Tar Heels Celebrate Seniors With Win Over Duke

Sunday, October 21

Chapel Hill

1:00 PM

North Carolina

(16-0 (6-0ACC))

Duke

(13-4 (5-1ACC))

Duke

North Carolina

Carolina seniors Eva van't Hoog, Mary Kathryn Harrah, Morgan Goetz, Ashley Hoffman, Leila Evans and Malin Evert.

Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications

October 21, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score 2018 ACC Championship Bracket

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team celebrated Senior Day Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 win over No. 4 Duke at Karen Shelton Stadium. Each Carolina goal came from a different player as the Tar Heels improved to 16-0 this fall.

"I'm thrilled to get a big win over Duke on a lovely Sunday afternoon," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "They are such a dangerous team. We had a lead the entire game but we never felt comfortable – they are just so talented and pose so many threats. We had to work for everything. They're fast and skillful, and I'm absolutely delighted with the win and especially for our seniors, on Senior Day, to come away with a big win against the Duke Blue Devils."

With the win, UNC matched its best start since 2010, when the Tar Heels also opened 16-0 before falling in their 17^th game and finishing the season 22-3. Carolina has one regular-season game remaining, at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 28.

Although the two are ACC rivals, this UNC-Duke game did not count in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. The teams played their designated ACC matchup at Duke last month, but chose to schedule a non-conference contest as well.

Junior Megan DuVernois scored the first goal of the game and put UNC up for good with a penalty stroke in the 20^th minute of play. After freshman Erin Matson was taken down in the circle, DuVernois got the call and sent a shot into the upper left corner of the cage for a 1-0 lead.

The Tar Heels added to that in the 34^th minute, when Matson scored, her shot bouncing off a Duke defender and into the goal.

The Blue Devils closed within one with a goal 26 seconds before halftime. Caroline Andretta scored, assisted by Margaux Paolino to make it 2-1 at the break.

The Tar Heels answered quickly in the second half with a goal by junior Catherine Hayden just over two minutes into the period. Junior Marissa Creatore drove into the circle and drew the keeper then passed to Hayden, who shot from in front of the cage for a 3-1 lead.

Duke then got another, courtesy of senior Rose Tynan, who leads the team in scoring. It marked the first time this season that UNC has given up more than one goal in a game and it made the score 3-2 in the 43^rd minute.

The Tar Heels answered quickly to bump the margin back up to two. Less than a minute after Tynan's goal, freshman Hannah Griggs scored her second of the season after UNC's initial shot on a possession was saved. Griggs grabbed the rebound and put it back for a 4-2 lead.

The final goal, fittingly, came from a senior, and was assisted by one as well. On a penalty corner, one of just three in the game for UNC, Hoffman scored on a drag flick, assisted by van't Hoog and Matson in the 50^th minute.

After the game, UNC recognized its six graduating seniors, who have excelled academically and acted as campus leaders while winning two ACC titles and reaching the final four each year. This year's seniors are:
• Forward Leila Evans, a business administration major from Charlotte
• Midfielder Malin Evert, a sociology major from Bad Schwartau, Germany
• Defender Morgan Goetz, a biomedical engineering major from Cary, N.C.
• Goalkeeper Mary Kathryn Harrah, a communication studies major from Yorktown, Va.
• Defender Ashley Hoffman, a sociology major from Mohnton, Pa.
• Midfielder Eva van't Hoog, a communication studies major from Den Haag, the Netherlands

All are assured of at least one more game at Shelton Stadium: The Tar Heels will host the ACC Field Hockey Championship Nov. 1, 2 and 4. As the regular-season champion and top seed, UNC gets a first-round bye and will take on either No. 4 Boston College or No. 5 Virginia Friday at noon in the semifinals. For more information, click here.

No. 1 UNC 5, No. 4 Duke 2
Scoring: UNC – Megan DuVernois (penalty stroke), 19:41; UNC – Erin Matson, 33:09; DU – Caroline Andretta (Margaux Paolino), 34:44; UNC – Catherine Hayden (Marissa Creatore), 37:07; DU – Rose Tynan, 42:39; UNC – Hannah Griggs, 43:32; UNC – Ashley Hoffman (Eva van't Hoog, Erin Matson)
Shots: UNC 19 (5/14), Duke 5 (3/2)
Penalty corners: UNC 3 (1/2), Duke 1 (0/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 0 (Amanda Hendry, 66:28, 2 goals allowed, 0 saves; Mary Kathryn Harrah, 3:32, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves); Duke 5 (Sammi Steele, 70:00, 5 goals allowed, 6 saves)
Defensive saves: Duke 1 (Tessa Gote)
Records: UNC 16-0, Duke 13-3

UNC starters: Amanda Hendry, Erin Matson, Catherine Hayden, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Malin Evert, Abby Pitcairn, Morgan Goetz, Yentl Leemans, Eva van't Hoog, Marissa Creatore
UNC subs: Meredith Sholder, Hannah Griggs, Julia Herrington, Leila Evans, Feline Guenther, Ali Rushton, Eva Smolenaars, Courtnie Williamson, Riley Fulmer, Megan DuVernois, Ellen Payne, Mary Kathryn Harrah