W&M To Face Defending National Champs in First Round of NCAA Tournament
Hunter Peters
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Nov. 9, 2023) – CAA Field Hockey Champion William & Mary defeated Sacred Heart 4-0 in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament and now turns its attention to the defending National Champions, top-seeded North Carolina, in the First Round.
The Tribe (12-8, 4-2 CAA) and Tar Heels (14-3, 5-1 ACC) will play at noon on Friday from Karen Shelton Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
William & Mary enters the matchup on a five-game winning streak and winners in seven of its past eight contests. The Tribe’s 4-0 victory over NEC Champion Sacred Heart marks its second postseason victory in as many appearances. The four goals are the most all-time for W&M in the NCAA Tournament, and it marked their first shutout in the big dance.
Lauren Curran, the CAA Championship MOP, has been on a torrid streak, scoring in back-to-back contests and six of the past seven. The Second Team All-CAA selection has 11 goals during the current seven-game span and ranked second in the conference in points (33) and goals (15) this season.
Pyper Friedman, a First Team All-CAA selection, added three points on one goal and one assist in the opening round. The junior midfielder is second on the team in points (23) and goals (8) while leading the Tribe with seven assists.
The Tribe backend has also been terrific over the past five games, led by Maddie George in the cage. George has a 0.40 goals-against average over that span, including four of her five shutouts this fall.
North Carolina is the defending National Champions, led by first-year head coach Erin Matson, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In her first season at the helm, Matson led UNC to its seventh straight ACC Championship.
Ryleigh Heck and Charly Bruder lead the way for the Tar Heels. Heck, a First Team All-ACC honoree, leads UNC in points (29), goals (11) and assists (7) this season. Bruder, the ACC Freshman of the Year, matched a team-high with 11 goals and added three assists for 25 points. The duo combined for both goals in North Carolina’s 2-0 win over Duke in the ACC Championship game, propelling the Tar Heels to the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina has won the national title four times in the past five seasons and has a 15-1 record in the NCAA Tournament during that time span.
William & Mary has defeated an ACC opponent in back-to-back seasons, including a 2-1 win over Wake Forest earlier this season.
The winner of Friday’s first-round matchup will advance to face the winner of No. 6 Rutgers and No. 9 Harvard on Sunday at noon in the second round.
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