Kicking off the season with a pair of top-25 matchups as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge this weekend, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team didn’t start its season quite the way it had hoped.
Saturday saw the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines (2-0) upset the Tar Heels by a score of 3-2 in the first game of the 2017 campaign, but head coach Karen Shelton and company regrouped for a 3-0 shutout win over No. 17 Iowa on Sunday.
UNC (1-1) rattled off all three of its goals against Iowa (0-2)–which was hosting the two-day event at Grant Field in Iowa City–in the second half.
Ashley Hoffman scored the team’s first goal, and was later followed up on the score sheet by Gab Major and Malin Evert.
It was the type of strong team effort that has come to have been expected from a squad that has been the NCAA runner-up in each of the last two seasons.
Saturday’s upset loss was uncharacteristic, but Shelton hopes it provides her team with motivation as it moves through the rest of the season.
“The most important thing is that we improved from game 1 to game 2,” Shelton said. “We learned some lessons. We were a little calmer and the younger players are gaining experience.”
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UNC will travel to face Princeton on Friday, before heading to Philadelphia to face Penn on Sunday.
Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati (UNC Athletics)
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