Field Hockey Tops Duke in OT, 5-4

Sunday, October 18

Chapel Hill

Noon

North Carolina

(6-1 (3-1))

Duke

(0-5 (0-3))

Duke

North Carolina

Hannah Griggs celebrates the overtime gamewinner against Duke.

Photo by: Dana Gentry

October 18, 2020 | Field Hockey

Box Score Watch Highlights

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Junior Hannah Griggs scored midway through the first overtime period to give the North Carolina field hockey team a 5-4 victory over Duke Sunday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium. With 5:44 remaining in the first 10-minute, seven-on-seven segment, Tar Heel junior Erin Matson drew the Blue Devil keeper then sent a ball to the front of the cage, where Griggs tapped it in for the win.

The Tar Heels improved to 6-1 with a win in their first overtime game of the season. Duke fell to 0-5. Although the two are Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, this game does not count in the conference standings. The designated ACC matchup for this fall was two weeks ago, on Oct. 4 in Durham, where UNC won by a much more comfortable 4-0 margin.

"Congratulations to Duke for making some great adjustments and making fabulous progress from the first time we played them over in Durham," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I think our team is getting better as well. It was good for us to have a 7-v-7 opportunity and get that experience. I'm delighted with the win."

The game was back-and-forth throughout. Duke struck first, in the fourth minute of play, when Josie Varney took a pass from Alayna Burns and sent the ball into the upper right corner of the cage to put the Blue Devils up 1-0. UNC answered just 19 seconds later, on the first penalty corner opportunity of the day. With Abby Pitcairn and Romea Riccardo on the assists, junior Cassie Sumfest sent her drag flick just inside the left post to tie the game at 1-1.

Duke scored early in the second quarter to retake the lead. This time it was Lily Posternak on the goal, assisted by Hannah Miller. Again, the Tar Heels answered, scoring just over four minutes later on their second penalty corner of the game. Matson received the ball from Sumfest and got around one defender then split two others before sending a shot into the lower left of the cage to make it 2-2 at halftime.

Tar Heel senior Eva Smolenaars scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter and again in the fourth to give UNC a two-goal lead. In the 41^st minute of play, sophomore Madison Orobono sent a ball through the circle from the right side and Smolenaars redirected it just inside the left post to give Carolina its first lead, 3-2. Early in the fourth quarter on a break, Smolenaars got a pass from Matson at the top of the circle, spun and sent a rocket past the Duke keeper for a 4-2 advantage with 13:28 to play in the game.

Duke answered just under two minutes later on a penalty corner. Eva Nunnink passed to Leah Crouse for the score, drawing the visitors within one. The dramatic tying goal came with 10 seconds on the clock, when the Blue Devils were awarded a penalty stroke. Senior Lexi Davidson buried it to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into overtime.

The teams played through 4:16 of extra time before Matson connected with Griggs for the gamewinner. Duke was a player down at the end after drawing a yellow card 2:12 in to the period.

It was the third one-goal victory in a row for the Tar Heels, who are now idle for 12 days before hosting Wake Forest on Oct. 30 for the final game of the regular season.

"It means a lot to us to beat Duke, to our University and to every sports team here at Carolina," Shelton said. "In a game that on paper is somewhat meaningless – this wasn't the conference game that counts toward the standings – it's about pride and we do want to win. Duke gave us a great battle but in the end we found a way to win."

UNC 5, Duke 4, OT
Scoring: DU – Josie Varney (Alayna Burns), 3:41; UNC – Cassie Sumfest (Abby Pitcairn, Romea Riccardo), 4:00; DU – Lily Posternak (Hannah Miller), 18:13; UNC – Erin Matson, 22:24; UNC – Eva Smolenaars (Madison Orobono), 40:53; UNC – Smolenaars (Matson), 46:32; DU – Leah Crouse (Eva Nunnink), 48:20; DU – Lexi Davidson (penalty stroke), 59:50; UNC – Hannah Griggs (Matson), 64:16
Shots: UNC 18 (2/5/3/7/1), Duke 15 (5/2/0/7/1)
Penalty corners: UNC 5 (1/1/1/2/0), DU 5 (1/0/0/4/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 5 (Amanda Hendry, 64:16, 5 saves, 4 goals allowed), DU 4 (Piper Hampsch, 62:42, 4 saves, 5 goals allowed; Team, 1:34)
Records: UNC 6-1 (3-1 ACC), Duke 0-5 (0-3 ACC)