#1 UNC Tops #11 Syracuse in OT

Sunday, April 18

Syracuse, NY

1 PM

Syracuse University

(8-8, 4-6)

North Carolina

(15-1, 5-1ACC)

North Carolina

Syracuse

4/18/2021 4:21:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

No. 11 Syracuse (8-8, 4-5 ACC) gave No. 1 North Carolina everything it had in a 4-3 overtime loss at J.S. Coyne Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Syracuse finishes the spring portion of the 2020-21 season 3-4. North Carolina improves to 15-1 overall and 8-1 in the ACC.

The Tar Heels scored a goal just before the end of the first quarter when Hannah Griggs was fed a pass from the right side by Katie Dixon to lead 1-0. Erin Matson scored her first of three goals in the 20th minute on a penalty corner for UNC to make it a 2-0 game that held through the first half.

Hailey Bitters put Syracuse on the scoreboard when she had the final touch after Pleun Lammers fed a pass into the circle that found the stick of Charlotte de Vries who changed the trajectory and found Bitters open at the corner of the cage for the score in the 33rd minute. Eefke van den Nieuwenhof scored the equalizer on a corner in the 44th minute to tie the game 2-2.

With eight minutes to play in regulation Syracuse scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty corner. Charlotte de Vries took the initial shot which found Romee Joosten's stick and sent the ball into the air. Lammers was there to tip the ball past Carolina's goalkeeper for the 3-2 lead. Two minutes later Matson scored her second goal of the game on a penalty corner to make it 3-all.

In overtime, the Orange maintained possession for majority of the opening minutes but a yellow card issued to Syracuse's van den Nieuwenhof gave the Tar Heels an advantage with an extra player on the field while SU's centerback sat for a five minute penalty. During the man-up opportunity Matson connected with Paityn Wirth for the game-winning goal in the 67th minute of play to secure the 4-3 win.

Syracuse outshot the top-ranked Tar Heels 14-7 and held a 7-6 advantage in shots on goal. Syracuse had seven penalty corners to UNC's three, including a 3-1 advantage in the second half. Emily Streib made two saves in goal for Syracuse and 3-4 in goal for the Orange with the loss.