North Carolina
Duke (ACC Tournament Semifinal)
UNC Eliminated At ACC Tournament
November 7, 2003 | Field Hockey
Nov. 7, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Second-seeded North Carolina fell 4-3 to third-seeded Duke Friday afternoon in the first semifinal game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship at University Hall Turf Field. The loss was UNC's second of the season to Duke and marked the sixth consecutive year that the Tar Heels, winners of 14 ACC titles, have been eliminated from conference tournament play in the semifinals.
"It was a heck of a game," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I think our backfield found it difficult to contain Duke's speed. Both teams played very hard and the game went back and forth, but they were a little better than us today."
The Blue Devils scored the game-winner on a penalty stroke by Johanna Bischof with 12:54 to play in the game. It was Duke's second stroke of the game and the third by the teams combined.
Duke scored first, on a penalty corner just over 15 minutes into the game. Gracie Sorbello got the goal, assisted by Katie Grant and Johanna Bischof. The Tar Heels tied the game on a penalty stroke by junior Kerry Falgowski with 5:55 to play in the half. The stroke was Falgowski's first of the year and made the Tar Heels 5-for-5 for the season in penalty strokes.
The Blue Devils' Kim Van Kirk scored with 3:22 to play to give Duke a 2-1 lead at the break, but the Tar Heels quickly tied the score. Just 23 seconds into the second half, sophomore Karen Mann notched her sixth goal of the year to even the game at 2-2. UNC grabbed its only lead of the game eight minutes later on a penalty corner straight shot by freshman Rachel Dawson, assisted by Laura Douglas and Brooke Miller.
Duke tied the game on a goal by Grant with 15:40 to play, then went ahead for good with the penalty stroke. The Blue Devils, 17-2 and ranked No. 2 in the nation, reached the ACC championship game for just the second time, the first since 1990. In Sunday's title game, they will face the winner of the second semifinal game between fourth-seeded Maryland and top-seeded Wake Forest.
North Carolina, 16-5 and ranked No. 4, will await the announcement of the 2003 NCAA Tournament field, scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m.
No. 2 Duke 4, No. 4 North Carolina 3
Scoring:
DU - Gracie Sorbello (Katie Grant, Johanna Bischoff), 1st, 19:51
UNC - Kerry Falgowski (penalty stroke), 1st, 5:55
DU - Kim Van Kirk, 1st, 3:22
UNC - Karen Mann, 2nd, 34:37
UNC - Rachel Dawson (Laura Douglas, Brooke Miller), 2nd, 26:40
DU - Grant, 2nd, 15:40
DU - Bischof (penalty stroke), 2nd, 12:54
Shots: UNC 13, DU 14
Penalty corners: UNC 7, DU 5
Goalkeeper saves: UNC (Katy Tran) 5; DU (Christy Morgan) 4
UNC starters: Carey Fetting-Smith, Naomi Weatherald, Brooke Miller, Rachel Dawson, Kelsey Keeran, Katy Potter, Ashley Judge, Karen Mann, Kerry Falgowski, Laura Douglas, Katy Tran
UNC substitutes: Laree Beans, Amber Chambers
