Late Goal By DuVernois Gives Tar Heels 1-0 Win On Friendly Turf

Friday, August 31

Philadelphia, Pa.

11:00 AM

North Carolina

(3-0)

Princeton

(0-1)

North Carolina

Princeton

Megan DuVernois, pictured from the 2017 matchup with Duke, had the gamewinner against Princeton on Friday.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Late Goal By DuVernois Gives Tar Heels 1-0 Win On Friendly Turf

August 31, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

PHILADELPHIA – Junior Megan DuVernois scored on a tip in the 65^th minute of play Friday to give second-ranked UNC a 1-0 field hockey win over No. 10 Princeton in a neutral-site game at the University of Pennsylvania. Playing at Penn's Ellen Vagelos Field as part of the Conference Crossover event, the Tar Heels improved to 3-0 on the year. They're back in action on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against the host Quakers.

"I'm proud of our team," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I thought it was a really good game by two excellent teams. We knew Princeton was much like us – they didn't lose many players from last season and they have similar strengths. We knew we were in for a battle and we got one."

The teams last met in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when UNC won a second-round game in Charlottesville, Va., to move on to its ninth consecutive final four. DuVernois also had the gamewinner in that one, scoring in the 53^rd minute to put the Tar Heels up 3-2, which was the final score.

Saturday's matchup again proved to be tight, with the teams tied 0-0 at halftime after UNC had managed five shots and Princeton four.

The late-game goal was the second of the season for DuVernois, a forward from Collegeville, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. It came on one of just 10 shots for the Tar Heels, who averaged 21.5 shots in their first two games.

The ball was hit outside the circle by sophomore Cassie Sumfest, who is from Lewisburg, Pa. Sumfest's hit skipped through the circle, hopping over several sticks before it came to DuVernois'. "Lots of people were screening me and my defender and the keeper, and I barely saw it come in," DuVernios said. "I put my stick on the ground and got a very fortunate tip. It was the weirdest goal I've ever scored."

The ball popped up and over the keeper and into the cage. After that, the Tar Heels focused on defense, making sure Princeton couldn't get the equalizer. "Once we scored everyone got focused on clock management and making sure we didn't make any mistakes," DuVernios said.

It was the first shutout of the season for the Tar Heels. Sophomore keeper Amanda Hendry played all 70 minutes in goal, making three saves.

"I like the way we progressed from last week to today," Shelton said. "It was a team effort and I'm proud of our players and staff for the steps we took this week. The season is a process and you want to continue to see progress. We saw that today."

The Tar Heels generally play in Philadelphia at the start of the season, and it's a homecoming for much of the team. Shelton grew up in the area, and 10 players on the team are from the state. The shorter commute meant that more family members could come, and in DuVernois' case that meant her grandparents, who were able join her parents to see her score the gamewinner. "Coming home to Philadelphia is always a great experience,' DuVernois said. "Most of my family could come and it was fun to be able to play well in front of them."

There were also lots of alums in attendance, including UNC's first All-America honoree, Mary Sentementes Michailidis who was recognized in 1983 and 1984. "It was really fun to have so many alums here," Shelton said. "It's always nice to come to Philadelphia – it's almost like a local trip. We had a wonderful turnout."

No. 2 UNC 1, No. 10 Princeton 0
Scoring: UNC – Megan DuVernois (Cassie Sumfest), 64:49
Shots: UNC 10 (5/5), Princeton 7 (4/3)
Penalty corners: UNC 4 (0/4), Princeton 5 (2/3)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 3 (Amanda Hendry, 70:00, 0 goals allowed, 3 saves); Princeton 6 (Grace Baylis, 70:00, 1 goal allowed, 6 saves)
Records: UNC 3-0, Princeton 0-1

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 substitutes: Meredith Sholder, Hannah Griggs, Abby Pitcairn, Eva Smolenaars, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois