Terriers to Tangle with Tar Heels in NCAA First Round
November 13, 2015 | Field Hockey
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NCAA First Round - #15 Boston University (15-6) at #1 North Carolina (18-2) |
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| Date | Saturday, Nov. 14 | 11:30 a.m. |
| Venue | Henry Stadium | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| Watch | GoHeels.com |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Game Notes | BU | UNC |
| @BUGameDay | @BU_FieldHockey | |
Two of the winningest field hockey coaches in NCAA history face off for the first time in 20 years, as Patriot League champion Boston University visits ACC champion North Carolina in the NCAA First Round on Saturday (Nov. 14) at Henry Stadium. Game time is 11:30 a.m.
The Tar Heels (18-2) are the No. 2 seed in the national bracket but were ranked No. 1 in the final NFHCA poll of the season. The Terriers (15-6) were 15th in the final poll.
BU head coach Sally Starr (437) and UNC head coach Karen Shelton (605) have combined for over 1,000 coaching victories during their Hall of Fame careers. Starr ranks fifth among active Division I coaches in career wins and Shelton ranks second, becoming just the second coach to reach 600 victories last month.
Another story line heading into Saturday is the Bernatchez family, as BU senior Katie Berntachez will compete against her sister, Kristy, a junior on the UNC squad. The two were standouts at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, Maine.
The Terriers are making their 12th NCAA appearance and picked up their fifth NCAA tournament win on Wednesday with a 6-1 home victory over MAAC champion Fairfield in the Play-In Round. BU's last NCAA First Round victory came in 2007 when it upset Big Ten champion Iowa, 1-0, in overtime in Storrs, Conn.
The winner will advance to the quarterfinal round on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the winner of the second first-round match-up between No. 7 Wake Forest (13-5) and No. 10 Michigan (17-4). The team that wins on Sunday advances to the national semifinals, which will be held in Ann Arbor, Mich.
UNC won three one-goal games in four days to claim their 19th ACC title. The Tar Heels downed previously undefeated and top-ranked Syracuse, 2-1, in overtime in the championship game. In the semifinals, UNC edged Boston College, 3-2, after getting past Louisville, 2-1, in the quarterfinals.
This will be the seventh meeting between BU and UNC and the first since 1995. UNC has won all of the previous six, but four were decided by a single goal and two went to overtime. This is BU's third visit to Chapel Hill but just its second road game against the Tar Heels. UNC posted a 3-0 home win on Oct. 21, 1989. The Terriers again made the trek to UNC for the 2000 NCAA tournament, where they dropped a 2-1 first-round contest to UMass.
BU and UNC have had four common opponents this season - all from the ACC. The Terriers fell to Boston College, Syracuse, Duke and Wake Forest (BC and Duke were decided in overtime) and the Tar Heels went a combined 4-2 against those squads.
UNC has won 15 of its past 16 contests and is a perfect 7-0 at home this season. The Tar Heels placed three players on the All-ACC First Team, as seniors Nina Notman and Emily Wold were joined on the top squad by junior Julia Young. Senior Casey Di Nardo was a second-team selection.
Sophomore Gab Major leads the team in both points (42) and goals (17). Wold has 39 points on 14 goals and a team-best 11 assists. Notman (12g, 5a) and Di Nardo (11g, 2a) have contributed 29 and 24 points, respectively, and freshman Malin Evert has impressed with 23 points (9g, 5a).
Junior Shannon Johnson has started all 20 games in goal for UNC and boasts a 1.23 GAA and a .723 save percentage.
BU kept its season going on Wednesday with its home victory over Fairfield. Junior Taylor Blood recorded a goal and an assist and five other Terriers found the back of the cage to allow BU to reach the 15-win mark for just the ninth time in program history. The Stags did not record a shot until the 51st minute.
Senior Sofi Laurito continues to move up BU's all-time scoring list. She leads the Terriers in both points (33) and goals (15) this season and now has 71 career points on 31 goals and nine assists. Her 31 goals rank tied for fifth all-time at BU with Jane Rogers. One more goal will tie her with Sue Wante for fourth.
BU will look to utilize its balanced offensive attack, as nine Terriers have recorded 10 or more points. Junior Bea Baumberger Altirriba has enjoyed a breakout season, tallying 24 points on five goals and a Patriot League-best 14 assists. Classmate Hester van der Laan (7g, 5a) has contributed 19 points while five others have either 15 or 14 points.
