University of North Carolina Athletics
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Maryland
Maryland Tops UNC In Double OT To Take Title
November 21, 2010 | Field Hockey
Nov. 21, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - North Carolina's 2010 field hockey season ended Sunday at Maryland's Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in the NCAA Championship game. But the Tar Heels stretched the campaign out just about as long as possible, playing through the better part of two overtime periods before the top-ranked Terrapins scored the gamewinner to claim the program's seventh NCAA title on their home field.
Sophomore Megan Frazer's goal with 2:10 remaining in the second overtime gave Maryland a 3-2 win, reversing the score by which UNC claimed the 2009 title over the Terps.
"Congratulations to the University of Maryland on winning the national championship," said UNC coach Karen Shelton, whose team finished the season 22-3. "I think both teams fought extremely hard. It was two good teams going at it, as you would hope in a national championship."
Maryland (23-1) scored first, getting on the board just 4:31 into the game on the first penalty corner of the afternoon. Jemma Buckely sent a ball to the right of the cage and Hayley Turner deflected it in for a 1-0 lead.
UNC tied the score just 30 seconds before halftime on the Tar Heels' second corner of the period. Junior Meghan Dawson's rocket was good for her sixth goal of the season and second of the final four. Sophomore Katie Ardrey on the insert and junior Teryn Brill on the stick stop assisted on the play.
Just over 11 minutes into the second half, UNC took over the lead on its only corner of the second half. Freshman Marta Malmberg send a hard shot rolling into the cage, with assists again going to Ardrey and Brill.
Carolina's edge held up until the 63rd minute, when Maryland sophomore Harriet Tibble ripped a reverse stick shot from the left side of the circle to tie the score at 2-2, which is where it stood when regulation elapsed 7:25 later.
The teams played through the first 15-minute overtime with no score, despite three shots for each squad and three corners for Maryland. In the second overtime, the Terrapins again had opportunities, with one penalty corner and five shots, including Megan Frazer's gamewinner in the 98th minute of play. Just 2:10 remained before the game would have been decided by penalty strokes.
Carolina goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer had a season-high nine saves against Maryland, five of them in the extra periods, in the final game of her college career. "She was magnificent today and kept us in it, expecially in the overtime," Shelton said.
It was UNC's 13th appearance in the title game and marked the third time in the last four years the Tar Heels have been in it, including wins in 2007 and 2009. Seniors who made their final appearances in Carolina blue were Elizabeth Drazdowski, Kintzer, Louise McNutt and Jen Slocum.
"I'm really proud of our team," Shelton said. "I'm really proud to represent the University of North Carolina. We'll take pride in finishing second in the nation - there's no shame in that. I felt like our kids really fought and played their hearts out. They tried as hard as they possibly could and I don't think we have any regrets."
The Tar Heels finished the season with three losses, all to the Terrapins. UNC was 2-1 in overtime games.
This was UNC's 15th appearance in the final four and the second time that Carolina's semifinal and final games have both been decided in overtime in the same year. In 1993, Carolina beat Penn State in penalty strokes in the semifinal and lost to Maryland 2-1 in penalty strokes in the national championship game.
No. 1 Maryland 3, No. 2 North Carolina 2, 2OT
Scoring: MD - Hayley Turner (Jemma Buckley), 4:31; UNC - Meghan Dawson (Katie Ardrey, Teryn Brill), 34:30; UNC - Marta Malmberg (Ardrey, Brill), 41:03; MD - Harriet Tibble, 62:35; MD - Megan Frazier, 97:50
Shots: UNC 12 (4/5/3/0); MD 18 (2/8/3/5)
Penalty corners: UNC 3 (2/1/0/0); MD 9 (2/3/3/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 9 (Jackie Kintzer, 3 GA, 9 S, 97:50); MD 5 (Melissa Vassalotti, 3 GA, 5 S, 97:50)
Records: UNC 22-3; Maryland 23-1
UNC starters: Jackie Kintzer, Teryn Brill, Taryn Gjurich, Katie Ardrey, Kelsey Kolojejchick, Elizabeth Stephens, Elizabeth Drazdowski, Caitlin Van Sickle, Meghan Dawson, Marta Malmberg, Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany
UNC substitutes: Jen Slocum, Sinead Loughran, Katie Plyler
