UNC Opens Home Slate With Victory Vs. Virginia

Sunday, October 11

Chapel Hill

Noon

North Carolina

(3-1 (2-1ACC))

Virginia

(3-2 (2-1ACC))

Virginia

North Carolina

Meredith Sholder and the Tar Heels beat Virginia 5-1 on Sunday.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 11, 2020 | Field Hockey

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By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina opened its home field hockey season with a resounding win on a rainy Sunday afternoon, beating visiting Virginia 5-1 at Karen Shelton Stadium. Sophomore transfer Paityn Wirth scored her first two goals as a Tar Heel and UNC also got scoring from senior Eva Smolenaars and juniors Hannah Griggs and Erin Matson to improve to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

"I couldn't be happier with the way we shared the ball and the energy and the result," said UNC coach Karen Shelton, whose team opened the fall with three road games. "We got our eyes up and we worked hard for each other. I'm very pleased and I hope we can build on it for tomorrow."

UNC and Virginia (3-2, 2-1 ACC) will meet again on Monday at noon at Shelton Stadium. Sunday's game was the designated conference matchup, and Monday's game will not count toward the ACC standings.

Matson scored the gamewinner in the 21^st minute of play on an assist from Griggs. Griggs carried the ball just inside the arc and passed left to Matson, who sent a rocket to the cage from the top of the circle. Virginia keeper Taylor Henriksen got a hand on it but couldn't stop it and the Tar Heels went up 1-0. The score still stood there at halftime, with UNC totaling 10 shots to 3 by Virginia.

UNC scored quickly after halftime, 2:38 into the third period. On a penalty corner, junior Cassie Sumfest took the initial hit and Wirth directed it into the goal for a 2-0 Tar Heel lead.

Just under two minutes later, Carolina made it 3-0. Freshman Kiersten Thomassey grabbed a ball out of the air on the left side and passed Smolenaars in the middle of the field. The senior carried it into the circle and shot from the top of the arc, sending the ball cleanly into the cage for her first goal of the year.

Wirth's second goal came in the 43^rd minute of play. Senior Bryn Boylan took a shot that was saved by Henriksen, but the rebound bounced out to the middle of the circle, where Wirth grabbed it and sent it back into the cage to put UNC up 4-0.

In the 50^th minute of play, the Cavaliers got on the board with a goal by sophomore Laura Janssen. Freshman Meghen Hengerer passed out from the right baseline to Janssen, who buried it to make the score 4-1.

The fifth Tar Heel goal came with just 12 seconds on the clock, courtesy of same duo that connected for the first goal, but this time with the roles reversed. Matson passed behind her back to the left side of the circle, where Griggs grabbed and sent a hard shot into the right corner of the cage for the final score.

UNC finished with 21 shots to Virginia's 10, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. UNC had seven penalty corners to UVa's four.

UNC 5, Virginia 1
Scoring: UNC – Matson (Griggs), 20:33; UNC – Paityn Wirth (Cassie Sumfest), 32:38; UNC – Eva Smolenaars, 34:25; UNC – Wirth, 42:21; UVa – Laura Janssen (Meghen Hengerer), 49:31; UNC – Griggs (Matson), 59:48
Shots: UNC 21 (4/6/8/3); UVa 10 (0/3/0/7)
Penalty Corners: UNC 7 (2/2/2/1); UVa 4 (0/1/0/3)
Goalkeeper Saves: UNC 7 (Amanda Hendry, 58:37; 7 saves, 1 goal allowed; Megan Ragusa, 1:23, 0 saves, 0 goals allowed); UVA 10 (Taylor Henriksen, 34:35, 7 saves, 3 goals allowed; Lauren Hausheer, 25:25, 3 saves, 2 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 3-1 (2-1 ACC), Virginia 3-2 (2-1 ACC)

Gallery: (10-11-2020) UNC Tops UVA 5-1

Gallery: (10-11-2020) Tar Heels Down Hoos 5-1