Wolverines Drop Season Opener at No. 2 North Carolina

Saturday, August 25

Chapel Hill, N.C.

11:30 AM

Michigan

(0-1)

North Carolina

(1-0)

Michigan

North Carolina

Halle O'Neill

Wolverines Drop Season Opener at No. 2 North Carolina

8/25/2018 1:35:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 5 Michigan fell to No. 2 North Carolina, 5-1, in its season opener at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
» Halle O'Neill scored the first goal of the game on a tip from the right post at the 4:16 mark.
» UNC pulled away in the second half, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the frame to break open a one-goal halftime lead.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Carolina Field Hockey Stadium)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Day 1 of 2)
Score: #2 North Carolina 5, #5 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (0-1), UNC (1-0)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Aug. 26 -- vs. Wake Forest (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 11:30 a.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team could not maintain an initial advantage, falling to No. 2 North Carolina, 5-1, in the first game of the 17th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Saturday (Aug. 26) at the Tar Heels' Carolina Field Hockey Stadium. It snapped a two-year Wolverine win streak over UNC in the season opener.

North Carolina pulled away in the second half, using odd-man advantages in the Wolverine circle to score twice within the first 10 minutes of the frame -- and three times in all -- and break open what was a one-goal game at halftime.

Michigan struck early, at the 4:16 mark, taking advantage of a flurry in the UNC circle to take the initial lead on sophomore Halle O'Neill's tip for the first Wolverine goal of the season. Carolina saved senior Emma Way's penalty-corner shot just moments earlier, but junior Fay Keijer quickly regained possession near the top-left side of the arc and fired a shot across to the right post, where O'Neill redirected it into the near side of the cage.

But UNC responded just two minutes later, at 6:28, tying the score off its first corner opportunity of the game and took its first lead off a penalty stroke at the 28:54 mark late in the half.

North Carolina outshot the Wolverines, 26-7, and out-cornered them, 11-5. Freshman goalkeeper Anna Spieker stopped five of 10 shots faced in the loss, while sophomore Sidonie LaPlante earned two saves over the final 12 minutes of the contest. UNC goalkeeper Amanda Hendry made two saves.

The Wolverines (0-1) will return to action tomorrow (Sunday, Aug. 26), to take on No. 14 Wake Forest at 11:30 a.m. at the Carolina Field Hockey Stadium.