In Top-10 Matchup, UNC Earns 7-1 Win Over Liberty

October 29, 2015 | Field Hockey

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The third-ranked North Carolina field hockey team earned a decisive 7-1 win against No. 10 Liberty on Thursday afternoon at Francis E. Henry Stadium. Coming off just their second loss of the season, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 18 minutes of play and rode that momentum to a victory that improved them to 14-2 on the season and 6-0 at home.

“I was very pleased with our team, coming off the Wake Forest loss,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “I think we were motivated. We identified some things that we wanted to do better, beginning with an unbelievable work ethic – we wanted to outwork the other team. We did that in the first half and moved the ball very unselfishly and kept things simple. We can open teams up when we keep it simple and we're unselfish and we work hard, so I was very proud of our team.”

The Tar Heels fell 3-2 last Friday in their ACC finale, and Shelton said after the game that she felt like her team was out-hustled. So UNC made sure that would not be the case again and proved it with a flurry of first-half goals. Senior Casey Di Nardo scored the gamewinner in the eighth minute of play when she grabbed a loose ball in the circle following a UNC shot that was blocked and put it back from the left side for her 10th goal of the season.

After that the goals came quickly, with the next just over two minutes later. Senior Nina Notman carried the ball into the circle and sent a shot to the right side of the cage, where sophomore Sam Night dove to tip it past the Liberty keeper and make the game 2-0.

Night assisted on the next one, taking a pass from senior Emily Wold and giving it right back to set up Wold for her 11th goal of the season. In the 19th minute, freshman Malin Evert scored from mid-circle on a reverse stick shot to make the score 4-0.

UNC continued the onslaught in the second half. In the 50th minute, freshman Ashley Hoffman scored on a penalty corner, assisted by Notman, whose two assists on the day doubled her season total. Just over a minute later, freshman Eva van't Hoog carried the ball to the end line and then sent a sharp pass to Wold just in front of the cage for the senior captain's second goal of the game.

Carolina's final goal came in the 65th minute, when sophomore Gab Major scored her team-high 13th of the season on a pass from junior Julia Young.

Liberty's only goal came on a penalty corner with two seconds on the clock when Abby Julius scored on a rebound.

Next up for UNC is the team's final home game of the regular season, on Sunday against Old Dominion. Game time at Francis E. Henry Stadium is 1 p.m.

The Tar Heels will honor Rachel Black, Di Nardo, Notman and Wold in Senior Day ceremonies before the game. At halftime the program will recognize Kelsey Kolojejchick, who played for UNC 2009-12 and is the only four-time first team All-America in program history.

No. 3 UNC 7, No. 10 Liberty 1

Scoring: UNC – Casey Di Nardo, 7:33; UNC – Sam Night (Nina Notman), 9:56; UNC – Emily Wold (Night) 10:35; UNC – Malin Evert, 18:01; UNC – Ashley Hoffman (Notman), 49:48; UNC – Wold (Eva van't Hoog), 51:03; UNC – Gab Major (Julia Young), 64:53; LU – Abby Julius, 69:58

Shots: UNC 22 (13/9); LU 12 (4/8)

Penalty corners: UNC 4 (2/2), Liberty 4 (2/2)

Goalkeeper saves: UNC 6 (Shannon Johnson, 65:55, 0 goals allowed, 5 saves; Mary Kathryn Harrah, 4:05, 1 goal allowed, 1 save); LU 6 (Mallory Cuccio, 70:00, 7 goals allowed, 6 saves)

Records: UNC 14-2, Liberty 11-5

UNC starters: Shannon Johnson, Lauren Moyer, Kristy Bernatchez, Emily Wold, Nina Notman, Ashley Hoffman, Malin Evert, Julia Young, Casey Di Nardo, Eva van't Hoog, Gab Major