University of North Carolina Athletics
The Tar Heels will open the 2021 season on Aug. 27 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Field Hockey Announces 2021 Schedule
July 21, 2021 | Field Hockey
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina's 2021 field hockey season will kick off in late August with a return to normalcy: After facing only Atlantic Coast Conference opponents in last year's pandemic-impacted regular season, the Tar Heels are back to opening the season against a pair of Big Ten rivals in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Last year marked the first time since 2002 that the Tar Heels have started the season without games against Michigan and Iowa. In 2013, Carolina played the Big Ten rivals in the second weekend of the season, but in every other year dating back to '02 the Wolverines have been the season opener, with the Hawkeyes close behind. Both games will be played in Iowa City, Iowa, with the Tar Heels and Wolverines facing off on Aug. 27 in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA Championship game in May, then Carolina playing the host Hawkeyes on Aug. 29 in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA semifinal. Wake Forest also plays in the annual event, which rotates hosting duties between the four teams.
The season will get underway less than four months after the end of the extended 2020 campaign, in which UNC won its third consecutive NCAA title, beating Michigan 4-3 at Karen Shelton Stadium on May 9. The 2021 season includes matchups with all six ACC rivals as well as 10 nonconference opponents, with six of the 16 regular-season contests to be played at home.
"We're all just so excited for this season," said UNC coach Karen Shelton. "The pandemic has been very challenging for everyone, impacting every facet of life – athletics is just a small part of it. We're looking forward to getting back to normal on campus and also within our program, back to our usual travel and having fans in the stands. We've missed seeing the Tar Heel faithful at home and on the road, and we can't wait to see everyone this fall."
After opening with the ACC-Big Ten event, the Tar Heels will travel to Princeton, N.J., to face the host Tigers on Sept. 3 – in a rematch of the 2019 NCAA Championship game – and Penn on Sept. 5. UNC is back in that part of the country again the following weekend, taking on Saint Joseph's on Sept. 10 and Drexel on Sept. 12, both in Philadelphia.
UNC's home opener at Karen Shelton Stadium is on Sept. 19 vs. Miami (Ohio). That kicks off a three-game homestand, including the Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Sept. 24 vs. Boston College and a matchup with UConn on Sept. 26.
After that, it's up north for games at Syracuse on Oct. 1 and Albany on Oct. 3. The Tar Heels host Duke on Oct. 8 and Liberty on Oct. 10 for another homestand weekend before finishing the season with three straight ACC games, two of them on the road. Carolina travels to Wake Forest on Oct. 15 and to Virginia on Oct. 29. In between, the Tar Heels host Louisville on Oct. 22 for the final home game of the regular season.
The ACC Championship is set for Nov. 4, 5 and 7 at Syracuse.
This year's NCAA Championship is set for Nov. 19 and 21 at Michigan's Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Last year marked the first time since 2002 that the Tar Heels have started the season without games against Michigan and Iowa. In 2013, Carolina played the Big Ten rivals in the second weekend of the season, but in every other year dating back to '02 the Wolverines have been the season opener, with the Hawkeyes close behind. Both games will be played in Iowa City, Iowa, with the Tar Heels and Wolverines facing off on Aug. 27 in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA Championship game in May, then Carolina playing the host Hawkeyes on Aug. 29 in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA semifinal. Wake Forest also plays in the annual event, which rotates hosting duties between the four teams.
The season will get underway less than four months after the end of the extended 2020 campaign, in which UNC won its third consecutive NCAA title, beating Michigan 4-3 at Karen Shelton Stadium on May 9. The 2021 season includes matchups with all six ACC rivals as well as 10 nonconference opponents, with six of the 16 regular-season contests to be played at home.
See you soon, Tar Heel fans! 🙌🏑
🔗 https://t.co/kKSGN12aKW#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/RtBKbiTMiM
— UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) July 21, 2021
"We're all just so excited for this season," said UNC coach Karen Shelton. "The pandemic has been very challenging for everyone, impacting every facet of life – athletics is just a small part of it. We're looking forward to getting back to normal on campus and also within our program, back to our usual travel and having fans in the stands. We've missed seeing the Tar Heel faithful at home and on the road, and we can't wait to see everyone this fall."
After opening with the ACC-Big Ten event, the Tar Heels will travel to Princeton, N.J., to face the host Tigers on Sept. 3 – in a rematch of the 2019 NCAA Championship game – and Penn on Sept. 5. UNC is back in that part of the country again the following weekend, taking on Saint Joseph's on Sept. 10 and Drexel on Sept. 12, both in Philadelphia.
UNC's home opener at Karen Shelton Stadium is on Sept. 19 vs. Miami (Ohio). That kicks off a three-game homestand, including the Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Sept. 24 vs. Boston College and a matchup with UConn on Sept. 26.
After that, it's up north for games at Syracuse on Oct. 1 and Albany on Oct. 3. The Tar Heels host Duke on Oct. 8 and Liberty on Oct. 10 for another homestand weekend before finishing the season with three straight ACC games, two of them on the road. Carolina travels to Wake Forest on Oct. 15 and to Virginia on Oct. 29. In between, the Tar Heels host Louisville on Oct. 22 for the final home game of the regular season.
The ACC Championship is set for Nov. 4, 5 and 7 at Syracuse.
This year's NCAA Championship is set for Nov. 19 and 21 at Michigan's Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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