Northwestern Comes From Behind To Beat Field Hockey In OT, 4-3, In NCAA Semifinal

Friday, November 21

Durham, N.C.

2:30 PM

North Carolina

(21-2, 7-1)

Northwestern

(21-1, 8-0)

Northwestern

North Carolina

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Northwestern Comes From Behind To Beat Field Hockey In OT, 4-3, In NCAA Semifinal

November 21, 2025 | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (.pdf)

By: Matt Bowers

DURHAM, N.C.—Ashley Sessa scored in the 10th minute of overtime as defending NCAA champion Northwestern (21-1) came from behind to defeat top-seeded and top-ranked North Carolina (21-2), 4-3, in overtime in an NCAA Tournament semifinal on Friday afternoon at Jack Katz Stadium on the campus of Duke University.

Second-ranked and fourth-seeded Northwestern trailed, 3-1, late in the third quarter but forced overtime and pulled out the win to advance to the NCAA title game to face Princeton. The Tigers beat Harvard, 2-0, with a pair of second-half goals in Friday's first semifinal.

Maddie Zimmer had two assists in the second half to help force overtime, and Sessa scored off an assist by Grace Schulze at the 69:23 mark to clinch the win.

Carolina got on the board early when Ryleigh Heck scored at the 10:45 mark of the first quarter, deflecting a shot by Dani Mendez into the goal to make the score 1-0. It was Heck's team-leading 19th goal of the season.

Barely four minutes later, her sister, Kara Heck, took an assist from Isabel Boere and scored on a penalty corner try at the 8:42 mark to make it 2-0, a lead the Tar Heels held at the end of the opening quarter and for most of the second.

The Wildcats cut the lead to 2-1 in the last three minutes before halftime off a penalty corner opportunity when Maja Zivojnovic scored on assists by Olivia Bent-Cole and Sessa. Carolina out-shot Northwestern, 6-3, in the first half.

Carolina scored nearly 10 minutes into the second half to take a 3-1 lead when Boere scored off a Charly Bruder assist at the 35:07 mark on a beautifully designed penalty corner play. Almost eight minutes later, Bent-Cole scored off a Zimmer assist to cut the UNC advantage to 3-2 by the end of the third period.

Trailing by a goal with time running out, Northwestern pulled goalkeeper Juliana Boon with 3:45 remaining in the game. It tied the score at 3-3 with 1:10 to go in the fourth on a penalty corner goal by Ilse Tromp on an assist by Zimmer.

Schulze's assist allowed Sessa to score the game-winner with 37 seconds left in the extra period and clinch the win.

Bent-Cole and Sessa both had a goal and an assist for NU, with Zimmer posting two assists. Boere led UNC with a goal and an assist.

Scoring Summary
1st quarter (4:15) • UNC goal by Ryleigh Heck, assist by Dani Mendez (UNC leads, 1-0)
1st quarter (8:42) • UNC goal by Kara Heck, assist by Isabel Boere (UNC leads, 2-0)
2nd quarter (27:45) • NU goal by Maja Zivojnovic, assists by Olivia Bent-Cole and Ashley Sessa (UNC leads, 2-1)
3rd quarter (35:07) • UNC goal by Isabel Boere, assist by Charly Bruder (UNC leads, 3-1)
3rd quarter (42:57) • NU goal by Olivia Bent-Cole, assist by Maddie Zimmer (UNC leads, 3-2)
4th quarter (58:50) • NU goal by Ilse Tromp, assist by Maddie Zimmer (tied, 3-3)
OT (69:23) • NU goal by Ashley Sessa, assist by Grace Schulze (NU wins, 4-3)