CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (theACC.com) – Wins and milestones have become commonplace for North Carolina head coach Karen Shelton, but Thursday’s 4-0 shutout of Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship quarterfinals carried more than a bit of extra significance.
With the victory in the stadium that bears her name, the second-seeded Tar Heels delivered Shelton her 700th career win, which ties UConn’s Nancy Stevens for the most wins in NCAA field hockey history.
But neither Shelton nor her team had time to dwell on the moment, as they quickly turned their attention to Friday’s 4 p.m. semifinal match versus the winner of tonight’s quarterfinal between No. 3 Syracuse (4-3) and No. 6 Duke (2-6). UNC (8-1) edged the Orange 1-0 in the team’s lone regular-season meeting and swept the Blue Devils by scores of 4-0 and 5-4 (in overtime).
UNC sophomore Paityn Wirth scored the first goal of the match and her third of the season to put UNC up 1-0 midway through the opening quarter. Wirth, a transfer from Penn State, scored again three minutes into the second period, driving home a deflected pass from in front of the net to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead.
Madison Orobono’s first career goal in the closing seconds of the third quarter made it 3-0. ACC leading scorer Erin Matson capped the scoring by driving home her 10th goal of the season with 2:18 remaining in the match.
The three-time defending ACC champion and two-time defending NCAA champion Tar Heels now stand 56-15 in ACC Field Hockey Championship play as they continue their quest for their 23rd overall title. UNC is now 29-0 in games played at Karen Shelton Stadium.
The Tar Heels outshot the Eagles by a margin of 26-13. Goalkeeper Jonna Kennedy recorded 11 saves for Boston College (0-3), which saw the bulk of its fall season wiped out by cancelations related the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNC keeper Amanda Hendry made nine saves in goal while posting the Tar Heels’ fourth shutout of the season.
The 2020 ACC Field Hockey Championship is slated to continue with the final quarterfinal match this evening, followed by Friday afternoon’s semifinals and Sunday’s noon title match.
ACC Network is carrying all tournament action live, with Eric Frede handling play-by and Leah Secondo serving as color analyst.