CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – For the 16th time in 17 seasons, the North Carolina Tar Heels are heading to the NCAA Field Hockey Championship semifinals. The No. 1 Tar Heels will be joined by No. 2 Princeton, No. 3 Harvard, and Northwestern in this year’s semifinals. The semifinals will begin on Friday, November 21, in Durham, North Carolina, with Duke University serving as the host.
 
The Atlantic Coast Conference has placed at least one team in the NCAA title game in 23 of the last 26 NCAA Championships—and 31 times in the last 35 years. In the ACC’s first 44 years as an NCAA field hockey conference, league teams have accounted for half of the total appearances in the national title game (44 of 88).
 
No. 1 North Carolina 2, Duke 1 (OT)
After a scoreless first quarter, Kara Heck put North Carolina on the scoreboard in the 24th minute with her seventh goal of the season, finishing off an assist from Charly Bruder.
 
The one-goal advantage held until the 48th minute, when Shae Wozniak scored the equalizer for the Blue Devils. Throughout the fourth quarter, both Duke and North Carolina fired three shots, but neither team could find the game-winning goal in regulation.
 
Sanne Hak played the hero in overtime for the Tar Heels with her seventh goal of the season. The junior from Bussum, Netherlands, connected off an assist from Sietske Brüning to send North Carolina back to the semifinals.
 
North Carolina will meet defending national champion Northwestern on Friday, November 21. The start time for the semifinal contest will be announced at a later date.
 
Duke finished its season with a 13-8 record.
 
Princeton 2, Syracuse 1
After trailing 1-0 entering the fourth quarter, Syracuse was forced to find an answer to Princeton’s stout defense. The Orange pulled their goalkeeper with five minutes remaining in regulation, and Bo van Kempen converted on a penalty-corner attempt to even the score at 1-1. Princeton, however, responded with the game-winning goal with less than two minutes remaining, ending Syracuse’s hopes for a second national championship.