University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday, November 12
Iowa City, Iowa
3:30 PM ET
North Carolina
vs
Northwestern (NCAA First Round)
The Tar Heels practiced on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Grant Field.
Carolina Meets Northwestern Friday To Open NCAA Play
November 11, 2021 | Field Hockey
IOWA CITY, Iowa – North Carolina opens play in the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament on Friday afternoon, meeting Northwestern in a first-round matchup in Iowa City. The host Hawkeyes take on American in the first game of the day at noon local time (1 p.m. ET). The UNC-Northwestern game follows at 2:30 CT/3:30 ET.
The winners meet Sunday at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET for a spot in the NCAA semifinals. All three games at the Iowa site will be broadcast on Big Ten Network + and fans can watch for free. (No subscription required for this one.)
Eighth-ranked UNC (13-6) comes into the NCAA Tournament on a roll after winning its last four games, three of which earned the Tar Heels their fifth-straight Atlantic Coast Conference title. Although the two have crossed paths – the Wildcats played a neutral-site first-round NCAA Tournament last spring – Carolina and Northwestern (14-5) haven't faced off since 1993, back when field hockey games could still end in a tie. That year, the Tar Heels and Wildcats played through two overtimes in Chapel Hill and ended up scoreless. They had eight previous meetings, with each team winning four, but they've never met in postseason play.
The Tar Heels are making their 38th NCAA Tournament appearance, more than any other program. Carolina also holds the records for tournament games played (Friday's will be the 102nd) and tournament wins (73). UNC is 73-28 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
After arriving home from the ACC Championship in Syracuse on Monday morning following flight delays, the Tar Heels hit the road again on Wednesday morning. They arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday afternoon and continued game preparations. Thursday they practiced at Iowa's Grant Field, where Friday's games will take place.
It's UNC's second trip to Iowa City this fall, with a much higher temperature for the first. The Tar Heels opened the season here, playing in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge the last weekend in August. Carolina dropped two close games on that trip (3-2 to Michigan, 3-1 to Iowa), both rematches from the 2020 final four.
Friday's game is Carolina first step on a quest for a fourth-consecutive NCAA field hockey title, something no Division I program has accomplished.
The winners meet Sunday at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET for a spot in the NCAA semifinals. All three games at the Iowa site will be broadcast on Big Ten Network + and fans can watch for free. (No subscription required for this one.)
Eighth-ranked UNC (13-6) comes into the NCAA Tournament on a roll after winning its last four games, three of which earned the Tar Heels their fifth-straight Atlantic Coast Conference title. Although the two have crossed paths – the Wildcats played a neutral-site first-round NCAA Tournament last spring – Carolina and Northwestern (14-5) haven't faced off since 1993, back when field hockey games could still end in a tie. That year, the Tar Heels and Wildcats played through two overtimes in Chapel Hill and ended up scoreless. They had eight previous meetings, with each team winning four, but they've never met in postseason play.
The Tar Heels are making their 38th NCAA Tournament appearance, more than any other program. Carolina also holds the records for tournament games played (Friday's will be the 102nd) and tournament wins (73). UNC is 73-28 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
After arriving home from the ACC Championship in Syracuse on Monday morning following flight delays, the Tar Heels hit the road again on Wednesday morning. They arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday afternoon and continued game preparations. Thursday they practiced at Iowa's Grant Field, where Friday's games will take place.
It's UNC's second trip to Iowa City this fall, with a much higher temperature for the first. The Tar Heels opened the season here, playing in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge the last weekend in August. Carolina dropped two close games on that trip (3-2 to Michigan, 3-1 to Iowa), both rematches from the 2020 final four.
Friday's game is Carolina first step on a quest for a fourth-consecutive NCAA field hockey title, something no Division I program has accomplished.
UNC Baseball: DeCaro, Glauber Shut Down Pitt in Series Opener, 4-1
Saturday, May 09
FENCE: Youssef Shamel & Matt Jednak On Shamel's NCAA Title
Thursday, May 07
UNC Softball: Tar Heels Outlast Clemson in ACCT, 4-2
Wednesday, May 06
Carolina Baseball & The Muenzer MPS Center
Monday, May 04