DURHAM, N.C. — No. 2 Northwestern had waited two years for a shot at No. 1 North Carolina.
After the Tar Heels (21-2, 7-1 ACC) defeated coach Tracey Fuchs’ squad in the 2022 and 2023 national championships, the Wildcats (21-1, 8-0 Big Ten) finally got their revenge in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on a foggy Friday afternoon, defeating UNC 4–3 in a dramatic overtime thriller after trailing for nearly the entire contest.
The Tar Heels stunned NU early on with two rapid-fire goals, and the ’Cats spent the vast majority of the game huffing and puffing in search of a lifeline. They finally found it with only a minute to spare, as junior defender Ilse Tromp saved the day by converting from a penalty corner to send the game to overtime.
Then, as the final minute ticked down in the first golden-goal overtime period, graduate student forward Grace Schulze finished off a lightning-quick counter-attack by sending a pass across goal that was deflected in by a UNC defender under pressure from junior forward Ashley Sessa.
Fuchs’ side reached its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament final, where it will face No. 3 Princeton — the source of its sole loss this season — for a chance to defend its title.
Play began at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium with NU on the front foot, as the ’Cats repeatedly won possession in UNC’s half and applied pressure for the opening four minutes.
But when the Tar Heels drove deep into NU territory for the first time, they scored against the run of play. Forward Dani Mendez slapped a shot and forward Ryleigh Heck deflected it into the back of the net for the goal, giving UNC a 1-0 lead after less than five minutes of play.
It didn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse for the ’Cats.
Under nine minutes in, the Tar Heels earned their first penalty corner of the game and capitalized. Defender Isabel Boere took possession after the insertion and fired a shot, which forward Kara Heck deflected past a frozen Juliana Boon. It was just the second time this season that the redshirt freshman goalkeeper allowed two goals during a single quarter.
The first quarter came to a close with UNC leading 2-0. NU was unable to attempt a shot during the quarter, while the opposition converted both of its attempts for scores.
Midway through the second period, NU began to find more fluidity in its offense as redshirt junior forward Aerin Krys cleverly threaded a lofted pass through to Schulze right in front of the net, but she couldn’t maneuver her body to get a shot off.
After a takeaway, the ’Cats pushed the ball down the length of the field, the ball going from Tromp to Schulze to Sessa to junior forward Olivia Bent-Cole. The latter had only the goalkeeper to beat inside of the circle, but she took her touch too wide and failed to muster an attempt.
Possession stayed with NU, and on the second of two penalty corners, the ’Cats got on the board. Sessa sent the ball to the top of the circle, where Bent-Cole corralled it and senior defender Maja Zivojnovic sniped a shot into the back of the net.
In the final minute of the quarter, UNC took two shots but were unable to convert, due in part to a strong save from Boon off a penalty corner. After 30 minutes of play, the Tar Heels led 2-1.
The third quarter began slower than the previous two, with the first shot coming after nearly five minutes of play. Off a penalty corner, UNC designed a savvy routine to misdirect the NU defense and create an open shooting lane for Boere, who slotted the ball into the net.
This marked the first time since 2021 that the ’Cats allowed more than two goals during an NCAA Tournament game.
NU looked to put a dent back into the lead with penalty corners of its own. Over the next six minutes, the ’Cats took five corners but could not put the ball into the back of the net. But as the third quarter wound down, they found a goal from open play.
Graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer looked to shift the momentum when she forced a turnover in front of the NU bench and drove all the way down the right wing into the shooting circle. She arrowed a cross through the circle where Bent-Cole was waiting on one knee to finish from close range.
Now in the fourth quarter and trailing 3-2, the ’Cats utilized a full-field press, looking to maximize their possessions down the stretch. However, NU was only able to attempt one shot in the first 13 minutes of the period, with the Tar Heels holding the ball for long possessions.
With just under four minutes remaining in the game, Fuchs pulled Boon from the game in favor of an extra attacker. The ’Cats earned a penalty corner with 77 seconds remaining, marking likely the final chance for an equalizer.
Sessa stood at the back line, waiting before she inserted the ball. Bent-Cole controlled the pass, leaving it for Zimmer, who made a nifty back pass to Tromp. With the possibility of being sent home in just 70 seconds sitting on her shoulders, Tromp overcame the pressure and fired the strike into the right side of the goal. NU 3, UNC 3.
Despite just one minute remaining in regulation, overtime was not yet a certainty, and the Tar Heels earned a penalty corner of their own. The ’Cats held strong on defense and were able to clear the ball out of their defensive end. The clock wound down, and the already intense contest was headed to overtime.
Ten minutes of extra time were put on the clock, and either team could snag the victory with just one shot. UNC took possession of the ball early in the period and took multiple penalty corners, but it could not find the game winner.
Halfway through the period, NU made its way into its attacking quarter of the field for the first time. After putting some pressure on its opponent, it was unable to attempt a shot and the ball went back to the Tar Heels.
With roughly a minute remaining, the ’Cats caught a break when UNC forward Reese Anetsberger failed to corral a deflected pass right in front of an open net, instead letting the ball hit her foot and causing a turnover. NU quickly transitioned all the way down the field, with Zimmer racing past a spate of Tar Heels. Schulze received a pass from Zimmer and sent the ball past diving goalkeeper Merritt Skubisz toward Sessa.
After nearly 70 minutes of field hockey, UNC was on the ropes. In a last-ditch effort, midfielder Sietske Brüning, who was defending Sessa, attempted to clear the ball with her foot, but it rolled into the back of the net. Sessa was originally credited with the game-winning goal, but it was later given to Schulze.
Comeback complete.
The ’Cats will take on No. 3 Princeton on Sunday at noon with the national title on the line.
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