Tar Heels Fall At Wake Forest In Conference Opener

Friday, September 8

Winston-Salem, N.C.

6:00 PM

North Carolina

(3-2)

Wake Forest

(2-3)

North Carolina

Wake Forest

Malin Evert and the Tar Heels faced Wake Forest Friday in the ACC opener.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 8, 2017 | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

UNC returns to action on Sunday at Appalachian State

By: UNC Athletic Communications

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The North Carolina field hockey team dropped its Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Wake Forest on Friday, falling 3-1 to the 19th-ranked Demon Deacons at Kentner Stadium. No. 4 UNC is now 3-2 on the season, 0-1 in ACC play. Wake is 2-3 overall, 1-0 ACC.

"I give a ton of credit to Wake Forest," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "They played 70 minutes. They came out hard, challenged us for every ball, and never stopped. They earned the win and we didn't."

The game was scoreless until the closing minutes of the first half. With 2:31 to play before the break, Wake's Nicola Pluta dribbled into the circle and rifled a shot into the cage to give her team a 1-0 lead.

Midway through the second half, the Demon Deacons scored again to take a 2-0 lead. With 17:32 to play in the game, Karlee Spirit got a pass from Megan Anderson and shot from the right side to just inside the left post. At that point, UNC called a timeout and then pulled its starting goalkeeper, Amanda Hendry, in favor of an extra field player in an attempt to make up the deficit.

That gamble paid off quickly, as Carolina drew a penalty corner about 90 seconds later. It was the first corner of the game for either team and led to the Tar Heels' first goal. The initial UNC attempt was saved by Wake Forest keeper Isla Bint but Carolina sophomore Eef Andriessen grabbed the rebound on the left side of the cage and put it back to cut Wake's lead to one, 2-1, with 15:19 to play.

The Tar Heels continued to play without a keeper and pressure for the tying goal. Around the 10-minute mark they drew three corners in a row but were unable to get the ball into the cage.

With just under four minutes remaining, Wake Forest's Jule Grashoff got a pass behind the UNC defense and tapped the ball into the empty net to make it 3-1, which stood up as the final score.

"To get three opportunities to tie it is a positive, so I do take that away," Shelton said. "But the goal we gave up was an undisciplined goal and that's very disappointing for me. It's hard to come from behind when you allow that."

UNC is back in action in less than 48 hours, traveling to Boone, N.C., on Sunday to face Appalachian State. After that the Tar Heels return to ACC play, hosting No. 8 Boston College on Sept. 16 in Durham, N.C., for the team's first "home" game of the fall. With UNC's on-campus stadium under construction, the Tar Heels will play their six home games this season at Duke's Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium. Shelton hopes the Carolina team she sees in action in Boone Sunday and in Durham next weekend looks a bit different than the one she saw Friday night.

"We 've got to go back to the drawing board and figure out who we're going to be as a team," Shelton said. "Tonight was a physical match, a tough challenge for us, and we didn't respond as well as I know that we can. We've got to make sure we work hard in practice every day and we come out with a more aggressive mentality the next time we play."

No. 19 Wake Forest 3, No. 4 UNC 1
Scoring: WFU – Nicola Pluta, 32:29; WFU – Karlee Spirit (Megan Anderson); UNC – Eef Andriessen, 54:41; WFU – Jule Grashoff (Anderson)
Shots: UNC 9 (3/6), WFU 7 (3/4)
Penalty corners: UNC 5 (0/5), WFU 0
Saves: UNC 2 (Amanda Hendry, 52:25, 2 saves, 2 goal allowed; Team, 17:35, 0 saves, 1 goal allowed); WFU 5 (Isla Bint, 70:00, 5 saves, 1 goal allowed)
Records: UNC 3-2 (0-1 ACC), WFU 2-3 (1-0 ACC)

UNC starters: Amanda Hendry, Meredith Sholder, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Eva Smolenaars, Eva van't Hoog, Gab Major, Marissa Creatore
UNC subs: Bryn Boylan, Catherine Hayden, Eef Andriessen, Kathryn Holland, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois