Field Hockey Celebrates Senior Day With 2OT Win Over Duke

Friday, April 2

Chapel Hill

2 PM

North Carolina

(13-1)

Duke

(3-11)

Duke

North Carolina

Senior Bryn Boylan's penalty stroke gave UNC a 4-3 win over Duke in double OT.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

April 2, 2021 | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – On a day for celebrating the seniors, it was a senior who finally gave the UNC field hockey team license to celebrate.

After honoring its six seniors in pregame ceremonies Friday, the top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team played into the second overtime period against No. 15 Duke before Bryn Boylan – one of those recognized before the game – buried a penalty stroke to give the Tar Heels a 4-3 double OT victory.

"You have to have good nerves to take a penalty stroke," said UNC coach Karen Shelton, whose team improved to 13-1. "She just stepped up like a champ and stuck it.

"I'm so proud we could get the win against Duke, on Senior Day. They always say you throw out the records when Duke plays Carolina and that was absolutely the case today. It was a great game by two teams that went at it. It was everything you could ask for."

It was the third meeting of the year for UNC and Duke (3-11) and the second that's gone into overtime at Shelton Stadium. After the Tar Heels won 4-0 in Durham in the year's first matchup, the teams battled to a 5-4 OT win for Carolina in the second, on Oct. 18, 2020.

This time around, playing on a chilly, sunny afternoon, the Tar Heels scored first, just over three minutes into the game on a penalty corner. Sophomore Madison Orobono made the stick stop and junior Erin Matson buried the shot to give UNC a 1-0 lead. It was UNC's fifth goal of the spring season, all scored by Matson.

Duke evened it up and then pulled ahead on back-to-back second-quarter goals. In the 21^st minute, senior Libby Thompson carried the ball into the circle and then shot from just inside the arc to tie the game at 1-1. Just over four minutes later, freshman Darcy Bourne scored on a penalty corner to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead they'd carry into halftime.

UNC responded quickly after the break, scoring on a penalty corner in the 36^th minute of play. Junior Cassie Sumfest had the goal, assisted by Paityn Wirth on the insert and Romea Riccardo on the stop. Just over two minutes later the Tar Heels regained lead as Matson sent a ball to mid-circle to Wirth, who maneuvered around the diving keeper and scored to make it 3-2 Tar Heels.

Duke answered less than a minute later, with Noor van de Laar putting back a rebound following a UNC save to tie the game at 3-3. There it would stay for nearly 40 more minutes of play, through the rest of regulation, the first overtime and 7:04 of the second before Boylan was fouled in the circle and, after a review by the officials, a stroke was assessed.

Boylan, who delivered on a penalty stroke in overtime to beat Syracuse in the ACC Tournament semifinals last November, sent a shot into the bottom left corner of the cage to give her team the win.

UNC got off 32 shots to Duke's 13, but Blue Devil keeper Piper Hampsch made 19 saves to keep her team in the game.

"It was a fantastic game by both teams – hard-fought, typical Duke-Carolina," Shelton said. "I give Duke a lot of credit. Their goalkeeper played lights-out and made it very, very difficult for us.

"This game helps us grow, it helps Duke grow. We're thrilled to get the win, but I think we would have taken something away from it either way. I'm proud of our group and anxious to get back to the practice field to prepare for next week."

Next up for the Tar Heels is a trip to play at Virginia next Friday. They close the regular season with back-to-back away games, traveling to Syracuse on April 18, before hosting the ACC Automatic Qualifier game on April. That game, which pits UNC as the fall champion against the ACC's spring champion (or runner-up, if UNC wins the spring championship), determines which team will get the ACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

No. 1 North Carolina 4, No. 15 Duke 3, 2OT
Scoring: UNC – Erin Matson (Madison Orobono), 3:05; DU – Libby Thompson, 20:21; DU – Darcy Bourne (Lily Posternak, Mary Harkins), 24:34; UNC – Cassie Sumfest (Paityn Wirth, Romea Riccardo), 35:48; UNC – Wirth (Matson), 37:56; DU – Noor van de Laar, 38:49; UNC – Bryn Boylan (penalty stroke), 77:04
Shots: UNC 32 (3/2/9/9/2/7), Duke 13 (1/3/4/0/5/0)
Penalty corners: UNC 14 (2/0/4/7/0/1); DU 7 (1/2/2/0/2/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 6 (Amanda Hendry, 77:04, 6 saves, 3 goals allowed); Duke 19 (Piper Hampsch, 77:04, 19 saves, 4 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 13-1, Duke 3-11