Field Hockey Opens 2022 With 5-1 Victory Over Michigan

Friday, August 26

Winston-Salem, N.C.

2:30 PM

North Carolina

(1-0)

Michigan

(0-1)

Michigan

North Carolina

Photo by: Andy Mead

August 26, 2022 | Field Hockey

Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The second-ranked North Carolina field hockey team opened 2022 with an exclamation point on Friday afternoon, beating No. 3 Michigan 5-1 in ACC-Big Ten Challenge play at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.

"We've had a couple of scrimmages, but you never know what it's going to be like when you play the ones that count," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I'm pleased with the Tar Heels – we came out strong and had a really good start against an outstanding Michigan team. We feel good about the scoring and I thought we defended well."

Freshman Ashley Sessa finished her first collegiate game with a hat trick, and classmate Ryleigh Heck also scored in her first game as a Tar Heel. Senior Erin Matson, UNC's all-time scoring leader, had the team's other goal, and senior Paityn Wirth handed out three assists.

Two Carolina keepers split the game in goal, with sophomore Abigail Taylor making one save in a shutout first half and freshman Kylie Walbert allowing one goal then making three saves in the second.

UNC is back in action on Sunday, taking on its second top-five Big Ten opponent of the weekend in No. 5 Iowa. That game, which is set for 4 p.m. in Winston-Salem, will air on the ACC Network.

On Friday, Heck scored what would prove to be the gamewinner just 2:27 into the action. Sessa, who joined Heck and midfielder Sietske Brüning to make up a trio of freshmen in the UNC starting lineup, added a goal in the second quarter to put the Tar Heels up 2-0 heading into the break.

Michigan scored less than two minutes into the third quarter, with Abby Tamer getting an early shot past Walbert. The teams then waited out a lightning delay of more than an hour. After play resumed, Matson picked up her first goal of the season to again give Carolina a two-goal cushion in the 39^th minute of play.

"Michigan played tough and made it 2-1 and then I thought the delay helped us – we came out loose and scored quickly," Shelton said.

Sessa's second goal came 3:35 into the fourth quarter and put UNC up 4-1. She added another in the 51^st minute, assisted by Wirth. Sessa was credited with six shots for the day, all of them on-goal.

Friday's Carolina victory avenged a 3-2 loss to Michigan in last year's season-opener. Next up is another team against which the Tar Heels are looking for revenge – UNC opened last season 0-2, falling 3-1 to Iowa on the heels of the loss to the Wolverines.

No. 2 UNC 5, No. 3 Michigan 1
Scoring: UNC – Ryleigh Heck (Paityn Wirth), 2:27; UNC – Ashley Sessa, 24:51; UM – Abby Tamer, 31:46; UNC – Erin Matson (Wirth), 38:53; UNC – Sessa, 48:35; UNC – Sessa (Wirth), 50:26
Shots: UNC 19 (6/2/5/6), UM 10 (0/3/4/3)
Penalty corners: UNC 6 (3/0/2/1), UM 5 (0/1/3/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 4 (Abigail Taylor, 30:00, 1 save, 0 goals allowed; Kylie Walbert, 30:00, 3 saves, 1 goal allowed); UM 9 (Anna Spieker, 30:00, 5 saves, 2 goals allowed; Caylie McMahon, 30:00, 4 saves, 3 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 1-0, Michigan 0-1