No. 2 Tar Heels Top Tigers, 5-2

Friday, September 4

Princeton, N.J.

4:00 PM

North Carolina

(3-0, 0-0ACC)

At Princeton

(0-1, 0-0Ivy)

North Carolina

Princeton

September 4, 2015 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

PRINCETON, N.J. – North Carolina senior Casey Di Nardo scored twice and the Tar Heel defense held a shutout through the game's first 62 minutes en route to a 5-2 win Friday afternoon over No. 15 Princeton. Second-ranked UNC improved to 3-0 with its third road win over a ranked team.

In action at the Tigers' Bedford field, Di Nardo's first goal came 4:01 into the match, when she scored unassisted on a shot from the top of the circle. In the 13th minute, senior Emily Wold made it 2-0, assisted by Di Nardo. Wold sent a shot from the middle of the circle into the top left of the cage.

Just past the 26-minute mark Di Nardo scored again to put UNC up 3-0. This time she took a pass from sophomore Sam Night in front of the cage and shot past goalkeeper Anya Gersoff for the score.

Four minutes before halftime the Tar Heels added their fourth goal, this one courtesy of sophomore Gab Major. After Princeton's Danielle Duseau made a defensive save on Major's first effort, she grabbed the rebound and put it back for the score.

The Tar Heels led 4-0 at halftime, and they held onto that lead until the clock neared the eight-minute mark. With 8:08 to play, Princeton scored on a penalty corner, one of just two for the game. Sophia Tornetta's deflection, assisted by Hailey Reeves, made the score 4-1.

Junior Lauren Moyer got UNC's final goal, and her first of the season, in the 64th minute. After her first shot was blocked, Moyer grabbed the rebound and shot again. to make it 5-1, Carolina's highest scoring output of the season so far. (UNC scored twice in each of its first two games.)

Princeton's final goal came seven seconds from the end of the game, when Teresa Benvenuti's goal made the final 5-2.

Overall, the Tar Heels outshot the Tigers 26-6, including an 18-1 first-half margin. UNC also led in corners, 6-2. Junior Shannon Johnson made three saves for the Tar Heels, playing all 70 minutes in goal.

UNC is back in action on Sunday with a 1 p.m. game at Drexel.

No. 2 UNC 5, No. 15 Princeton 2

Scoring: UNC – Casey Di Nardo, 4:01; UNC – Emily Wold (Di Nardo, 12:30; UNC – Di Nardo (Sam Night), 26:03; UNC – Gab Major, 30:56; PU – Sophia Tornetta (Hailey Reeves), 61:52; UNC – Lauren Moyer, 63:57; PU – Teresa Benvenuti, 69:53

Shots: UNC 26 (18/8); PU 6 (1/5)

Penalty corners: UNC 6 (2/4); PU 2 (0/2)

Saves: UNC 3 (Shannon Johnson, 70:00, 3 saves, 2 goals allowed); PU 16 (Anya Gersoff, 70:00, 14 saves, 5 goal allowed)

Defensive saves: UNC 0, Princeton 2

UNC starters: Shannon Johnson, Lauren Moyer, Halle Frain, Emily Wold, Nina Notman, Ashley Hoffman, Malin Evert, Julia Young, Morgan Goetz, Casey Di Nardo, Eva van't Hoog