The UNC field hockey team defeated eighth-ranked Duke this past weekend to return to the Final Four for the program’s 29th time. This is UNC’s third win over the Blue Devils in 16 days, with two of them
coming in overtime.
The Heels beat Duke 2-1 in overtime during their regular season matchup just over two weeks ago. The Blue Devils got a rematch when the teams met in the ACC tournament, but UNC cruised to an easy 5-2 win to advance to the championship final against Virginia (that the UNC also won). The teams met for a third time in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals after UNC advanced with a 2-1 win over St. Joes and Duke downing Iowa to set up the rematch.
UNC struck first on a goal from Kara Heck after sustained offensive pressure on Duke’s defense. Both teams ended up having goals overturned before Duke tied the game on a goal early in the fourth quarter. Neither team could break through after that, and regulation time ended in a 1-1 tie. The Heels wasted no time putting Duke away in the sudden death period. Sanne Hak took a nice pass from Dani Mendez and buried it less than two minutes into overtime for the win and a berth in the Final Four. Despite the narrow win, the Heels dominated the game statistically, finishing with a 24-7 advantage in shots.
The win improves UNC record to 21-1 overall, with the only blemish being a loss to Wake Forest in overtime. The Heels are currently riding a 13-game winning streak. Perhaps more impressively, UNC coach Erin Matson remains undefeated against Duke. Matson is now 15-0 when facing the Blue Devils as either a player or a coach.
Up next for the Tar Heels is a matchup with a second-ranked Northwestern squad that boasts a 20-1 record and also has a win against Duke this season. The Heels won’t play far from home, as the Final Four will be held in Durham. You can catch the game on ESPNU at 2:30pm (EST) on Friday, November 21st.
