Field Hockey Drops Season Opener In Overtime 2-1 To Michigan

Friday, August 28

Winston-Salem, NC

3:30 PM

North Carolina

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Michigan

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Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
North Carolina	0	0	0	1	0	1
Michigan	0	0	1	0	1	2

August 28, 2026 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: William Soulé

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A fourth-quarter goal for No. 2 Carolina field hockey sent the game to overtime, but it was No. 14 Michigan that came away with the winner in the 64^th minute to give the Heels a 2-1 loss on opening day.

The Tar Heels (0-1) got a composed game defensively from a lineup that featured five players that were not regular starters on last year's team but struggled to produce a consistent offensive threat. Carolina did not earn a penalty corner for the first time in at least the last 11 years.

"We weren't necessarily focused on the outcome," said Carolina head coach Erin Matson. "What we're focused on in these first few weekends is growth, improvement, steadiness, and that gradual increase of putting our words into actions."

Halftime saw the score still at 0-0 with Carolina holding a four to three shot advantage. The third quarter was where the Wolverines produced an uptick in pressure, outshooting the Heels six to two and scoring the game's first goal on a penalty stroke from Eva Bernardy.

Matson's staff will rely heavily on their underclassmen for production this year with five sophomores and four freshmen making up the bulk of the 16 total that played on Friday. It was a pair of veterans that got the Heels back in this one in the fourth quarter though.

A fantastic solo run from Coco Courtright broke through the right side of the Michigan defense before the laid the ball off for a waiting Charly Bruder who scored the team's first goal of the season. It was an encouraging moment of brilliance from Courtright, who only had two assists to her name last season. Matson will hope it is a sign of things to come from the junior from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Bruder's goal, the 61^st of her career, sent the game to overtime where it would be a bouncing ball from Michigan's Sofia Ghanbari that won it for the Wolverines. It is the first time Carolina has lost on opening day since their last loss to Michigan in 2021.

The Tar Heels will have a quick chance to respond against another Big Ten foe when they face Iowa on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. ET. The game will once again be played in Winston-Salem with coverage live on ACCNX.