DURHAM β Top-ranked North Carolina scored a pair of first-half goals and held off the No. 25 Blue Devils for a 2-0 win in the final regular season game for the Duke field hockey team Saturday afternoon. Duke celebrated its seven exceptional student-athletes playing in the final regular season home contest of their careers.
Duke finishes the regular season with a 7-10 overall record and 0-6 mark against ACC foes, while North Carolina remains unbeaten at 15-0 and 6-0.
Β
How it Happened
- Duke got off on the right foot to start the game, earning a penalty corner in the opening 90 seconds. Sophomore Issy Carey fired a shot on cage, but Tar Heel goaltender Abigail Taylor was there to make the fantastic stop to keep the Blue Devils off the board.
- The Blue Devils continued to keep the nation's best scoring offense off the board with Hampsch making a nice save in the fifth minute.
- North Carolina broke through with the first goal of the game with 25 seconds remaining in the first quarter as Erin Matson scored off a penalty corner for her 21st of the season.
- The Tar Heels added a second goal from Kennedy Cliggett with 4:55 remaining in the second period. Matson provided the assist with a one-touch pass to Cliggett waiting on the left post.
- Duke found its offensive rhythm again later in the third quarter, maintaining possession and getting circle entries to keep the Tar Heels out of their offensive end.
- The Blue Devil defense was stout in the second half, holding North Carolina to three shots and two penalty corners, including none in the fourth quarter.
- Duke fired four shots in the 60 minutes and earned three penalty corners. The Tar Heels had six penalty corners. In goal, Piper Hampsch had three saves, while North Carolina's Taylor and Kylie Walbert needed to make just one stop.
Notes
- Duke held the Tar Heels to only 10 shots, eight fewer than their season average. The two goals scored by North Carolina are the fewest by the Tar Heels since beating Wake Forest, 2-0. Duke is only the second team to hold them to just two goals.
- Hampsch made three saves to push her career total to 206, ranking 10th in Duke history.
Quotes
Pam Bustin on the message at halftime
"It was just to keep at it. Don't do more than we've been asking each of us to do. Don't do more than that because it is working. We could see a little frustration building in the opponent because we just moved as a unit so well. When Erin [Matson] got the five-minute yellow card, I think it was exciting for the team because they worked hard enough that now [the frustration] is on the other side. I think even when she came back in that was the energy we had for the whole second half."
Β
Pam Bustin on the senior class
"It's fun to see them [celebrate] like this together because it's been hard. To see them play that way and the way we come to practice every day β I haven't had this much fun coaching in a really long time, and it's been a collaborative effort between the team and the coaching staff. That's why this is the energy we have. Both are inspired to be better every day. What we did to come up with a gameplan for today was really exciting. It's what we're supposed to do, and we have a team that wants it and is open to it. We did some different things today and that's what it's all about. That's how you win championships. It's a special group that they've stayed through everything. Their love for this university is apparent.
Β
Up Next
Duke hosts the 2022 ACC Tournament, which gets underway on Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium. The Blue Devils, seeded seventh, play No. 2 Wake Forest Nov. 1 at 3:30 p.m. All six games throughout the tournament will be televised on ACC Network.
Β
#GoDuke
Β