The No. 1 UNC field hockey team’s NCAA title defense is off to a flying start. The Tar Heels dominated William & Mary in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon, defeating the Tribe 6-1 at Karen Shelton Stadium.

After a scoreless first quarter, reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Charly Bruder put the Tar Heels on the board three minutes into the second. Katie Dixon doubled the lead shortly before halftime, and then the floodgates opened in the third quarter. Paityn Wirth found the back of the cage twice within a span of 1:40, extending the lead to 4-0. Kiersten Thomassey and Lisa Slinkert each also scored before the final horn.

UNC’s statistical dominance on the day was writ large in the box score: 31 shots (22 on goal) to just three shots for the Tribe. William & Mary didn’t get a single shot off in the first half. Carolina had already set a season high for shots by the end of the third quarter.

With the win, the Tar Heels advance to the second round of the tournament on Sunday at noon, which will also be played in Chapel Hill. Carolina will face the winner of Rutgers and Harvard.

 

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 biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Field Hockey Defeats Northwestern in Penalty Strokes, Wins 11th National Title
Carolina won, lost, and won again the program’s 11th national championship. In front of a standing-room-only shootout at Karen Shelton Stadium, No. 1 UNC battled No. 2 Northwestern through regulation, two sudden-death overtimes and six rounds of penalty strokes to claim its second consecutive title and fifth in the last six seasons, 2-1. UNC head […]
UNC Field Hockey Beats Virginia in Final 4; Will Play for 2nd Consecutive NCAA Title Sunday
The UNC field hockey team will play for the national championship for the second consecutive year. The No. 1 Tar Heels defeated Virginia in the national semifinals on Friday in Chapel Hill, smothering the Cavalier offense in a 2-0 win. Playing on Sunday for the 🏆!#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/j5wJZzpADV — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November […]
UNC Field Hockey Downs Harvard, Advances to National Semifinals
The UNC field hockey team fought past a tough Harvard team in the NCAA quarterfinals in Chapel Hill on Sunday, defeating the Crimson 4-2 to advance to the Final Four. Carolina’s Karen Shelton Stadium will host the national semifinals and championship next weekend. 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 💥#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Ob2Ub63NTM — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) […]
UNC Field Hockey Named No. 1 Overall Seed in 2023 NCAA Tournament
The road to the field hockey national championship in 2023 runs through Chapel Hill. Fresh off its ACC Tournament title, Carolina was named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, meaning the Tar Heels will host their first- and second-round games. In addition, the national semifinals and championship this season are […]
UNC Field Hockey Completes Perfect Season With Program's 10th NCAA Title
The UNC field hockey team won its 10th NCAA title and fourth in the last five years Sunday, defeating Northwestern 2-1 in the national championship. The win completes a perfect 21-0 season for the Tar Heels and also avenges the team’s most recent loss, which came against the Wildcats in last season’s NCAA Tournament. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 […]
UNC Field Hockey Advances to Program's 26th Final Four
The UNC field hockey team kept the good times rolling in its final home game of the year, defeating Saint Joseph’s 5-2 on Sunday to advance to the program’s 26th Final Four, the most all-time in Division 1 field hockey. 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Y0dJvoNjpg — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 13, 2022 UNC […]
UNC Field Hockey Receives No. 1 Overall Seed in NCAA Tournament
The undefeated UNC field hockey team will compete as the No. 1 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels found out their seed Sunday night, as the entire tournament bracket was revealed. LET'S GO! ⚡️ The Tar Heels are the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament bracket and open play Friday […]
UNC Field Hockey's Quest for Four-Peat Ends With Loss to Northwestern
For the first time in three years, there will be a new champion in NCAA field hockey. UNC’s quest for a four-peat ended Friday afternoon in Iowa City, as the Tar Heels fell to Northwestern in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Final from Iowa City ⤵️#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Ngrq2sBCdB — UNC Field Hockey […]
UNC Field Hockey to Face Northwestern In First Round of NCAA Tournament
The UNC field hockey team’s postseason will begin in the same place their regular season did. The Tar Heels earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament Sunday with their ACC Championship win over Virginia, and now Carolina knows what the first step on its path to a potential fourth straight national title will be. […]
Chansky's Notebook: Happening Again
UNC and Duke faced each other for the first time in the NCAA Tournament three years ago. It's happening again today with their women’s teams.
›