UNC Field Hockey Beats Virginia to Win 9th Consecutive ACC Tournament Title

Dani Mendez scored two goals to haunt her former team and lead UNC to a 4-1 win against Virginia in the ACC Tournament title game in Louisville Friday. The win is Carolina’s ninth straight conference championship and 28th overall. It’s also the 300th ACC title overall for UNC programs.

Mendez, who played her first three seasons at Virginia before transferring to UNC, followed up her two-goal performance against Duke in the semifinals by scoring the game’s opening goal less than four minutes into the game. She followed that up with her second goal early in the second quarter.

Charly Bruder put the Tar Heels up 3-0 less than five minutes later. The game went to halftime with Carolina holding a 3-1 advantage after Virginia scored later in the second period.

After halftime, Reese Anetsberger restored the three-goal lead just 43 seconds in, cashing in on an assist from Mendez for her fifth goal of the season. The Carolina defense ensured the lead would stand up, holding the Cavaliers without a shot – on target or otherwise – for the entire second half. UNC outshot Virginia 14-5 for the game, with an 11-4 edge in shots on goal. Mendez was named ACC Tournament MVP.

With the win, Carolina is now 19-1 overall this season and has won 11 straight games. The Tar Heels, who entered the ACC Tournament ranked No. 1 in the national polls, are virtually ensured of the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week. The bracket will be announced Sunday, November 9 at 10 p.m.

Featured image via UNC Field Hockey on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

‹

UNC Goalie Amanda Hendry Selected as ACC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week

UNC senior goalkeeper Amanda Hendry was selected Monday as the ACC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week following her efforts in UNC’s 2-0 win over Louisville this past Friday. Hendry made eight saves for the shutout win in the Tar Heels’ first game of the spring season, which was a rematch of the ACC […]

Alex Halpin Named ACC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week

After making her first two starts of the season this past weekend, UNC senior goalkeeper Alex Halpin was rewarded on Tuesday when she was named the ACC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts. Halpin made a trio of saves in the Tar Heels’ come-from-behind win over No. 13 Boston College on […]

Ashley Hoffman Tabbed as ACC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week

UNC senior Ashley Hoffman was recognized by the ACC on Tuesday as the league’s field hockey Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts in leading the Tar Heels to a pair of shutout wins over Princeton and Penn. With Hoffman leading the way, the Tar Heel defense has allowed just two goals so far […]

Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says

Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]

UNC Field Hockey Falls to Northwestern in Overtime in NCAA Final Four

Northwestern scored 9:23 into sudden-victory overtime to cap off a comeback win and beat UNC 4-3 at the NCAA Final Four in Durham Friday afternoon. The Wildcats hadn’t led all day, as Carolina raced out to a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes thanks to goals from sisters Ryleigh and Kara Heck. Though Northwestern closed the […]

UNC Field Hockey Beats Duke in Overtime to Advance to Final Four

Sanne Hak scored the game-winning goal off a penalty corner in sudden-victory overtime against Duke to send UNC through to the Final Four Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium. The 2-1 win is Carolina’s third against the Blue Devils this season, two of which have come in overtime. THREE TIMES DOWNING THE DEVILS!! AND WE'RE HEADED […]

UNC Field Hockey Escapes Saint Joseph's in NCAA Tournament 1st Round

Despite a spirited effort from underdog Saint Joseph’s, UNC escaped with a 2-1 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Karen Shelton Stadium Friday afternoon. The Tar Heels are now through to Sunday’s second round, where they will await the winner of Iowa and Duke. Won the battle. More war to come!#GoHeels […]

UNC Field Hockey Earns No. 1 Overall Seed in 2025 NCAA Tournament

Carolina is once again the No. 1 team in the country entering the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels earned the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed Sunday night for the fourth consecutive year. Top seed. Not satisfied. The Heels host the NCAA First & Second Rounds once again. pic.twitter.com/Xer4W9IYtK — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 10, […]

Art’s Angle: Winning Ways

From pitches in South Bend and the Bluegrass State back to hardwood and gridiron in Chapel Hill, UNC teams showed up all weekend.

UNC Field Hockey Beats Virginia to Win 9th Consecutive ACC Tournament Title

Dani Mendez scored two goals to haunt her former team and lead UNC to a 4-1 win against Virginia in the ACC Tournament title game in Louisville Friday. The win is Carolina’s ninth straight conference championship and 28th overall. It’s also the 300th ACC title overall for UNC programs. 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒 […]

›