Photo by: Jerome M. Ibrahim
Tar Heels Fall To Iowa In OT Field Hockey Battle
August 27, 2023 | Field Hockey
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina field hockey team suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday, falling at home to No. 7 Iowa 3-2 in overtime. The game winner from Lieve van Kessel, on a shot from just inside the arc, came 1:41 into extra time.
The Tar Heels fall to 1-1 on the season and will be back in action this weekend in Philadelphia. They'll play at Penn on Friday and then face Princeton in Philly on Sunday in the ACC-Ivy Conference Crossover.
"Credit to Iowa – they played so tough and took advantage of opportunities," UNC coach Erin Matson said. "We congratulate them on the win."
UNC led 1-0 early on Sunday after senior Katie Dixon's goal in the 11th minute of play. She scored her first goal of the season on the second attempt on UNC's second penalty corner of the game.
Iowa answered in the 27th minute, scoring on a penalty corner to tie the game at 1-1. The teams were still tied up at halftime.
Carolina took the lead again in the 41st minute, scoring on another penalty corner. Ryleigh Heck defecting in Sietske Brüning's initial shot to make it 2-1 Carolina.
The Hawkeyes tied the game in the 54th minute. Dionne van Aalsum notched her second goal of the day, scoring on her second attempt on a corner.
UNC started the seven-on-seven overtime period a player down after a late green card and never got back up to full strength before van Kessel's gamewinner.
It marked the second year in a row that UNC and Iowa have gone to overtime in the second game of the season. Last year in Winston-Salem, N.C., Carolina came back to beat the Hawkeyes 3-2 in OT.
"We fought the entire time and that was the question for this team heading into the season," Matson said. "It's not the skill – it's the passion, it's the fire, it's the belief, and they have proved this weekend that it's there.
"I'm proud of their fight and their belief and the way that they stuck together."
Noting the weekend:
• Wake Forest beat Michigan 1-0 in Sunday's first game. Iowa wraps up the weekend 2-0, while Carolina and Wake both went 1-1 and Michigan finished 0-2.
• UNC got its five goals from four different players over the weekend, with two from Lisa Slinkert, and one each from Kiersten Thomassey, Katie Dixon and Ryleigh Heck.
• Sunday's loss was just the third ever for UNC at Karen Shelton Stadium. The Tar Heels are in their sixth season of action at the facility and are now 50-3 overall.
No. 7 Iowa 3, No. 1 UNC 2, OT
Scoring: UNC – Katie Dixon, 10:48; Iowa – Dionne van Aalsum (Lieve Schalk), 26:20; UNC – Ryleigh Heck (Sietske Brüning), 40:46; Iowa – van Aalsum, 53:41; Iowa – Lieve van Kessel, 61:41
Shots: UNC 18 (8/4/6/0/0), Iowa 13 (1/3/1/7/1)
Penalty corner: UNC 6 (3/1/2/0/0), Iowa 6 (0/1/1/4/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 5 (Abigail Taylor, 30:00, 2 saves, 1 goal allowed; Maddie Kahn, 31:41, 3 saves, 2 goals allowed); Iowa 6 (Mia Magnotta, 61:41, 6 saves, 2 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 1-1, Iowa 2-0
The Tar Heels fall to 1-1 on the season and will be back in action this weekend in Philadelphia. They'll play at Penn on Friday and then face Princeton in Philly on Sunday in the ACC-Ivy Conference Crossover.
"Credit to Iowa – they played so tough and took advantage of opportunities," UNC coach Erin Matson said. "We congratulate them on the win."
UNC led 1-0 early on Sunday after senior Katie Dixon's goal in the 11th minute of play. She scored her first goal of the season on the second attempt on UNC's second penalty corner of the game.
Iowa answered in the 27th minute, scoring on a penalty corner to tie the game at 1-1. The teams were still tied up at halftime.
Carolina took the lead again in the 41st minute, scoring on another penalty corner. Ryleigh Heck defecting in Sietske Brüning's initial shot to make it 2-1 Carolina.
The Hawkeyes tied the game in the 54th minute. Dionne van Aalsum notched her second goal of the day, scoring on her second attempt on a corner.
UNC started the seven-on-seven overtime period a player down after a late green card and never got back up to full strength before van Kessel's gamewinner.
It marked the second year in a row that UNC and Iowa have gone to overtime in the second game of the season. Last year in Winston-Salem, N.C., Carolina came back to beat the Hawkeyes 3-2 in OT.
"We fought the entire time and that was the question for this team heading into the season," Matson said. "It's not the skill – it's the passion, it's the fire, it's the belief, and they have proved this weekend that it's there.
"I'm proud of their fight and their belief and the way that they stuck together."
Noting the weekend:
• Wake Forest beat Michigan 1-0 in Sunday's first game. Iowa wraps up the weekend 2-0, while Carolina and Wake both went 1-1 and Michigan finished 0-2.
• UNC got its five goals from four different players over the weekend, with two from Lisa Slinkert, and one each from Kiersten Thomassey, Katie Dixon and Ryleigh Heck.
• Sunday's loss was just the third ever for UNC at Karen Shelton Stadium. The Tar Heels are in their sixth season of action at the facility and are now 50-3 overall.
No. 7 Iowa 3, No. 1 UNC 2, OT
Scoring: UNC – Katie Dixon, 10:48; Iowa – Dionne van Aalsum (Lieve Schalk), 26:20; UNC – Ryleigh Heck (Sietske Brüning), 40:46; Iowa – van Aalsum, 53:41; Iowa – Lieve van Kessel, 61:41
Shots: UNC 18 (8/4/6/0/0), Iowa 13 (1/3/1/7/1)
Penalty corner: UNC 6 (3/1/2/0/0), Iowa 6 (0/1/1/4/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 5 (Abigail Taylor, 30:00, 2 saves, 1 goal allowed; Maddie Kahn, 31:41, 3 saves, 2 goals allowed); Iowa 6 (Mia Magnotta, 61:41, 6 saves, 2 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 1-1, Iowa 2-0
Team Stats
IOWA
NC
Goals
3
2
Shots
13
18
Shots on Goal
8
8
Saves
6
5
Corners
6
6
Offsides
0
0
Fouls
0
0
Scoring Plays

Katie Dixon (1)
Second attempt on corner
10:48

Dionne van Aalsum (3)
Assisted By: Lieve Schalk
Penalty corner
26:20

Ryleigh Heck (1)
Assisted By: Sietske Bruning
Penalty corner
40:46

Dionne van Aalsum (4)
Second attempt on penalty corner
53:41

Lieve van Kessel (1)
Shot from just inside circle
61:41
Game Leaders
Players
Players Mentioned
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