Tar Heels End Season With Loss To Penn State
Nov. 11, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sixth-ranked Penn State scored three goals within 11 minutes in the second half of Saturday's NCAA Tournament first-round game to defeat No. 8 North Carolina 4-3, eliminating the Tar Heels from postseason field hockey play. UNC finishes the year 13-9 after making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in coach Karen Shelton's 26th season. "The game was hard-fought by both teams," Shelton said. "I think we had the better of the first half, but they had the better of the second half. When it came down to it, they had four goals and we had three and that's the end of our season." At the University of Maryland's Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, the Tar Heels scored first, just over 11 minutes into the action. On a penalty corner, UNC's third of the game, junior Alli Tanner tipped in a shot by sophomore Britt van Beek to put Carolina up 1-0. Penn State evened the game 10 minutes later on a penalty stroke by Mallory Weisen, who sent her shot into the upper left corner of the cage. UNC scored next to retake the lead. With 2:49 to play until halftime, freshman Danielle Forword dribbled into the circle from the left side, had her first shot attempt blocked, then got off a hard strike that sailed past Penn State goalkeeper Jen Beaumont to put UNC up 2-1 at halftime. Less than four minutes into the second half, UNC senior Karen Mann redirected a shot by junior Jesse Gey into the goal to put the Tar Heels up 3-1. After that, however, the Nittany Lions took over. Less than three minutes later, PSU's Shaun Banta scored on a penalty corner to draw her team within one. The tying goal came four minutes later, when Banta sent a pass from the right of the goal across to Britney Long, who put her shot past UNC keeper Brianna O'Donnell and into the cage from the left side. With 17:42 remaining in the game, Natalie Blasco scored the gamewinner, deflecting in a shot by Long.
UNC immediately called a timeout, but the Tar Heels were unable to come up with another goal before the clock ran out. After drawing four corners in the first half, Carolina had just one in the second, and the Tar Heels had just two second-half shots to eight by Penn State. "I feel like Shaun Banta was the difference in the game today," Shelton said. "I thought she put all kinds of pressure on us, and it got us out of a defensive rhythm that we had enjoyed in the first half. We lost some composure in the backfield. Carolina has prided itself on defense and when we have a collapse like that, that concerns me and I immediately start thinking about fixing that problem. "I think we learned a lot from this season. I don't think we ever reached our potential and that's disappointing for me as a coach. And I'm disappointed for my seniors that don't get another shot and especially for Brooke Miller, who sits her final game in the stands. But I did think our team fought hard and I'm proud of them for that." Miller, a senior captain, received a red card in UNC's final Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game, requiring her to sit out the next contest. The game was the final collegiate action for Mann, a forward from North Vancouver, British Columbia, and for Ashley Judge, a back from Wilmington, Del. Both started Saturday's game. The loss to Penn State was the second of the season for UNC. PSU came out ahead 2-1 when the teams met in University Park, Pa., on Oct. 13. With the win, the Nittany Lions advance to face host Maryland in a second-round game Sunday afternoon. No. 6 Penn State 4, No. 8 North Carolina 3
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