A pair of third quarter goals earned the UNC field hockey team its second win of the year and left them undefeated in the season-opening showcase between ACC and Big Ten teams.

The No. 2 Tar Heels defeated No. 6 Iowa 2-1 on Sunday behind scores from sophomores Charly Bruder and Sanne Hak to pick up the victory in Ann Arbor, Michigan — marking a second consecutive ranked win after beating No. 12 Michigan on Friday.

Carolina looked threatening for much of the game thanks to its offensive pressure — racking up 24 shots on Iowa’s defense, eight of which were on target. That included a 14-1 penalty corner advantage on the game, seven of which came in the first half but none of which resulted in goals. Bruder’s goal, which was the first shot of the second half, came from the circle as she spun around after receiving a pass from junior forward Ryleigh Heck.

Three minutes later, Heck tallied a true assist to help double UNC’s lead — drawing several Hawkeye defenders to her in the circle before feeding a pass to Hak along the right baseline, who flipped a shot up and past the keeper.

Despite Carolina’s offensive control, the Hawkeyes capitalized on their lone chance from a penalty corner, scoring with nine minutes left in the match and putting their own game pressure onto the Heels. Iowa’s Jacey Wittel smacked a shot into the net off a rebound from the right post for her first goal of the season. Still, Carolina used its offense to limit Iowa’s opportunities to level the match and held onto the lead until the final buzzer.

The win represents a bit of revenge for the Carolina program after last year’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge, which was hosted in Chapel Hill. The Hawkeyes beat the top-ranked Tar Heels 3-2 in overtime with UNC a player down due to a green card, marking their first win over the Carolina program. The Heels then went on an eight-game winning streak to go undefeated in September — and eventually won the 2023 national title, while Iowa finished their season in the Sweet 16 with a loss to Louisville.

Next for the 2024 field hockey team will be another showcase, as UNC will take part in the ACC/Ivy League Conference Crossover hosted in Louisville, Kentucky. Carolina is set to face Penn on Friday, September 6 at 1 p.m. before playing Princeton on Sunday, September 8 at 11 a.m.

 

Featured image via Carolina Athletics and UNC Field Hockey

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.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Field Hockey Opens 2024 Season With Win at No. 12 Michigan
The champs are back, and they’re back in style. The UNC field hockey team opened its 2024 title defense in the best possible way, trouncing No. 12 Michigan 4-1 on the road in Ann Arbor on Friday. That's one ✅#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/JjO0fNw45D — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) August 30, 2024 After weathering a storm of Michigan […]
'Who's Going to Turn Down Another Year in Chapel Hill?': Matson Talks Return, New Column
On August 17, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chatted with UNC field hockey star Erin Matson, about her new “Notes from the Field” column sponsored by Chapel Hill Tire on Chapelboro.com. “Notes from the Field” is about Matson’s life in field hockey and day-to-day adventures. This transcript has been edited for clarity. You can listen […]
UNC Field Hockey Earns Second Straight National Title, Undefeated Season
UNC Field Hockey won its second straight national title on Sunday, defeating the Princeton Tigers 6-1. The victory meant the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels completed their second straight season with no losses, finishing with a 23-0 record. Princeton struck first, but Carolina responded with two goals before the end of the half to take a […]
Current, Former Tar Heels Claim Gold With USA Field Hockey
Team USA Field Hockey features five current or former Tar Heels.
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, […]
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 […]
UNC Field Hockey Beats Duke, Advances to ACC Tournament Final
Three second-half goals powered UNC to a 5-2 win against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Louisville Thursday afternoon. The win was Carolina’s second against the Blue Devils in the last six days. Doesn't matter where we go, we 𝙤𝙬𝙣 Tobacco Road 🐏#GoHeels | #GDTBATH pic.twitter.com/D7D1jnIrXH — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 6, 2025 […]
›