Tar Heels Fall In Title Game

Sunday, November 20

Norfolk, Va.

1:00 PM

North Carolina

(20-6)

Delaware (NCAA Championship)

(23-2)

Delaware

North Carolina

November 20, 2016 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

NORFOLK, Va. – Delaware's Greta Nauck scored the gamewinning goal with less than six minutes remaining on the clock Sunday afternoon to earn her team a 3-2 win over North Carolina in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship, played at Old Dominion's L.R. Hill Sports Complex. The fourth-ranked Tar Heels rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to tie the score in the 63rd minute of play, but Nauck's goal just over a minute later proved to be the deciding factor.

No. 8 Delaware finished the year 23-2 with the first NCAA championship in program history. UNC wrapped up at 20-6, falling in the title game for the second year in a row.

“Congratulations to the University of Delaware for winning the national championship,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “It was a hard-fought game and it was fun to be a part of it, but it's heartbreaking for our Tar Heels. It's been a really, really fun ride for our group, an up-and-down season and one in which we came together at the end. I couldn't be prouder of our group and our seniors that led the way.”

The game was the final one in Carolina blue for eight Tar Heels: Kristy Bernatchez, Emma Bozek, Blissie Du Bose, Shannon Johnson, Lauren Moyer, Sam Night, Caroline Plyler and Julia Young.

Delaware took an early lead in the 10th minute of play on an unassisted goal by Nauck, who shot from the top of the circle to put her team up 1-0. The Blue Hens added to the lead in the 30th minute when Esmee Peet fed the ball to Meghan Winesett, who got behind Johnson, the UNC keeper, on the far post.

Coming out of halftime, the Tar Heels struck quickly, less than three minutes into the period. Moyer, UNC's leading scorer, gathered a long pass from sophomore Ashley Hoffman and carried the ball to mid-circle for the shot into the left corner of the cage.

The Tar Heels continued to create chances and finally another one paid off: in the 63rd minute, Bozek passed to sophomore Malin Evert, whose shot from the left side got past the keeper and was tipped in by freshman Megan DuVernois on the right post to tie the game at 2-2 with just over seven minutes to play.

“Our whole halftime speech was, 'You've got tot believe, we have to know we can do this,'” Bozek said. “And then we came back and tied up the game.”

“When we tied it up I thought we had them on the ropes,” Shelton said.

Delaware called a timeout and then managed to score the gamewinner just over a minute later, capitalizing on a Tar Heel turnover. Taylor Lister grabbed the ball out of the air, drove into the circle and fed it to Nauck for the score. Shelton immediately called a timeout and pulled Johnson in favor of an additional field player, but the Tar Heels couldn't get another goal.

UNC finished with 16 shots to just five by Delaware, and with seven corners while allowing Delaware just one. “It's not like we didn't have our chances,” Shelton said. “They defended us well, but we had opportunities.”

The Tar Heel seniors finished each year in the final four. This season was UNC's eighth in a row to get at least as far as the NCAA semifinal, but the team hasn't won a title since 2009.

Hoffman, Moyer, Young and junior Gab Major departed after the game to travel to Chile with the U.S. Under-21 team for the Junior World Cup. Bernatchez also is part of the team but was unable to travel after she was hit in the head by a ball during the semifinal on Friday. She also missed Sunday's championship.

Although there were plenty of tears after the game, the Tar Heels also appreciated the season they'd had. “I have so much pride wearing these colors, and I have so much pride playing for the woman two seats to my left and to this girl right here,” Bozek said in the postgame press conference, referring to Shelton and Night. “Coach has been unbelievable and our whole team talked about that she's one of the people we wanted to play for today. She definitely deserved this win and we all wanted it for her and for each other and for ourselves. I'm just so proud of our group and wish we could have gotten it done.”

No. 8 Delaware 3, No. 6 UNC 2

Scoring: UD – Greta Nauck, 9:32; UD – Meghan Winesett (Esmee Peet), 29:49; UNC – Lauren Moyer (Ashley Hoffman), 37:50; UNC – Megan DuVernois (Malin Evert), 62:36; UD – Nauck (Taylor Lister), 64:04

Shots: UNC 16 (9/7), UD 5 (3/2)

Penalty corners: UNC 7 (2/5), UD 1 (0/1)

Saves: UNC 1 (Shannon Johnson, 64:04, 1 save, 3 goals allowed; Team, 5:56), UD 7 (Emmeline Oltmans, 70:00, 7 saves, 2 goals allowed)

Records: UNC 20-6, UD 23-2

UNC starters: Lauren Moyer, Sam Night, Eef Andriessen, Ashley Hoffman, Emma Bozek, Malin Evert, Julia Young, Morgan Goetz, Eva van't Hoog, Gab Major

UNC substitutes: Catherine Hayden, Megan DuVernois, Marissa Creatore