UNC Earns Finals Spot WIth 5-1 Win Over Virginia

Friday, November 2

Chapel Hill

Noon

North Carolina

(18-0, 6-0ACC)

Virginia (ACC Semifinals)

(9-9, 2-4ACC)

Virginia

North Carolina

Marissa Creatore, Erin Matson, Megan DuVernois

Marissa Creatore, Erin Matson and Megan DuVernois (left to right) celebrate UNC's fifth goal against Virginia Friday.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 2, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score Watch Highlights ACC Bracket and Info Championship Game Notes (pdf)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina will play for the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey championship on Sunday after beating Virginia 5-1 Friday afternoon in a semifinals game at Karen Shelton Stadium. Junior Marissa Creatore scored just over four minutes into the match and the top-seeded Tar Heels rolled from there, building up a five-goal lead before the fifth-seeded Cavaliers scored late in the game.

UNC, which earned a bye into the semifinals by going undefeated in regular-season play, will face sixth-seeded Wake Forest Sunday at 1 p.m. for the title. The Demon Deacons advanced by beating third-seeded Louisville 3-2 in the quarterfinals Thursday then knocked off second-seeded Duke 4-3 in Friday's second semifinals game.

"I'm very pleased for our team to advance to the championship and to earn another game in their careers," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "This time of year you've got to earn the next one."

Creatore's goal came after Virginia keeper Carrera Lucas saved a shot by junior Catherine Hayden. The rebound bounced back out to Creatore, who sent a shot across the goal and into the right corner of the cage for a 1-0 lead.

UNC went up 2-0 in the 10^th minute on a goal from freshman Erin Matson, who took a pass in the circle, briefly lost the ball to a defender, teamed with Hayden to get it back then fired a shot past Lucas.

The third goal came on a penalty corner in the 12^th minute, with senior Malin Evert scoring on a direct shot. Freshman Abby Pitcairn and junior Yentl Leemans assisted, and the Tar Heels led 3-0 at halftime.

"I was impressed with our quick start – it was a goal of ours," Shelton said. "I thought we spread the field very, very well and passed the ball unselfishly, which led to goals for us."

Matson scored again in the 42^nd minute, when Evert sent a pass in from the right side of the field and the freshman forward spun and shot the ball across the circle and into the left side of the cage. "We call it an IA – an impossible angle," Shelton said. "We all thought it hit the side of the net. She's an exciting player – in tournament time, big-time players make big-time plays and I think you saw that out of her."

In the 54^th minute, senior Ashley Hoffman stole the ball from a Cavalier and passed to Matson on the left side of the circle. She drew the keeper and crossed the ball to a sliding Megan DuVernois, who poked a shot into the open cage for a 5-0 lead.

Virginia's goal came in the 64th minute on the Cavaliers' only penalty corner of the day.

UNC led 24-3 in shots and 10-1 in penalty corners.

The Tar Heels are the defending ACC Champions: in Louisville last year, they won three games to claim the 2017 title as the No. 5 seed. UNC will play as the favorite Sunday in seeking the 21^st title in program history, but the Tar Heels go in knowing that the top seed hasn't won the crown since the ACC expanded and the tournament moved into its current format in 2014. UNC has won twice since then, as the third seed in 2015 then the fifth seed in 2017.

"It was nice that we're the one seed, but we're well aware that the top seed has never won the ACC Tournament," Shelton said. "So that's our challenge for Sunday."

No. 1 UNC 5, No. 16 Virginia 1
Scoring: UNC – Marissa Creatore, 4:06; UNC – Erin Matson, 9:31; UNC – Malin Evert (Abby Pitcairn, Yentl Leemans), 11:32; UNC – Matson (Malin Evert), 41:24; UNC – Megan DuVernois (Matson), 53:02; UVA – Anzel Viljoen, 63:47
Shots: UNC 24 (13/1), UVA 3 (1/2)
Penalty Corners: UNC 10 (5/5), UVA 1 (0/1)
Goalkeeper Saves: UNC 1 (Amanda Hendry, 35:00, 0 saves, 0 goals allowed; Alex Halpin, 35:00, 1 saves, 1 goal allowed); UVA 8 (Carrera Lucas, 70:00, 8 saves, 5 goals allowed)
Defensive Saves: UVA 1 (Rachel Robinson)

UNC Starters: Amanda Hendry, Erin Matson, Catherine Hayden, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Yentl Leemans, Eva van't Hoog, Marissa Creatore
UNC Subs: Meredith Sholder, Hannah Griggs, Julia Herrington, Leila Evans, Bryn Boylan, Abby Pitcairn, Ali Rushton, Eva Smolenaars, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois, Ellen Payne, Alex Halpin