The No. 1 UNC field hockey staff (10-0, 3-0 ACC) narrowly escaped the No. 19 Boston College Eagles (5-7, 2-2 ACC), 4-3, in Newton, Mass. First-years Ashley Sessa and Ryleigh Heck and sophomore midfielder Jasmina Smolenaars all earned first-half objectives and senior ahead Erin Matson closed out the sport in the fourth quarter.
What took place?
UNC began to use the offensive drive early, placing up 3 pictures to Boston College’s 0 in the outlet quarter.
After putting the ball on UNC‘s first penalty nook of the sport, Sessa temporarily gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead together with her 7th target of the season. This got here simply over 9 mins into the sport with a missile into the top-right nook of the target.
North Carolina went up 3-0 in the second one quarter thank you to 2 extra objectives off of UNC penalty corners.
In the 18th minute, Smolenaars fired off a protracted shot. Boston College first-year goalkeeper Carine Van Wiechen to begin with tipped the ball, nevertheless it nonetheless discovered the again of the web for Smolenaars’ 3rd target of the season and a 2-0 UNC lead.
Smolenaars earned an help on North Carolina’s subsequent target, which got here from Heck following a penalty nook insert from sophomore midfielder Lisa Slinkert in the twenty fifth minute.
As the clock ticked down in the outlet half of, the Eagles earned a penalty nook of their very own after a couple of saves from first-year Kylie Walbert in target. On the penalty nook, Walbert made every other diving save to stay the ranking at 3-0 coming into halftime.
In the second one half of, the Eagles clawed again into the sport thank you to 2 objectives from junior ahead Kara Heck, the older sister of UNC’s Ryleigh Heck. Her spinning shot at first of the 3rd quarter and 2d target of the sport in the fourth quarter introduced Boston College inside of one target of the Tar Heels at 3-2.
Matson spoke back to place UNC again up 4-2 as she inserted a unfastened ball in the capturing circle into the target. Despite a past due penalty stroke from the Eagles to make the sport 4-3, North Carolina got here away with the win.
Who stood out?
Sessa stood out instantly for the Tar Heels, as she used to be in a position to protected UNC’s first target of the sport off of an early penalty nook. Penalty corners were some degree of emphasis for North Carolina, and UNC’s evasive passing discovered Sessa posted up simply left of the target, the place she used to be in a position to seek out a gap to get her shot off.
On the defensive finish, Walbert stood out for her poise in the target. In one series past due in the second one quarter, the rookie made 3 large saves to stay the momentum firmly with the Tar Heels coming into halftime.
When used to be it made up our minds?
After the outlet half-hour, the momentum used to be firmly in the seize of the Tar Heel, who had a 3-0 lead heading into halftime.
However, after two past due objectives from the Eagles, a Boston College disappointed appeared much more likely. Matson put those worries to leisure together with her target in the 53rd minute to ship UNC a 2-goal lead heading into the sport’s ultimate stretch.
Why does it topic?
Today’s 4-goal appearing over the Eagles continues UNC’s offensive dominance via this mid-season stretch. In a 6-3 win over Liberty on Sunday, UNC rolled previous the country’s top-ranked offense.
Moreover, it’s particularly notable that UNC’s first 3 objectives got here off of penalty corners, a facet of North Carolina’s sport that has struggled to this point this season in comparability to the remainder of the offense.
When do they play subsequent?
UNC will tackle Connecticut at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9.
@dthsports | sports activities@dailytarheel.com
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