University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Take On Virginia For ACC Championship
November 6, 2016 | Field Hockey
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The fifth-ranked North Carolina field hockey team will play for its 20th Atlantic Coast Conference Championship on Sunday, taking on Virginia at 1 p.m. at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.
UNC is 17-4 this season and Virginia is 14-7. Both teams finished ACC play 3-3. Carolina won the teams' regular-season matchup, 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 7.
Tickets are $5 for adults, with free admission for those under 18,
UNC, the defending champion, reached the title game with two come-from-behind wins. In Thursday's 3-2 quarterfinals win, the Tar Heels fell behind fourth-seeded Louisville by two goals and didn't lead until Lauren Moyer scored the gamewinner with no time on the clock. In Friday's semifinal, Carolina took its first lead with less than six minutes to play in a 3-2 win over top-ranked and top-seeded Duke.
The 2016 champion will be the lowest seed ever to win the ACC title. UNC is the No. 5 seed in the tournament and Virginia is seeded sixth. Wake Forest was seeded fourth, then the lowest ever, when it won the 2014 title.
“Our team is a late bloomer,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “We've had some really good spells all season long, but I think we're really starting to find a nice rhythm and some nice combinations. People are understanding their roles and playing them well.”
The game will air on ACC Network Extra and on the Regional Sports Networks. For RSN viewing information, click here.
