University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Watch The Believe It, Do It, Earn It Documentary
March 18, 2020 | Field Hockey
by Edward Trentzsch, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media
After finishing off an undefeated season by winning a national championship in 2018, the UNC field hockey team entered the 2019 with more questions than answers. The Tar Heels faced the challenge of having to replace their entire defensive back line and National Player of the Year Ashley Hoffman. During a game against Princeton early in the 2019 season, when all hope seemed lost, the spirit of a national champion shone through.
Â
"We came together as a team and we were like, we can do this, like we're not, we're not losing on this field," said junior midfielder Eva Smolenaars. "Like we're not gonna lose."
Â
They never did.
Â
The Tar Heels stormed through another undefeated regular season and ACC championship to appear in a rematch against Princeton in the NCAA championship game. I was standing on the sidelines in Winston-Salem when Princeton scored within the first three minutes to send the audience into a state of shocked silence.
Â
Yet these Tar Heels still refused to lose, and UNC quickly rattled off six consecutive goals to pummel Princeton and win its second consecutive undefeated national championship. Fans and players in Carolina blue poured onto the field to celebrate another historic moment. I eventually ran into C.A. Tuggle, the Hussman School of Journalism and Media Associate Dean, amid the postgame celebration. After students from the journalism school had created a documentary in 2018 chronicling the achievements of the field hockey team, the feeling between us was clear. This year's team deserved an even better opportunity to relive its achievements.
Â
A group of six UNC students and recent alums worked as a team for this year's documentary. We conducted interviews with head coach Karen Shelton and six of the players one week after the season concluded on November 24. After looking at the interviews, we created a script telling the story of the season in chronological order. During the course of the next three months, every member of the team worked tirelessly to create the best possible product that would reflect the spirit and identity of the field hockey players.
Â
The project took countless hours and many sleepless nights before it could finally be completed. The moment of truth came in early March when we held a screening of the documentary with the field hockey team and their families at Karen Shelton Stadium. Seeing the joy on the players' faces as they stepped back in time throughout their season made every second spent on this documentary worth it. Trophies come and go, but being able to create a living memory that these players can take with them for the rest of their lives was priceless.
Â
In the Hussman School, we make it a point of emphasis to create content suitable for the level of the athletes we cover. The documentary is named "Believe It, Do It, Earn It" after the slogan the field hockey team used to guide its actions on and off the field.
With the field hockey team primed to continue its success in the next season, be prepared to see more content from us in the future about the team in Chapel Hill reflecting perfection.
Watch the documentary now:
After finishing off an undefeated season by winning a national championship in 2018, the UNC field hockey team entered the 2019 with more questions than answers. The Tar Heels faced the challenge of having to replace their entire defensive back line and National Player of the Year Ashley Hoffman. During a game against Princeton early in the 2019 season, when all hope seemed lost, the spirit of a national champion shone through.
Â
"We came together as a team and we were like, we can do this, like we're not, we're not losing on this field," said junior midfielder Eva Smolenaars. "Like we're not gonna lose."
Â
They never did.
Â
The Tar Heels stormed through another undefeated regular season and ACC championship to appear in a rematch against Princeton in the NCAA championship game. I was standing on the sidelines in Winston-Salem when Princeton scored within the first three minutes to send the audience into a state of shocked silence.
Â
Yet these Tar Heels still refused to lose, and UNC quickly rattled off six consecutive goals to pummel Princeton and win its second consecutive undefeated national championship. Fans and players in Carolina blue poured onto the field to celebrate another historic moment. I eventually ran into C.A. Tuggle, the Hussman School of Journalism and Media Associate Dean, amid the postgame celebration. After students from the journalism school had created a documentary in 2018 chronicling the achievements of the field hockey team, the feeling between us was clear. This year's team deserved an even better opportunity to relive its achievements.
Â
A group of six UNC students and recent alums worked as a team for this year's documentary. We conducted interviews with head coach Karen Shelton and six of the players one week after the season concluded on November 24. After looking at the interviews, we created a script telling the story of the season in chronological order. During the course of the next three months, every member of the team worked tirelessly to create the best possible product that would reflect the spirit and identity of the field hockey players.
Â
The project took countless hours and many sleepless nights before it could finally be completed. The moment of truth came in early March when we held a screening of the documentary with the field hockey team and their families at Karen Shelton Stadium. Seeing the joy on the players' faces as they stepped back in time throughout their season made every second spent on this documentary worth it. Trophies come and go, but being able to create a living memory that these players can take with them for the rest of their lives was priceless.
Â
In the Hussman School, we make it a point of emphasis to create content suitable for the level of the athletes we cover. The documentary is named "Believe It, Do It, Earn It" after the slogan the field hockey team used to guide its actions on and off the field.
With the field hockey team primed to continue its success in the next season, be prepared to see more content from us in the future about the team in Chapel Hill reflecting perfection.
Watch the documentary now:
Players Mentioned
Midfield/Back
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field HockeyUNC Baseball: Tar Heels Complete Road Sweep at Notre Dame, 15-10
Monday, March 30
UNC Baseball: Tar Heels Take Game 2 at Notre Dame, 13-7
Sunday, March 29
UNC Softball: Tar Heels Handle Marist, 12-2
Saturday, March 28
UNC Baseball: DeCaro Ks 9 in Win at Notre Dame, 6-5
Saturday, March 28