Field Hockey Advances With 5-1 Win Over Delaware

CHAPEL HILL, NC After falling behind early, the top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team roared back for a 5-1 win over Delaware Friday afternoon in NCAA Tournament action at Karen Shelton Stadium. With the first-round win, the Tar Heels (18-0) advance to play in the second round on Sunday at noon on their home turf.

They’ll face Saint Joseph’s, a 3-1 Winner over Wake Forest in Friday’s second game at Shelton Stadium.

“I’m so proud of our team and want to congratulate Delaware for an outstanding season,” UNC Coach Karen Shelton said. “They started off hot and we got behind for only the second time this year, but I thought our Heels responded so well to being down a goal.”

The Blue Hens scored on a penalty corner just eight seconds into the action to take a 1-0 lead. Carolina, which had trailed in just one other game this season, spent just under six minutes behind before the sophomore Kennedy Cliggett scored to even the game at 1-1. After senior Erin Matson forced a turnover, she passed the ball in to Cliggett, who drove the baseline and sent a ball across the cage and just inside the post for the score.

In the 11^th minute of play, Cliggett struck again to put UNC up for good with the first multi-goal game of her career. On UNC’s seventh penalty corner of the quarter, Matson passed left to Sietske Brüning, who sent a shot towards the cage. Cliggett deflected it up and in for a 2-1 lead.

Carolina scored three more in the second quarter. Just past the 19-minute mark, Matson grabbed a rebound off the Delaware keeper, Lizzie Gaebel, and tapped it to freshman Ryleigh Heckwho popped a shot behind Gaebel and into the empty cage.

UNC scored again in the 23^rd minute. Junior Kiersten Thomassey sent a perfect pass into the Circle and found freshman Ashley Sessa between a defender and the goalkeeper for a quick shot and a 4-1 lead.

Just a minute later Carolina got another, this one from sophomore Lisa Slinkert. Heck sent the ball into the Circle from the right side and Sessa got a stick on it. It bounced off a Delaware defender and to Slinkert, who spun and flipped the ball into the cage for her seventh goal of the year.

UNC finished with a season-high 28 shots, with 21 of those coming in the first half. Gaebel made a career-high 15 saves.

“We were able to figure them out a little bit,” said Shelton, whose team scored all five of its goals in a span of just over 17 minutes. “Love that we were getting shots on goal. One thing coaches worry about is facing a hot goalie I thought their goalie was playing so well, but we talked about going around, getting deflections or passing around the keeper and we did that and were able to break it open a little bit.”

After a disappointing first-round exit last season, the Tar Heels are playing on Sunday for their 26th^th trip to the NCAA semifinals. UNC and Saint Joseph’s met in Chapel Hill on Oct. 23, in Carolina’s final home game of the regular season, with the Tar Heels winning 6-0.

“When you get to the final eight, everybody is good,” Shelton said. “We’ve got to have our A game.”

Well. 1 UNC 5, Delaware 1
Scoring: UD Julia Duffhuis (Ashlyn Carr, Berber Bakermans), 00:12; UNC Kennedy Cliggett, 6:21; UNC Cliggett (Sietske Brüning), 10:51; UNC Ryleigh Heck (Erin Matson), 19:01; UNC Ashley Sessa (Kiersten Thomassey), 22:36; UNC Lisa Slinkert23:35
shots: UNC 28 (12/9/6/1), UD 6 (2/1/0/3)
Penalty Corners: UNC 13 (7/1/4/1), UD 2 (2/0/0/0)
Goalkeeper Saves: UNC 1 (Kylie Walbert30:00, 1 goal allowed, 0 saves; Abigail Taylor30:00, 0 goals allowed, 1 save), UD 15 (Lizzie Gaebel, 60:00, 5 goals allowed, 15 saves)
Defensive Saves: UNC 1 (Kelly Smith)
Records: UNC 18-0, Delaware 10-12