Tribe’s Season Ends in First Round of NCAA Tournament
Hunter Peters
BOX SCORE
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Nov. 10, 2023) – The defending national champions were on a mission Friday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium, as top-seeded North Carolina defeated CAA Champion William & Mary 6-1 in the First Round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament.
North Carolina (15-3) advances to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face the winner of No. 6 Rutgers and No. 9 Harvard on Sunday at noon. William & Mary ends the year 12-9 after claiming its second CAA title in program history.
Five Tar Heels accounted for UNC’s six goals, and their offensive pressure was nonstop, outshooting W&M 31-3, including 22 shots on goal. Payton Wirth paced North Carolina with four points on two goals.
Maddie George gave it her all in the cage for W&M, recording a career-high 16 saves, including 11 in the first half, but North Carolina’s consistent threat on the attack proved too much to overcome.
The Tribe weathered the storm in the first 15 minutes as UNC registered all nine shots in the period, but George turned away six to keep it a scoreless tie at the end of the opening quarter.
The Tar Heels pressure continued in the second, adding 11 shots, two of which would find the back of the cage. ACC Freshman of the Year Charly Bruder notched the first tally in the 18th minute before Katie Dixon doubled the UNC advantage in the 29th minute. Dixon’s goal was the first conversion in six tries for North Carolina on penalty corners in the first half and gave the defending National Champs a 2-0 lead at the break.
UNC pushed its lead to 5-0 in the third quarter before William & Mary got on the board with a penalty corner opportunity. The Tribe earned back-to-back corners in the 45th minute, with Allison Goodwin converting the second off the stick stop of Maddie McGaughey and insert from Pyper Friedman.
Wirth opened the third period with consecutive goals in the 35th and 36th minutes before Kiersten Thomassey scored in the 39th minute for the Tar Heels. UNC tacked on its final tally in the 49th minute, courtesy of Lisa Slinkert.
Follow the CAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and learn more about all CAA member institutions and their teams.