Tar Heels Drop OT Battle On Senior Day

Friday, October 22

Chapel Hill

4 PM

North Carolina

(9-6, 3-2ACC)

Louisville

(14-2, 5-0ACC)

Louisville

North Carolina

The Tar Heels honored seven seniors prior to Friday's game.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 22, 2021 | Field Hockey

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – An exciting Senior Day game ended in defeat for the North Carolina field hockey team on Friday as Louisville's Aimee Plumb scored in the 70^th minute of play to earn a 3-2 overtime victory for the No. 4 Cardinals at Karen Shelton Stadium. Tenth-ranked UNC fell to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play while the Cardinals improved to 14-2 (5-0 ACC).

"We're very, very disappointed we didn't pull this one out," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "At times we played exceptionally well and I'm proud of our effort. But it stinks to lose. It wasn't fun to lose at home, and especially with five seconds on the clock. We'll learn from this and get better. The season's not over for us and we'll move on from here. "

The loss came in the final regular-season home game of the fall. Prior to the start of the contest, the Tar Heels honored seven seniors: Riley Fulmer, Hannah Griggs, Cassie Halpin, Abby Pitcairn, Meredith Sholder, Eva Smolenaars and Cassie Sumfest.

The game was scoreless through the first half, but just over eight minutes into the second half the Tar Heels were celebrating again, this time because of underclassmen. Smolenaars carried the ball to the baseline and then sent it back out to edge of the circle to sophomore Katie Dixon. Dixon sent the ball right side toward the cage and freshman Kennedy Cliggett got her stick down to deflect it up and in for a 1-0 Tar Heel lead.

UNC carried that advantage into the fourth quarter, where a flurry of action awaited. Just 1:18 into the period, the Cardinals were awarded a penalty stroke and Plumb nailed it for her team's first goal of the day and a 1-1 tie.

Just under seven minutes later, Louisville scored again, with Mattie Tabor putting back a rebound on Louisville's only penalty corner of the quarter to put her team up 2-1 in the 54^th minute.

UNC immediately pulled goalkeeper Abigail Taylor in favor of an extra field player. Just over four minutes later, the gamble paid off when Tar Heels drew a corner. Sumfest's initial shot was blocked, but junior Paityn Wirth tracked down the rebound and sent it back to Sumfest. She sent the ball in toward the far post where Griggs redirected it into the cage for a 2-2 tie and a chance to play overtime for the first time this season.

The game marked the third year in a row the Tar Heels have played extra hockey on Senior Day. Last season, UNC beat Duke 4-3 in double overtime after honoring its six seniors. In 2019, the Tar Heels pulled out a 3-2 OT win over Saint Joseph's after recognizing that year's eight seniors.

This time, UNC had opportunities in overtime, with two penalty corners in the period, but had not yet been able to convert. The game appeared to be headed into a second overtime before Plumb's gamewinner with less than five second remaining in the period.

Next up for the Tar Heels is the final game of the regular season, at Virginia on Friday. Game time is 5 p.m. and the action will air on ACC Network Extra.

"We look at the positives and we learn from the negatives," Shelton said. "There were more positives than negatives in this one. I'm awfully proud of our senior class – I hate they lost the last game out here on their home field. I know they hate that and we hate it for them. We were playing for the seniors tonight and I thought we played really well, we just didn't come away with the result."

No. 4 Louisville 3, No. 10 UNC 2, OT
Scoring: UNC – Kennedy Cliggett (Katie Dixon), 38:10; UL – Aimee Plumb (penalty stroke), 46:18; UL – Mattie Tabor, 53:07; UNC – Hannah Griggs (Cassie Sumfest), 57:16; UL – Plumb, 69:55
Shots: UNC 11 (2/5/1/2/1), UL (0/3/1/4/1)
Penalty corners: UNC 5 (0/1/1/1/2), UL 4 (0/2/1/1/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 4 (Abigail Taylor, 65:46, 3 goals allowed, 4 saves; Team, 4:09), UL 2 (Mila de Kuijer, 69:55, 2 goals allowed, 2 saves)
Records: UNC 9-6 (3-2 ACC), UL 14-2 (5-0 ACC)