Semifinal 1 Boxscore |
Semifinal 2 Boxscore
DURHAM, N.C. (theACC.com) – For the second consecutive year, North Carolina and Virginia will meet in the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship Game.
The top-seeded Tar Heels battled past No. 5 seed Syracuse, 2-1, in Wednesday’s first semifinal match, while the third-seeded Cavaliers stunned No. 2 seed Wake Forest, 3-2, on a game-tying goal with 95 seconds left in regulation and the game-winner just 1:23 into overtime.
Game time for the rematch between the nationally No. 1-ranked Tar Heels (16-0) and fifth-ranked Cavaliers (13-6) is set for 2 p.m. Friday on Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium.
UNC posted a 3-1 win over the Cavaliers in this year’s regular-season meeting between the teams in Chapel Hill on Oct. 21. The Tar Heels scored all three of their goals in the opening half, and goalkeeper Abigail Taylor made four key saves.
UNC blanked Virginia 1-0 in the 2021 ACC Championship final at Syracuse on Erin Matson’s second-half penalty corner goal.
ACC Network is providing live coverage of this year’s entire Championship, with Leah Secondo and Suzanne Bush on the call.
A glance at Friday’s semifinal action:
#1 North Carolina 2, #5 Syracuse 1
Wednesday’s tight match proved markedly different from UNC’s 6-1 win over the Orange during the regular season, as neither side found goals easy to come by.
Five-time Offensive Player of the Year Erin Matson scored on a penalty stroke for the Tar Heels 3:18 into the third quarter to finally snap a scoreless tie, and Ryleigh Heck’s redirect off a penalty corner in the opening minute of the fourth quarter upped UNC’s lead to 2-0.
Syracuse halved the margin with 8:13 remaining in the match when Joy Haarman took a pass from Charlotte de Vries and knocked in her seventh goal of the year to make it 2-1. But the Tar Heels hung on, maintaining possession for a huge chunk of the remaining time and then surviving a good look by Syracuse’s Quirine Comans from 15 yards out that missed just to the left with 23 seconds remaining.
The Orange’s best chance during the first half came on back-to-back shots by de Vries and Haarman in the game’s opening minutes. But Tar Heel goalkeeper Kylie Walbert thwarted the first attempt, and UNC’s Sietske Bruning came up with the defensive save on the rebound follow attempt.
The Tar Heels held a 13-6 edge in total shots and a 6-2 advantage on corner kicks.
While UNC turns its attention to Friday’s tournament title game, Syracuse (15-5) will await what it expects to be good news from the NCAA Tournament selection committee late Sunday evening. The Orange entered Wednesday’s match with a No. 10 RPI and own six wins over fellow top-25 teams this season.
#3 Virginia 3, #2 Wake Forest 2 (ot)
After tying the score in dramatic fashion at the end of regulation, Virginia wasted little time making sure the effort didn’t go for naught. Adele Iacobucci’s direct-shot goal off a pass from Annie McDonough at the 8:33 mark of overtime completed the sudden turnaround and sent the Cavaliers on to Friday’s final.
Wake Forest struck gold on its third corner of the opening half as Immie Gillgrass’ redirect off a shot by Meike Lanckohr found the back of the net for her third goal of the season.
Wake struck again with exactly 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter on an unassisted score by freshman Rachel Thetford, who became the 11th Demon Deacon to score multiple goals.
Virginia answered at the 7:20 mark of the third period when Annie McDonough punched in her second goal of the year off a pass from Meghen Rengerer.
It appeared Wake Forest’s 2-1 lead might hold from there, but the Cavaliers’ Taryn Tkachuk had other ideas.
After coming tantalizingly close to tying the score on a near-point blank shot that was saved by Wake Forest’s diving Sky Caron with 2:14 to play, Tkachuk got a second chance at the 1:35 mark when she took a pass from Rengerer on the break and drove home her fourth goal of the season – and second of the tournament – to force the 2-2 tie and what proved to be a short-lived overtime.
The Demon Deacons (15-5) are also optimistic about landing an NCAA at-large berth. Wake Forest entered Wednesday night’s match ranked No. 8 nationally and has won 15 of its last 18 matches.
Noting Friday’s ACC Final
- No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 3 seed Virginia will be meeting the ACC Field Hockey Championship for the 15th time. The Tar Heels are 11-3 versus the Cavaliers in previous tournament meetings, including a 4-1 mark in the title game:
1984 – UNC 2, Virginia 1
1985 – UNC 4, Virginia 0
1997 -- UNC 2, Virginia 0
2016 – Virginia 4, UNC 2
2021 – UNC 1, Virginia 0
- North Carolina will be seeking its sixth consecutive ACC Championship and its 25th overall. Virginia’s lone ACC title to date came in 2016 under current head coach Michele Madison. Sunday will mark the 29th ACC Championship title game appearance for the Tar Heels and Virginia will be appearing for the ninth time.
- UNC owns a 62-15 all-time record in ACC Championship play, while Virginia is 28-38.
- The winner of Friday’s match receives the ACC automatic qualifying berth in the NCAA Tournament, and the loser will remain hopeful of an at-large berth in the 18-team field, which will be announced Sunday evening at 10 p.m. UNC has made 38 previous appearances in the NCAA Tournament while winning nine national titles, and Virginia has made the NCAA field 25 times.
- The ACC has placed multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament field each of the previous 27 years.
2022 ACC Field Hockey Championship
Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium; Durham, N.C.
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Nov. 1
#5 Syracuse 6, #4 Boston College 2
#2 Wake Forest 1, #7 Duke 0
#3 Virginia 1, #6 Louisville 0
Semifinals
Wednesday, Nov. 2
#1 North Carolina 2, #5 Syracuse 1
#3 Virginia 3, #2 Wake Forest 2 (ot)
Championship
Friday, Nov. 4
2 pm - #1 North Carolina vs. #3 Virginia (ACCN)