By Matt Bradshaw —
After two consecutive victories on the road, No. 11 field hockey fell 3-1 to No. 2 North Carolina. U of L (3-2) scored first but were overpowered in the end by high-pressure offense from the Tarheels (5-0).
The contest was a rematch of the 2017 ACC Championship, when the Tarheels edged the Cardinals 1-0 in a tight contest at Trager Stadium.
Freshman Katie Schneider scored Louisville’s lone goal. Sophomore Madison Walsh provided the assist.
First half
The Tarheels started out with high-pressure and multiple shots near goal, keeping the ball on Louisville’s side of the field.
At the five minute mark, the Cards scored on a counterattack for an early 1-0 lead. Schneider received a cross from Walsh and put it past UNC’s keeper in the air the score.
North Carolina tied the game with a goal at the 20 minute mark. A tap-in near the goal slipped behind senior keeper Ayeisha McFerran for the score.
At this point, the Tarheels kept tight control of the match with possession of the ball. Starting at the 28 minute mark, they scored twice in five minutes.
McFerran saved a shot and UNC scored on the rebound for a 2-1 lead. At the 33 minute mark, North Carolina took advantage of a penalty corner for a 3-1 score.
The Tarheels had a 12-4 shot advantage and 5-1 corner advantage at halftime.
Second half
The second half began much the same as the first with multiple offensive opportunities from UNC.
U of L could not seem to get their offense in sync for a goal. The Cards had a penalty corner at the 60 minute mark but were not able to take advantage of the opportunity.
The Tarheels held their 3-1 lead for the victory and remained undefeated. Louisville’s two losses this season have both come against ranked opponents.
The Cardinals host California on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m.
You can follow the Louisville Cardinal on Twitter @thecardsports.
Photos by Adrianna Lynch / The Louisville Cardinal
