The seventh-ranked UNC field hockey team used an overtime goal from Ashley Hoffman to defeat the No. 10 Boston College Eagles by a score of 2-1 Saturday afternoon in Durham.
Playing at Duke’s Williams Field–the Tar Heels’ unofficial home away from home this season while Henry Stadium in Chapel Hill is under construction–Hoffman’s late tally helped the team salvage a game it nearly let slip away.
Eva Smolenaars found the back of the net for UNC (5-2, 1-1 ACC) in the third minute, and the Tar Heels led for nearly the entire game.
Boston College (5-2, 0-2 ACC) was unable to respond until there was just under 10 minutes to play–when midfielder Ymke Rose Gote knotted things up with her first goal of the season.
“Credit to our kids for not losing composure,” Shelton said. “I thought at times we looked a little unorganized, fatigued and careless with the ball, but we were able to hang on and get to overtime.”
The overtime period gave the Tar Heels a chance to regroup, which they did.
Given an opportunity on a penalty corner, Eva Van’t Hoog slipped a perfect pass over to Hoffman–who leads the team with five goals in 2017.
Hoffman then calmly put the ball past Boston College goalkeeper Sarah Dwyer, giving UNC a crucial conference victory against a top-10 opponent.
“Eva could have taken the shot but she gave me a perfect pass and made my job easy,” Hoffman said afterwards. “All I had to do was knock it in.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will take on James Madison on Sunday, with the game scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati (UNC Athletics)
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