Final Four Bound! Field Hockey Advances To Program's 26th

Sunday, November 13

Chapel Hill

Noon

North Carolina

(19-0)

Saint Joseph's (2nd Round)

(16-5)

Saint Joseph's

North Carolina

The Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA semifinals on Friday in Storrs, Conn.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 13, 2022 | Field Hockey

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The top-ranked North Carolina field hockey team earned a trip to the program's 26^th final four with a 5-2 win over No. 9 Saint Joseph's on Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium. Senior Erin Matson, the most decorated player in program history, had her 13^th career hat trick in her final game on the KSS turf.

The Tar Heels will take on Penn State in the NCAA semifinals on Friday in Storrs, Conn.

Senior Paityn Wirth scored in the 10^th minute of play to put Carolina up for good. SJU keeper Robin Bleekemolen saved a shot by Matson and the rebound rolled out to Wirth, who popped a shot into the cage. Saint Joseph's Kate Crist got her stick on it but couldn't keep the shot from going in.

The Tar Heels carried that one-goal advantage into the second quarter. On the second of back-to-back penalty corners, Matson rocketed her shot into the cage for a 2-0 lead, assisted by Wirth on the insert and Romea Riccardo on the stick stop.

Just under two minutes later Matson scored again, on another assist from Wirth to make it 3-0 UNC at halftime. Matson took the pass and dove past the keeper to send the shot in.

Just 21 seconds into the third quarter, the Tar Heels were awarded a penalty stroke and Matson took it to make the score 4-0. It was her fifth stroke attempt of the season and she's made all five.

Less than a minute later the Hawks got their first goal of the day. On their only penalty corner of the second half, they got off a flurry of shots and scored on the third, with Leigh James picking up her seventh goal of the season.

Early in the fourth quarter, freshman Ashley Sessa carried the ball into the circle and backhanded a shot past Bleekemolen to make it 5-1 for the Tar Heels.

In the 52^nd minute, SJU's Sol Borensztein carried the ball in from the baseline and sent in a shot that bounced into the cage to make the final score 5-2.

UNC held a 19-5 edge in shots and didn't give up a shot in the first half.

No. 1 UNC 5, No. 9 Saint Joseph's 2
Scoring: UNC – Paityn Wirth, 9:37; UNC – Erin Matson (Wirth, Romea Riccardo), 26:56; UNC – Matson (Wirth), 28:47; UNC – Matson (penalty stroke), 30:21; SJU – Leigh James, 30:55; UNC – Ashley Sessa, 48:43; UNC – Sol Borensztein, 51:55
Shots: UNC 19 (9/3/5/2), SJU 5 (0/0/3/2)
Penalty Corner: UNC 6 (3/2/1/0), SJU 3 (2/0/1/0)
Goalkeeper Saves: UNC 3 (Abigail Taylor, 30:00, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves; Kylie Walbert, 30:00, 2 goals allowed, 3 saves)
Records: UNC 19-0, SJU 16-5