Michigan Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to No. 1 UNC in National Final

Sunday, May 9

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7:00 PM

Michigan

(15-3)

North Carolina

(19-1)

Michigan

North Carolina

Sarah Pyrtek (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to No. 1 UNC in National Final

5/9/2021 10:52:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Karen Shelton Stadium)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Final)
Score: #1 North Carolina 4, #2 Michigan 3 (OT)
Records: U-M (15-3), UNC (19-1)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team overcame a two-goal deficit to force overtime in the NCAA Tournament championship game but dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday evening (May 9) at the Tar Heels' Karen Shelton Stadium. UNC won its third consecutive national championship and denied the Wolverines their second title just shy of the 20th anniversary of their first in 2001.

North Carolina's Erin Matson, the nation's leading scorer, tallied two goals, including the game-winner at the 66:39 mark in the overtime period, converting on the second of back-to-back penalty corners with a reverse chip to middle of the board.

» No. 2 Michigan fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 4-3, in overtime of the NCAA championship game.
» UNC, which claimed its third consecutive NCAA title, scored the game-winning goal off a penalty corner at the 66:39 mark.
» The Wolverines overcame a two-goal deficit, scoring twice in the final 5:06 of the third quarter to even the score; Kate Burney, Kathryn Peterson and Sarah Pyrtek scored U-M's goals.
» Michigan finished the 2020-21 season with a 15-3 mark and swept the Big Ten and conference tournament titles for the fifth time in program history. Its appearance in the NCAA final was its third since 1999.

Trailing 3-1 in the third quarter, the Wolverines scored twice in the final 5:06 of the frame to even the score. Junior Kathryn Peterson answered less than three minutes after UNC's third goal to swing momentum back Michigan's way at the 37:17 mark. Junior Katie Anderson carried the ball over the 25 line and into the circle and put a hard reverse shot on goal from the top. It was saved and North Carolina (19-1) attempted to clear but whipped the ball right to Peterson on the left side of the arc, and the she rocketed a shot to the far post -- her fourth goal of the season.

Sophomore Sarah Pyrtek tallied the equalizer less than five minutes later, at the 44:26 mark, in the final minute of the third quarter. Michigan earned a free hit late, pushed the ball up the right side and into the circle, where it kicked loose to the top of the circle to Pyrtek, who buried a shot to the right side of the cage for her team-best seventh goal of the season.

Senior/junior Kate Burney scored Michigan's first goal, at the 9:18 mark in the first quarter, after taking it into the circle on the right baseline and putting a tight-angle shot to the middle. The ball hit a Carolina defender and deflected in for her third goal of the season.

The Tar Heels answered back just 33 seconds later, converting on their first penalty corner with a direct shot from Matson to the right side of the cage at 9:51. Carolina added goals on a penalty stroke at 17:38 and another off a cross-cage shot from just inside the scoring arc at 37:17 midway through the third quarter.

Michigan (15-3) was not without additional scoring opportunities, including a flurry off a penalty corner in the final couple minutes of the first half, in which the direct shot was saved and U-M had two rebound chances blocked. In all, Michigan outshot the Tar Heels, 11-8, but was outcornered, 5-4, including the two UNC corners in overtime. Junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker earned three saves, while Carolina's Amanda Hendry posted four stops.

The Wolverines finished the 2020-21 season with a 15-3 record -- the program's most wins since posting a record 21 in 2017 -- and swept the Big Ten Conference championship and tournament title for the fifth time in program history. Michigan reached the NCAA championship game for the third time since 1999 and first since capturing the 2001 NCAA championship.