Tar Heels Get Season's First Shutout
Sept. 9, 2007
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - The North Carolina field hockey team earned its first shutout of the season and its second lopsided win of the weekend Sunday, beating host West Chester 9-0 in the final game of the Vonnie Gros Classic. Senior Jesse Gey and redshirt freshman Elizabeth Drazdowski finished with five points each, Gey on a goal and three assists, and Drazdowski on two goals and an assist. The scoring total was the highest of the season for UNC and gives the Tar Heels 16 goals over the last two games. They beat Villanova 7-2 on Saturday. With the Sunday's win, the Tar Heels improved to 6-0 on the year, while West Chester fell to 3-2. "I'm very pleased with the way we played," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "We moved the ball unselfishly and found the open spot and the open player. That led to a lot of very, very nice goals." Gey had a hand in the first three against the Golden Rams. She scored the only point UNC would need with an unassisted shot 1:33 into the game. She then assisted on the next two goals, by Danielle Forword at the 7:12 mark and by Drazdowski 90 seconds into the second half. Junior Alli Tanner made the score 4-0 with her first goal of the season. Senior Laree Beans assisted on the play at the 43:16 mark. It took less than two minutes for UNC to strike again, this time on a goal by Britt van Beek, assisted by Melanie Brill. Ninety-seven seconds later it was 6-0 after a Rachel Dawson goal on a penalty corner, assisted by Gey and freshman Katelyn Falgowski. Drazdowski got her second goal at the 55:25 mark, assisted by redshirt freshman Jen Slocum. With five minutes remaining, senior Liz Morris scored her first goal of the season, assisted by Drazdowski. In the final minute of play, freshman Meghan Dawson scored her first career goal on an assist by junior Hilary Hartman.
Goalkeepers Brianna O'Donnell and Jackie Kintzer combined for the team's first shutout of the season, with O'Donnell making three saves in the first 46:05 and Kintzer replacing her to close out the final 24 minutes and make another save. UNC finished with 31 shots and 12 corners on the day. The weekend's event is played in honor of Gros, the longtime coach at West Chester, Shelton's alma mater. Shelton led the Golden Rams to three national championships and was the national player of the year three times while coached by Gros. After two games on the road this weekend, the Tar Heels return home to play their next four at Henry Stadium. Three of those are against top-10 teams, with UNC hosting No. 9 Old Dominion on Friday at 6 p.m. and No. 6 Penn State Sunday at 1. After Appalachian State visits Sept. 20, UNC hosts No. 8 Duke on Sept. 22. No. 2 North Carolina 9, West Chester 0
UNC starters: Brianna O'Donnell, Riley Foster, Illse Davids, Kiki Norbruis, Rachel Dawson, Melanie Brill, Jesse Gey, Laree Beans, Elizabeth Drazdowski, Danielle Forword, Katelyn Falgowski
|
 |
