No.6 Penn State Falls to No.1 North Carolina in NCAA Field Hockey Semifinals

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (17-4), ranked No. 6 in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll, dropped a tough 3-0 game to No. 1 North Carolina (20-0) in the first of two NCAA national semifinal games. Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss’ squad was one of the final four teams playing in the NCAA tournament, closed out at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.

North Carolina moved the ball into the Penn State circle to start the game, but Anouk Knuvers and the Lion defense held firm. Penn State returned the ball to the Tar Heel zone, but North Carolina’s defense answered as the clock hit 12:30. A fast paced game from the onset, Sophia Gladieux made a great steal as UNC pushed the ball, and North Carolina turned and did the same as Penn State tried to start a fast break. Elena Vos stopped a Carolina push at the 10:00 mark as play moved into the Lion zone. Penn State regained possession and moved the ball back to the North Carolina zone as the back-and-forth play continued.

Penn State picked up the first corner of the game at the 5:35 mark when Anna Simon moved the ball into the circle and got the call. Gladieux’s shot was a bit high on the set and North Carolina moved the ball back down field. Lion keeper Brie Barraco and the Lion defense held as the clock moved below 5:00. North Carolina notched its first corner at the 4:48 mark. Barraco made an outstanding save on the Erin Matson shot and the game continued tied 0-0. North Carolina kept the pressure on Penn State’s defense, but Barraco made another sweet kick save with 3:07 left in the quarter, but Carolina did get a corner off the scramble. Matson’s shot was blocked off the set. North Carolina was awarded another corner with 1:38 on the clock but could not connect on the play. Penn State’s defense managed to hold off North Carolina over the final minutes and the game moved to the second stanza tied 0-0.

Penn State began the second period by pushing the ball down into the Carolina circle and forcing a penalty corner less than a minute into the period. But the Nittany Lions were not able to get off a shot on the play. Penn State kept the pressure on the Tar Heel defense for the first few minutes of the second period, with Gladieux…