci Ragukas got a shot into the right side of the cage past Tar Heel goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer.

Carolina answered less than three minutes later with the first goal of the season for Gjurich, who got the ball from Falgowski and scored from the front of the cage. Leading 2-1, the Tar Heels added another goal just 2:40 later, when Drazdowski struck for her sixth score of the year after taking a pass from freshman Kelsey Kolojejchick.

Virginia again pulled within one, scoring on a penalty corner in the 60th minute of play, but the Tar Heels were able to hold onto the 3-2 lead. Kintzer finished the game with five saves, the same total as Virginia keeper Kim Kastuk.

UNC led 8-3 in shots and 6-1 in penalty corners in the first half, but Virginia evened the game in both categories, outshooting UNC 8-4 in the second half and drawing seven corners to just one by UNC.

"I'm proud of our team, but certainly think that Virginia has had an outstanding season," Shelton said. "This was the rubber match - we won the first one, they won the second. They're a great team. It's just unfortunate that anyone has to go home after a game like that."

UNC has faced Maryland just once this season, with the Terrapins winning 4-1 in an Oct. 24 matchup at the Tar Heels' Henry Stadium. The teams have played three times in NCAA championship games, with Maryland winning two of those, 2-1 in overtime in 1987 and 2-1 in penalty strokes in 1993. In 1995, Carolina beat the Terrapins 5-1 at the same site, Wake's Kentner Stadium, as Sunday's game to claim the program's second NCAA title.

"I came out today saying, `This is not going to be my last game in a Carolina uniform," UNC senior Melanie Brill said. "We're just really thrilled to be in the national championship game."

No. 3 North Carolina 3, No. 2 Virginia 2

Scoring: UNC - Danielle Forword (Katelyn Falgowski), 22:59; UVa - Traci Ragukas, 47:03; UNC - Taryn Gjurich (Falgowski), 50:44; UNC - Elizabeth Drazdowski (Kelsey Kolojejchick), 53:24; UVa - Paige Selenski (Inga Stockel), 59:23
Shots: UNC 12 (8/4), UVa 11 (3/8)
Penalty corners: UNC 7 (6/1); UVa 8 (1/7)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 5 (Jackie Kintzer, 5, 70:00); UVa (Kim Kastuk, 5, 70:00)
Records: UNC 19-2, UVa 20-4