Record Crowd Cheers Field Hockey To Milestone Victory

Friday, August 25

Chapel Hill

8:30 PM

North Carolina

Michigan

A crowd of more than 1,700 packed Shelton Stadium for Friday's win.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

August 25, 2023 | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team beat No. 4 Michigan 3-2 on Friday night under the lights at Karen Shelton Stadium, giving the Tar Heels a victory in their 2023 season opener and Erin Matson her first win as Carolina's head coach.

The milestone came in the second game of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge doubleheader, with Iowa beating Wake Forest 4-0 in Friday's first game. The teams swap opponents for Sunday, with Wake Forest and Michigan squaring off at 10:30 a.m., followed by UNC vs. Iowa at 1 p.m. at Shelton Stadium.

Friday's game was played in front of an overflow crowd of more than 1,700 fans, the largest in stadium history. "The atmosphere here tonight, with the fans and under the lights and the energy the team brought, it was just incredible," Matson said.

The Wolverines jumped ahead late the first quarter, with Juliette Manzur scoring on a pass from Natalie Millman to make it a 1-0 game in the 13^th minute of play.

North Carolina scored all three of its goals in the second quarter to take a lead it wouldn't give away. Junior Lisa Slinkert scored twice, the first time just 1:14 into the second quarter to tie the game at 1-1. Katie Dixon received a pass then quickly sent the ball left to Slinkert as the Michigan keeper, Caylie McMahon, came out to challenge. Slinkert one-touched it into the cage behind McMahon to get the Tar Heels on the board.

In the 25^th minute on a penalty corner, senior Kiersten Thomassey grabbed a loose ball in the circle, spun and sent a shot just inside the far post to give Carolina the lead, 2-1. It was the third career goal for Thomassey, a midfielder who scored once in her sophomore year and once as a junior.

In the 27^th minute, the Tar Heels scored again on a penalty corner, with Pleun Lammers on the insert, Romea Riccardo on the stop and Slinkert on the shot to make it 3-1. It marked the second muti-goal game of Slinkert's career, with the first a two-goal performance against Penn in her freshman season.

Michigan added a goal with just under four minutes remaining to make the final score 3-2.

Matson's first career win as a head coach came exactly five years after her first win in Tar Heel uniform. On Aug. 25, 2018, UNC hosted Michigan in ACC/Big Ten Challenge play to open the season and christen brand new Shelton Stadium, with then-freshman Matson scoring a goal and adding two assists in her Carolina blue debut.

No. 1 UNC 3, No. 4 Michigan 2
Scoring: UM – Juliette Manzur (Natalie Millman), 12:46; UNC – Lisa Slinkert (Katie Dixon), 16:14; UNC – Kiersten Thomassey, 24:59; UNC – Lisa Slinkert (Pleun Lammers, Romea Riccardo), 26:40; UM – Anouk Veen (Claire Taylor, Lora Clarke), 56:09
Shots: UNC 12 (0/4/4/4), UM 6 (2/1/2/1)
Penalty Corners: UNC 9 (0/3/3/3), UM 3 (1/0/1/1)
Goalkeeper Saves: UNC 2 (Abigail Taylor, 60:00. 2 saves, 2 goals allowed); UM 8 (Caylie McMahon, 60:00, 8 saves, 3 goals allowed)