UNC Earns 2-1 Field Hockey Win At ODU

Sunday, September 10

Norfolk, Va.

Noon

North Carolina

(3-1)

Old Dominion

(2-3)

ODUFH

Sanne Hak (5) congratulates Paityn Wirth following Wirth's earnly goal.

Photo by: Steven Goldburg

September 10, 2023 | Field Hockey

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina field hockey team scored a goal in the first quarter and another in the fourth to beat host Old Dominion 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at L.R. Hill Complex. Tar Heel senior Paityn Wirth notched what would prove to be the gamewinner just 3:42 into the action, and freshman Charly Bruder added another in the 47^th minute, with sophomore Ryleigh Heck assisting on both.

No. 2 UNC improved to 4-1 overall and now returns home to open Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Tar Heels host No. 5 Louisville on Friday at 3 p.m. at Karen Shelton Stadium.

The early goal by Wirth, her second of the season, came on the Tar Heels' first shot of the game and the only one by either team in the first quarter. Heck sent a ball across the circle to Wirth on the right side of the cage and the fifth-year senior pushed it past ODU keeper Suus Broers for an early lead.

Each team got off six shots in the second quarter, but the score still stood at 1-0 at halftime. UNC graduate student Maddie Kahn made four saves in the period – including three on rapid-fire shots on the same Monarch possession – to preserve the halftime shutout. Broers also made four saves in the second quarter.

The Tar Heels continued to threaten in the third, outshooting the Monarchs 6-1 but coming up empty. Broers made four more saves in the period and would finish with 10 on the day. UNC got one past her early in the fourth, however, when Heck sent a ball toward the cage from the left side and Bruder deflected it in for a two-goal advantage.

ODU scored its only goal of the game on its second penalty corner of the fourth quarter and the fifth of five the Monarchs drew in the game. Frederique Zandbergen deflected the ball in after a shot from Marlon de Bruijne to make it a one-goal game, which is where the score still stood after 60 minutes.

UNC finished with 16 shots to ODU's 10 and seven penalty corners to ODU's five.

Kahn finished with seven saves, one more than her season total coming into the game.

Overall, UNC coach Erin Matson saw lots that she liked but also plenty for her team to focus on during the coming week, as the Tar Heels prepare for the start of conference play on Friday.

"We had some really good moments today and some others that we'll learn from," Matson said. "We continue to focus on what we can improve – nonconference play showed us what we need to work on. We're excited to get started in ACC play on Friday."

No. 2 UNC 2, ODU 1
Scoring: UNC – Paityn Wirth (Ryleigh Heck), 3:42; UNC – Charly Bruder (Heck), 46:39; ODU – Frederique Zandbrugen (Marlon de Bruijne), 50:10
Shots: UNC 16 (1/6/6/3), ODU 10 (0/6/1/3)
Penalty corners: UNC 7 (0/2/4/1), ODU 5 (0/3/0/2)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 7 (Maddie Kahn, 60:00, 7 saves, 1 goal allowed), ODU 10 (Suus Broers, 60:00, 10 saves, 2 goals allowed)
Records: UNC 4-1, ODU 2-3