Delaware Gears Up for NCAA First Round Against Top-Seeded North Carolina
Hunter Peters
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Nov. 10, 2022) – After a 4-0 victory over Lehigh in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday, CAA Field Hockey Champion Delaware turns its attention to top-seeded North Carolina.
The Blue Hens (10-11, 5-1 CAA) and Tar Heels (17-0, 6-0 ACC) will play in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at 12 p.m. on Friday, November 11 from Karen Shelton Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
Delaware is playing its best field hockey of the season at the opportune time. The Blue Hens enter the matchup on a three-match winning streak and have outscored opponents 16-2 in postseason action.
CAA Defensive Player of the Year Julia Duffhuis has been crucial during the run, scoring five goals in the past three contests. Duffhuis has scored in five of the past six matches and leads the Blue Hens with 30 points and 13 goals this season.
Berber Bakermans added a pair of assists in the opening round, giving her eight assists over the past three games. Bakermans leads the CAA and is second in the nation with 16 assists this fall. She also has four goals and is second on the team with 24 points.
North Carolina is the only unbeaten team in NCAA Field Hockey this season after going 17-0 and claiming the ACC Championship last Friday. The Tar Heels lead the nation in scoring margin (+3.05), ranking first with 4.06 goals per game while ranking fifth in goals against average (1.00).
North Carolina took home three ACC major awards in the conference’s year-end honors. Erin Matson was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Meredith Sholder was chosen as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ryleigh Heck was selected as the ACC Freshman of the Year.
Matson and Heck lead the Tar Heels offensively as Matson is tied for the national lead with 52 points, scoring 22 goals with eight assists, while Heck tallied 34 points on 16 goals and two assists in her freshman campaign. Defensively, Sholder led a North Carolina defense that allowed just 17 goals in 17 matches this season.
The winner of the first-round matchup advances to face the winner of Saint Joseph’s and Wake Forest on Sunday, November 13 at 1 p.m.
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