Corners Pay Off For Tar Heels In 3-1 Win Over ODU

Sunday, October 1

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

North Carolina

(10-2)

Old Dominion

(4-7)

Old Dominion

North Carolina

UNC improved to 10-2 on the fall with a 3-1 win over Old Dominion.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 1, 2017 | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (.pdf)

UNC improved to 10-2 with the victory.

By: UNC Athletic Communications

DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina scored three second-half goals on penalty corners Sunday en route to a 3-1 field hockey win over visiting Old Dominion at Duke's Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium. The fifth-ranked Tar Heels improved to 10-2 on the season while the Monarchs fell to 4-7.

"It was a great win and a great team effort," UNC coach Karen Shelton said.

The game was scoreless at halftime, despite eight Tar Heel shots and six corners in the period. (ODU had one shot and no corners over the same span.) Carolina struck early in the second half, just 3:15 in, on the first corner opportunity. Junior Ashley Hoffman had the initial hit, and Major redirected it in from the left side of the cage.

Just over three minutes later, Carolina scored again, this time on a direct penalty corner shot by Hoffman into the lower left of the cage, assisted by Major on the insert and freshman Cassie Sumfest on the stop.

"When the first one came I thought we'd get the second one and that's what happened," Shelton said.

Five minutes later, in the 47th minute, UNC added another. This one came on the second of back-to-back corners, on the Tar Heels' fourth penalty corner of the half. The first UNC shot was blocked and ODU keeper Lacey Frazier saved the second, one of her six saves on the day. But Carolina sophomore Catherine Hayden gathered the rebound and put it back for a 3-0 Tar Heel lead.

ODU's goal also came on a penalty corner, with just 1:44 remaining in the game. After UNC stopped the first two shots of the possession, Ashleigh Thomas got the putback, assisted by Cameran Strickland. It was Thomas's first goal of the fall and kept UNC from earning its fifth shutout.

"I'm very pleased with the way our team passed the ball today," Shelton said. "We were very patient, very unselfish. I thought we were a little conservative in the first half offensively – we were getting it into their attacking zone and then passing it back around. We tried to make that change in the second half and I think it paid off. "

Sunday's game was the only one this week for UNC, which played three games during the previous week. The Tar Heels now look ahead to a Friday road game at Virginia, again the week's only opponent. Carolina meets the third-ranked Cavaliers at 5 p.m.

UNC is playing its home games this season at Duke's Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium while a new on-campus facility is under construction. The Tar Heels return to Durham on Oct. 14 to host ACC-rival Louisville.

No. 5 UNC 3, Old Dominion 0
Scoring: UNC – Gab Major (Ashley Hoffman), 38:15; UNC – Hoffman (Major, Cassie Sumfest), 41:46; UNC – Catherine Hayden, 46:44
Shots: UNC 20 (8/12), ODU 9 (1/8)
Penalty corners: UNC 11 (6/5), ODU 4 (0/4)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 3 (Amanda Hendry, 55:25, 0 goals allowed, 2 saves; Alex Halpin, 14:35, 1 goal allowed, 1 save); ODU 6 (Lacey Frazier, 70:00, 3 goals allowed, 6 saves)
Records: UNC 10-2, ODU 4-7

UNC starters: Amanda Hendry, Eef Andriessen, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Eva Smolenaars, Eva van't Hoog, Gab Major, Marissa Creatore
UNC subs: Meredith Sholder, Leila Evans, Bryn Boylan, Catherine Hayden, Ali Rushton, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois, Ellen Payne, Alex Halpin