North Carolina wasted no time taking charge in Boone, and by the end of the first quarter the Tar Heels had already built a cushion App State never had a chance to erase.
No. 10 UNC rolled to a 5-0 road win Sunday afternoon at the Adcock Field Hockey Complex, using a three-goal opening period to seize control and cruise from there.
The Tar Heels improved to 10-6 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, while also stretching their all-time edge over App State to 14-0. Even more striking: the last three meetings have all ended 5-0.
The early burst started with Grace Pottebaum, the veteran captain who opened the scoring in the five-minute flurry. Charly Bruder sent a shot off a penalty corner into the circle, where it bounced loose and Pottebaum was there to poke it in for her second career goal. Both of those finishes have come this season.
From there, the afternoon turned into Reese Anetsberger’s showcase.
The sophomore, who has drawn praise from head coach Erin Matson all season for the way she impacts the offense beyond the box score, finally got the kind of stat line to match the work she’s been doing. She finished with a career-high five points on two goals and an assist.
Her assist came on UNC’s second goal, when she found Ryleigh Heck in the middle of the circle. Heck controlled the bouncing feed and spun to finish into the side netting.
Anetsberger then put her own stamp on the game with the next two goals. For Carolina’s third, she stationed herself in the same spot where Heck had just scored and converted for herself.
After halftime, she struck again, taking a pass from Sietske Brüning at the top of the circle, slicing through the defense and sending a shot across goal and into the net. It was her first career multi-goal game.
UNC’s last goal belonged to Coco Courtright, who finished a penalty corner routine for her fifth goal of the season and Carolina’s fifth goal overall.
The Tar Heels were dominant in every area that matters. They outshot App State 27-3 and won the penalty corner battle 13-0. In goal, graduate senior Tessa Shahbo made her first start since opening weekend and stopped the only two shots she faced for Carolina’s seventh shutout of the season.
UNC now turns to its final regular-season week, with a trip to Duke set for Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. ET in Durham.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Let Painful Home ACC Opener Slip Away In OT
North Carolina had the kind of home ACC opener that can linger for a while, because it spent much of the afternoon in control before seeing Syracuse claw back and finish the job in overtime at Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels led early and looked positioned to open league play with a confidence-boosting win, only to watch the Orange battle through the closing stretch and turn a tight game into a bitter 31-30 setback.
Steve Angeli finished the comeback with a four-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Russell III in overtime, then Syracuse added the two-point conversion to seal a result that mattered for more than one team. The Orange not only escaped with a road win, they also snapped an 11-game ACC losing streak, leaving North Carolina to absorb the sting of a game it had in hand before the fourth quarter slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Let A Needed Win Slip Away In Brutal Fashion
North Carolina had the kind of game it needed to finish, and for long stretches it looked like the Tar Heels were on track to do exactly that. A Jordan Shipp touchdown helped keep UNC in control, and with Syracuse missing an extra point that forced overtime, the door was open for a much-needed victory in a game the Tar Heels led for most of the afternoon.
Instead, the fourth quarter turned into a costly collapse. Syracuse piled up 13 points in the final period, including a long catch-and-run from Umari Hatcher, and UNC could not turn its late chances into the one closing play it needed. The result was a 31-30 overtime loss, another reminder that control of a game means little without the finish. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Heads To Miami With One Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Tar Heels left Syracuse with another painful finish, falling 31-30 in overtime and slipping to 4-3 before a trip to Miami that suddenly feels bigger than just another conference game. There were some encouraging signs on offense, too, from Shipp getting into the end zone early to McGill giving the ground game a steady lift at 5.2 yards per carry while handling the lead-back role.
Demon June also turned in one of the nights brighter efforts, scoring twice and dragging Carolina into overtime before the game got away. The problem, once again, was on the other side of the ball, where the defense had trouble getting after Syracuses quarterback and also struggled to slow the run, giving up 199 rushing yards and two scores in a reminder of the same issue that has followed this team all season. [Read more 🡒]