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

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