North Carolina won its sixth NCAA field-hockey championship yesterday, coming from behind late to upset No. 1 Maryland 3-2 at Kentner Stadium.
The Tar Heels scored all of their goals in the last 10 minutes, and Danielle Forword hit the winning shot with 11 seconds left.
Maryland, last season's champion and a 4-1 winner against UNC in the regular season, took a 2-1 lead when Megan Frazer scored at 62:11 off a loose ball after a penalty corner.
Coach Karen Shelton of UNC then pulled goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer for a one-woman advantage, and the strategy paid off quickly. Illse Davids fired a backhanded shot from the center of the circle off an assist from Katelyn Falgowski that shot past goalkeeper Alicia Grater as UNC pulled even with 4:45 left.
"In a national-championship game, you've got to dare to be brilliant," Shelton said. "You've got to risk. We did it, and it paid off. I'm delighted."
Caitlin Van Sickle took a penalty corner for the Tar Heels with 15.5 seconds left and pushed it to Falgowski, who passed to Forword. Forword fired a shot past Grater with 11 seconds left to break the tie, and UNC ran out the clock.
"It was actually a beautiful moment," Forword said. "There's nothing like knowing that your teammates really need this, and that they do believe in you, and I don't know what it was that came over me, but it went in. I did it for everyone."
The most important task for UNC (19-2) against previously unbeaten Maryland (23-1) was to find a way to shut down Katie O'Donnell, the three-time ACC offensive player of the year. O'Donnell had three goals and three assists in Friday's 7-5 semifinal win against Princeton, but she didn't have a shot yesterday with Meghan Dawson assigned to defend her from the start.
Coach Missy Meharg of Maryland said: "Today it feels pretty difficult. I never felt any pressure throughout the season, and of course I think winning the national championship is certainly better than having the opportunity to be undefeated."
Neither team scored in the first half, but the Terrapins had a commanding 8-1 shot advantage. They finally took the lead when Nicole Muracco scored on a breakaway at 42:02. However, Forword scored her first goal off a loose ball, tying it at 1-1 at 60:37.
Named to the all-tournament team: were Forword, Falgowski, Davids and Kintzer of UNC; O'Donnell, Muracco and Brianna Davies of Maryland; Michelle Vittese and Paige Selenski of Virginia; and sisters Katie and Julia Reinprecht of Princeton.
"I think Maryland had an outstanding season, and obviously it may have been a bit of an injustice that we were able to steal the game," Shelton said.
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