Faced with the prospect of the program’s first loss since 2017, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team shifted into overdrive late in Friday’s game against No. 5 Princeton in Chapel Hill–scoring three times in the final five minutes to take a stunning 4-3 victory.

Senior Marissa Creatore–a Chapel Hill native–scored the game-winner with just 24 seconds remaining to cap the comeback victory and extend the team’s winning streak to 26 games. UNC is now 3-0 to begin this season.

Creatore’s goal came after Erin Matson and Megan DuVernois each found the net minutes earlier to tie the game 3-3.

Princeton (0-1) was in complete control early on, scoring the game’s first two goals and taking a 3-1 lead into the halftime break. The Tigers finished the day tied with the Tar Heels at 16 shots apiece–with both teams putting seven of those shots on goal.

“I told our team at the half, ‘Let’s get two goals and play for overtime,'” head coach Karen Shelton said after the game. “And darned if they didn’t get the three goals to win it in regulation. I’m really proud of our kids.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels return to action on Sunday against Penn (1 p.m.) seeking win number 27 in a row.

 

Photo via Dakota Moyer

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