UNC Pulls Out OT Win Against No. 20 Iowa

Sunday, August 26

Chapel Hill

2:00 PM

North Carolina

(2-0)

Iowa

(1-1)

OT 2

Iowa

North Carolina

Ashley Hoffman (13) celebrates after sinking the penalty stroke that gave UNC an overtime win.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

August 26, 2018 | Field Hockey

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By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Senior Ashley Hoffman's walk-off penalty stroke gave the UNC field hockey team a 2-1 overtime win Sunday afternoon against No. 20 Iowa, narrowly avoiding yet another first on a weekend full of them at brand new Carolina Field Hockey Stadium. After sidestepping the season's – and facility's – first loss, second-ranked Carolina is 2-0 at home following two ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchups and now hits the road for four games before playing at home again on Sept. 11.

"Congratulations to Iowa," UNC coach Karen Shelton said at the end of her team's first weekend in its new home. "They gave us a lot to contend with and I can't say enough about how impressed I was by the way their kids worked. We were lucky to win. Two Big Ten teams outworked us and out-hustled us over the weekend.

"I told the team winning ugly is better than losing pretty in my book, but I think we can do a whole lot better than that and we have to keep working really hard."

For the second day in a row, UNC saw the "visitor" space on the scoreboard lit up first. On Saturday, No. 5 Michigan scored early but the Tar Heels answered quickly and rolled on to a 5-1 win. Sunday, Iowa scored in the 31^st minute, and UNC continued to trail until late in the second half. On the Hawkeyes' only penalty corner of the game, Lokke Stribos sent the ball to the left side of the cage where Maddy Murphy, who had been on the push-in, was stationed. Murphy's shot inside the right post gave Iowa a 1-0 lead.

The Tar Heels worked through much of the second half for the equalizer. When Iowa called a timeout with 13:25 remaining in the game, the UNC staff took the opportunity to make the bold move of pulling goalkeeper Amanda Hendry in favor of an additional field player.

Less than five minutes later, the gamble paid off. Hoffman, playing higher up the field from her center back spot than she would be under normal circumstances, got a takeaway near the left sideline. She passed the ball across the field to senior Malin Evert, just outside the circle. Evert carried it inside the arc then sent a pass to the left post, where freshman Erin Matson dove to get a stick on it and tip it past Iowa keeper Leslie Speight, tying the score at 1-1.

With Hendry back in goal for the Tar Heels, the teams played out regulation evened up and launched into overtime, which has been shortened this year in NCAA play to two 10-minute periods. (Overtime periods had been 15 minutes each.) The teams each had chances, with Hendry crushing two Iowa fast-break opportunities and UNC getting off three shots. As the clock dipped below two minutes, the Tar Heels pushed down the right sideline, with sophomore Courtnie Williamson passing to freshman Hannah Griggs, who had just subbed into the game. Griggs carried the ball into the circle and was tripped up and UNC was awarded a penalty stroke, which Hoffman sent into the lower left corner.

"When I go up for a stroke I'm never super confident and you have to combat that doubt," Hoffman said, noting she missed the last one she took. "But I don't think that's a bad thing. You go through your routine, get those thoughts out of your head and you execute."

And execute she did, scoring her third goal of the weekend to give UNC the victory and a 2-0 record in ACC-Big Ten Challenge weekend for the first time since 2015.

This was the 17^th year of this event, which rotates among the homes of the four teams – UNC, Wake Forest, Michigan and Iowa. UNC's turn to host provided a fitting opening for Carolina Field Hockey Stadium, which saw enthusiastic crowds all weekend. "I think there was some pressure in opening the facility," Shelton said. "The atmosphere was outstanding – it was just a wonderful weekend. But for our team I think there were a lot of distractions and for myself as well. So to come away with two wins against two great teams is fantastic."

No. 2 UNC 2, No. 20 Iowa 1, OT
Scoring: Iowa–Maddy Murphy (Lokke Stribos), 30:27; UNC–Erin Matson (Malin Evert), 61:30; UNC–Ashley Hoffman (penalty stroke), 78:27
Shots: UNC 17 (4/10/3), Iowa 4 (1/1/2)
Penalty corners: UNC 8 (4/4/0), Iowa 1 (1/0/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 2 (Amanda Hendry, 73:32, 1 goal allowed, 2 saves; Team, 4:55); Iowa 9 (Leslie Speight 9, 78:27, 2 goals allowed, 9 saves)
Records: UNC 2-0, Iowa 1-1

UNC Starters: Amanda Hendry, Erin Matson, Catherine Hayden, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Yentl Leemans, Eva Smolenaars, Marissa Creatore
UNC Substitutes: Meredith Sholder, Hannah Griggs, Abby Pitcairn, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois