Tar Heels Stretch Streak To 10 With Win Over Orange

Saturday, September 29

Chapel Hill

1:00 PM

North Carolina

(10-0 (4-0ACC))

Syracuse

(6-4 (0-3ACC))

Syracuse

North Carolina

Senior Eva van't Hoog scored one of UNC's five goals on Saturday.

Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications

September 29, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score Watch Highlights Photo Gallery

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina field hockey team stretched its unbeaten streak to 10 games Saturday afternoon with a 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference win over No. 11 Syracuse at Karen Shelton Stadium. UNC is now 10-0 overall and 4-0 in ACC play. The Orange fell to 6-4 (0-3 ACC).

"It was a very nice win," UNC coach Karen Shelton. "I particularly like the fact we grew from the last game. Against Virginia on Wednesday we had seven shots, and today we had 21. So the offensive pressure was good. I still would like a few more corners, but it was a hard-working game in the heat and I think we used our depth and shared the ball unselfishly. We moved it really well and I think that makes us a difficult team to play against."

Freshman Erin Matson scored twice against the Orange, once in each half. Her first goal, in the 17^th minute, was the gamewinner for UNC. Senior Eva van't Hoog sent a long ball bouncing toward the cage from outside the circle. Matson was stationed in front of the cage and got her stick on the ball to redirect it in and put the Tar Heels up 1-0.

In the 28^th minute, UNC was awarded a penalty stroke. Senior Ashley Hoffman stepped up and sent a shot just inside the left post to make it 2-0 at halftime.

In the 42^nd minute, Matson scored her second goal. On a penalty corner, Hoffman's shot was saved and the rebound bounced out to the left side of the circle. Matson grabbed it and put it back for a 3-0 lead.

After the first three goals came from the Tar Heels' top two scorers, the final two came from players who hadn't scored yet this fall.

Van't Hoog ranks third on the team in assists but hadn't scored a goal until Saturday. In the 52^nd minute, she got a long pass downfield from Hoffman and shot from the middle of the circle to make it 4-0.

After Syracuse got on the board with a goal by Tess Queen in the 54^th minute, sophomore Bryn Boylan scored the first goal of her Carolina career. In the 64^th minute, she took a pass from junior Catherine Hayden and carried the ball into the circle, where she got around a defender to go one-on-one with the keeper. Her perfectly-placed shot from mid-circle went just outside SU keeper Borg van der Velde's right foot and just inside the left post to make it 5-1 UNC.

UNC finished with 21 shots to SU's two, both of which came in the second half. The Tar Heels had just three penalty corners, all in the second half. Syracuse had one in each half.

Carolina is back in action on Sunday, hosting Ball State for a non-conference game at 1 p.m. It's UNC's third game in a five-day span.

No. 1 UNC 5, No. 11 Syracuse
Scoring: UNC – Erin Matson (Eva van't Hoog), 16:42; UNC – Ashley Hoffman (penalty stroke), 27:58; UNC – Matson, 42:59; UNC – Van't Hoog (Hoffman), 51:28; SU – Tess Queen (Sarah Luby), 53:31; UNC – Bryn Boylan, 63:22
Shots: UNC 21 (8/13), SU 2 (0/2)
Penalty corners: UNC 3 (0/3), SU 2 (1/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 1 (Amanda Hendry, 48:32, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves; Alex Halpin, 1 goal allowed, 1 save); SU 11 (Borg van der Velde, 70:00, 5 goals allowed, 11 saves)
Records: UNC 10-0 (4-0), SU 6-4 (0-3 ACC)

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