U-M Drops Opener to Tar Heels After High-Scoring Half

Saturday, August 26

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Noon

Michigan

(0-1)

North Carolina

(1-0)

Michigan

North Carolina

U-M Drops Opener to Tar Heels After High-Scoring Half

8/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Leah Howard

Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Grant Field)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Score: North Carolina 2, Michigan 0
Records: U-M (0-1), UNC (1-0)
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Aug. 28 -- vs. Wake Forest at ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Iowa City, Iowa), 2 p.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Michigan field hockey opened up the 2005 campaign at the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge and suffered a 2-0 loss against North Carolina on Saturday (Aug. 27) at Iowa's newly renovated Grant Field.

The contest remained scoreless at halftime as both teams settled a largely defensive effort with UNC holding a slight 4-1 advantage in shots. U-M stepped up its attack in the second half, out-cornering the Tar Heels and equaling them in shots, but UNC goals early and late in the frame sealed the Wolverines' fate.

North Carolina's Alli Tanner tallied both goals for the Tar Heels, giving her squad the only advantage it would need off of a rebound at the 38:15 mark before locking up the win with her second marker of the game at 67:40 following a scramble resulting from a UNC corner opportunity.

Despite seven shots on goal, including two each from junior Kara Lentz (Manchester, Mass./St. Paul's School) and freshman Stephanie Hoyer (Cherry Creek, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), the Wolverines could not find the back of the cage. It marks the first time in two seasons that U-M was held without a goal in a contest.

North Carolina outshot the Wolverines 11-8, but U-M held the 6-3 advantage in penalty corners. Junior goalkeeper Beth Riley (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area HS) made seven saves in the U-M cage, while Katy Tran stopped all seven of Michigan's shots on goal to earn the shutout.

The Wolverines will conclude play in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Sunday (Aug. 28), when they face off against three-time defending NCAA champion Wake Forest at 2 p.m. CDT. Iowa will face North Carolina at noon in the day's first match.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
North Carolina	0	2	2
Michigan	0	0	0

Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- UNC, Alli Tanner, 38:15 (unassisted)
2nd -- UNC, Tanner, 67:40 (Laree Beans)

Shots: UNC 11, U-M 8
Saves: U-M 7 (Beth Riley), UNC 7 (Katy Tran)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, UNC 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 6, UNC 3
Penalty Strokes: None

NOTES

• With the loss, the Wolverines' all-time series record against North Carolina falls to 3-8.

• The last time U-M was shut out in a contest was Nov. 21, 2003, when Wake Forest defeated the Wolverines 1-0 in the NCAA semifinals.

• The Wolverines' eight shots is their fewest single-game total since the 2004 season opener against North Carolina when they only fired seven at the cage.

• Four Wolverines saw their collegiate debut in Michigan's season opener as sophomore/freshman Keri Devos, Eric Dallas, Stephanie Hoyer and Michaela McDermott all earned playing time against the Tar Heels.

QUOTES

U-M Head Coach Nancy Cox
On the season opener... "I don't think the score really reflected the play of the game. We had more quality scoring opportunities than North Carolina did; we just couldn't finish today. Overall, I'd say this was a great starting place for us; things look very promising for this season. The future bodes well for the Wolverines."