Comeback Falls Short in 2-1 Loss at North Carolina

Friday, October 16

Chapel Hill, N.C.

6:00 PM

Duke University

North Carolina

Furey Tabbed to U.S. U19 Roster for Belgium Tour

Comeback Falls Short in 2-1 Loss at North Carolina

10/16/2015 8:37:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The fourth-ranked Duke field hockey team put forth a solid second-half defensive effort and took No. 3 North Carolina down to the wire, but ultimately fell by a 2-1 score Friday night at Francis E. Henry Stadium.

After rallying to narrow the score to 2-1 late in the first half, the Blue Devils shut out their Tobacco Road rivals in the second period. However, the squad was unable to break through for a tying score, dropping to 10-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play.

“Other than the first few minutes of the game, our defense was outstanding,” said head coach Pam Bustin. “The aggressiveness and the composure they had as a unit back there was one of the best we've had this year. The two goals – credit to Carolina. But they were unfortunate for us. They were things we misplayed. Lesson learned, but at this level, lesson learned can cost you the game. So we'll take this and we'll be even better for it tomorrow.”

The match began with back and forth action in the midfield until the Tar Heels (12-1, 4-1 ACC) took the lead in the sixth minute. Sophomore back Alyssa Chillano cut off an initial opportunity but North Carolina's Malin Evert collected the ball at the top of the circle and pushed it back past the Duke defense for the early advantage. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing came up with a glove save on a streaking shot sent in by Nina Notman of the Tar Heels a short while later to keep the deficit at one.

North Carolina continued to challenge the Blue Devil defense, and earned its first penalty corner with 8:40 remaining in the opening period. Senior back Hannah Barreca was able to disrupt the initial play but the Tar Heels' Casey Di Nardo tapped in a deflection at the post to put the home team up, 2-0.

A tackle by sophomore back Sarah Furey allowed Duke to penetrate the circle and draw three consecutive corners towards the end of the half. North Carolina goalkeeper Shannon Johnson made saves on the first two offerings before a final shot went wide right of the cage. However, freshman Rose Tynan made the most of an opportunity a few minutes later, firing a hard strike from the top of the circle to cut it to 2-1 at the 33:24 mark. That score would hold through to the intermission.

“It's high-paced play,” Bustin said. “The ACC is competitive, and these kids are athletes and they like to play fast. That's how it's going to be.”

The Blue Devils came out aggressive on the offensive end in the second half, but the Tar Heels then controlled possession for nearly a 10-minute stretch. Duke kept a clean slate during three more defensive corners, with Blazing adding to her saves total, but the Blue Devils struggled to get the ball past their opponents and into the attacking end.

Junior forward Heather Morris put a shot on cage inside in the final three minutes, but saw her reverse get turned away by North Carolina's Johnson. Duke then pulled Blazing from the cage in an effort to push forward, and used the extra field player to get the ball into the circle. However, the Blue Devils were unable to get another look at the cage before time expired.

“We want to capitalize on our corners and we've got to capitalize on opportunities we have,” Bustin said. “Just make sure we clean up what we're doing defensively. We don't want to create opportunities for the opponent – let them create their own.”

Blazing concluded the evening with six saves, and helped the defensive unit hold a Tar Heel team averaging 4.6 goals a game to just the two scores – tied for its lowest output of the season. North Carolina's Johnson made three stops in a winning effort.

The Tar Heels held a 15-9 advantage in shots, and Duke had the edge in penalty corners, 5-4, but failed to convert on its attempts.

The Blue Devils continue their road swing Sunday, traveling to No. 18 James Madison for a 1 p.m. matchup in Harrisonburg. Live audio of the match will be available here.

#GoDuke