University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Connecticut
UNC Comeback Earns NCAA Title Shot
November 18, 2011 | Field Hockey
Nov. 18, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With its 2011 season just seconds from ending, the top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team mounted a comeback equal to the greatest in NCAA Tournament history to send Friday's semifinal game into overtime. The Tar Heels went on to beat No. 5 Connecticut 4-3 in double overtime at Trager Stadium and will play No. 3 Maryland on Sunday at noon for the program's seventh NCAA Championship.
"I couldn't be prouder of the Tar Heels today," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "It wasn't easy and they didn't stop believing."
Connecticut scored three times in the first half, and Carolina didn't get on the board until the 57th minute of play, after Shelton had pulled freshman goalkeeper Sassi Ammer. Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany sent a pass from the right side to hit classmate Kelsey Kolojejchick with a pass just in front of the cage. An open Kolojejchick shot behind UConn goalkeeper Sarah Mansfield to score her 22nd goal of the season.
UNC stayed without a goalie and continue to generate chances, but was unable to score again until the final minute of regulation. The Tar Heels drew a season-high 19 penalty corners in the game, but managed to score on only one, with 54 seconds on the clock. Off the stick stop, senior Katelyn Falgowski sent the ball left to junior Caitlin Van Sickle, who powered it past Mansfield to put the score at 3-2.
Carolina still trailed by one with less than a minute to play, but managed to quickly work the ball back into the circle and score again. Kolojejchick sent a pass to Gaudioso Radvany, who received it and fired a shot from the right side. Junior Katie Plyler tipped it into the cage to tie the game at 3-3 with 23 seconds remaining. Ammer quickly subbed back into the game and the Tar Heels ran out the clock to send the game into overtime.
The Tar Heels continued to create opportunities, drawing two penalty corners in each of the extra periods. After the first 15-minute period was scoreless, Carolina eventually scored in the 94th minute, when freshman Loren Shealy got a takeaway on the far sideline and passed the ball ahead to Kolojejchick, who carried it into the circle and sent a reverse chip shot over Mansfield for the gamewinner. "Shealy made an amazing tackle - I give her so much credit," Kolojejchick said. "We made eye contact and I just knew that this play was going to be crucial. She was determined get that tackle and she stayed with the play and gave me an easy pass that was wide open."
With her team-high 23rd goal on the year, Kolojejchick set a new UNC mark for goals by a junior. (The previous record was 21.) The Tar Heels improved to 5-0 this season in overtime games, with three of those going into double overtime.
Carolina finished Friday's game with 28 shots, 14 of which came in the second half. The Huskies had seven shots, with six of them in the first half. UConn's only shot after halftime came in the first overtime period and was saved by Ammer, who finished the day with four saves in 77 minutes played. Mansfield had 19 saves in the game.
"I want to congratulate the University of Connecticut," Shelton said. "I thought that was an outstanding game, hard-fought by both teams. It took us everything that we had to come from behind and get a win."
In the second semifinal game on Friday, Maryland defeated No. 2 Old Dominion 4-0. UNC and Maryland will meet in the NCAA Championship game for the third year in a row, with Carolina taking the title in 2009 and the Terps in 2010. The game on Sunday at noon will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
No. 1 UNC 4, No. 5 Connecticut 3, 2OT
Scoring: UConn - Marie Elena Bolles (Cara Silverman), 14:35; UConn - Bolles, 22:56; UConn - Anne Jeute (Jestine Angelini), 34:19; UNC - Kelsey Kolojejchick (Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany), 56:20; UNC - Caitlin Van Sickle (Katelyn Falgowski), 69:06; UNC - Katie Plyler (Gaudioso Radvany), 69:37; UNC - Kolojejchick (Loren Shealy), 93:15
Shots: UNC 28 (8/14/3/3), UConn (6/0/1/0)
Penalty corners: UNC 19 (7/8/2/2), UConn 1 (1/0/0/0)
Saves: UNC 4 (Sassi Ammer, 76:39, 3 goals allowed, 4 saves; Team, 16:36); UConn 19 (Sarah Mansfield, 93:15, 4 goals allowed, 19 saves)
Records: UNC 22-1, UConn 19-2
