Field Hockey Wins NCAA First Round Game, 2-1, Over Saint Joseph's

Friday, November 14

Chapel Hill

12 PM

North Carolina

(20-1)

Saint Joseph's

(12-10)

Saint Joseph's

North Carolina

Kara Heck

Photo by: NATE SKVORETZ

Field Hockey Wins NCAA First Round Game, 2-1, Over Saint Joseph's

November 14, 2025 | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Charly Bruder scored the go-ahead goal just two minutes into the fourth quarter as the North Carolina field hockey team took down Saint Joseph's 2-1 in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon at Karen Shelton Stadium.

The Tar Heels (20-1) controlled much of this game but found it difficult to break through a stubborn Hawks' defense. Carolina doubled up St. Joe's on shots, 14 to 7, and dominated the possession throughout, relying on big shots from their stars Bruder and Ryleigh Heck along with some suffocating defense to see them into the next round.

Heck, who looked the most dangerous in open play from the first whistle, scored the first goal of the game to put the Heels in front. Some dazzling stick skills earned her space in the middle of the circle where she finished brilliantly into the side netting.

The senior captain is looking to join her head coach as one of only two Tar Heels all-time to be named to four All-NCAA tournament teams. More goals like that one will go a long way to getting that done.

Saint Joseph's came out of halftime eager to get back in it. They put up their most shots of the game in the third quarter and were rewarded with an equalizer from Laine Delmotte on just her second shot of the season.

With the Heels in need of a goal to keep their postseason hopes alive, enter Charly Bruder. The junior forward heard her number called for the first time on Friday on Carolina's fifth corner of the day and stepped up in a big way. Her signature smash found the bottom left corner of the net for her 18^th goal of the year to put UNC in front for good.

Another crucial moment in the game came on the defensive end, as Isabel Boere recorded Carolina's first defensive save of the season. A low shot off a penalty corner from the Hawks' Milou Kluyt would have tied things up late in the fourth quarter had the true freshman not gotten down to keep it out.

The whole game was eerily reminiscent of UNC's opening round game of the ACC tournament, a 2-1 win over Louisville. Both tight contests tied going into the fourth quarter despite the shots heavily favoring Carolina, both eventually decided by a penalty corner goal for UNC.

Adding to the irony, both of those contests will be immediately followed by a game against Duke. The Tar Heels will face their cross-town rivals for the third time this season on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. ET. The winner will advance to the championship round of the 2025 NCAA tournament, hosted this season in Durham by the Blue Devils.