The NCAA News - News Features

Tar Heels shut out Princeton, 3-0, to win I field hockey crown

When the defending champion plays its best game of the year in the championship contest, you can bank on a repeat title, which is just what North Carolina's field hockey team won November 24 at Boston College.

Playing what coach Karen Shelton-Scroggs termed her team's top performance of 1996 "by far," the Tar Heels ran away with their second consecutive Division I Field Hockey Championship and their third overall by defeating Ivy Group champion Princeton, 3-0.

In the first championship-game shutout since Old Dominion blanked the Tar Heels in 1992, North Carolina's Susannah Schott gave her team all the scoring it needed when she converted penalty-corner passes from Joy Driscoll and Ashley Hanson with 22:40 left in the first half.

North Carolina doubled its lead about 20 minutes later, when Cindy Werley broke toward the goal alone and forced Princeton goalkeeper Gia Fruscione away from the cage before feeding Nancy Pelligreen for the score.

Hanson put some icing on the victory with an unassisted goal with 26:32 left in the second half.

Tar Heel goalkeeper Jana Withrow made three saves as North Carolina outshot Princeton, 28-4. Fruscione made 16 saves for the Tigers.

A reported championship-record crowd of 3,264 watched as North Carolina finished the season 23-1, giving the Heels a two-year combined record of 47-1.

Pelligreen and Kate Barber made the all-tournament team for the second consecutive year. Teammates Werley and Driscoll also made the squad, as did Princeton's Kirsty Hale, Amy MacFarlane, Molly O'Malley and Fruscione; Old Dominion's Kim Miller and Danielle Chellew; and Northeastern's Regina Carl, who also was honored for the second time.

Princeton reached the championship game by sneaking past Old Dominion in overtime, 4-3. Hale scored two goals, including the game-winner. She posted four goals and three assists in her team's first two games of the tournament.

North Carolina edged Northeastern, 2-1, in its semifinal, scoring two first-half goals.

Old Dominion, which has won a tournament-best seven championships but none since its 1992 shutout of North Carolina, finished the season 19-5 and tied for third for the second time. Northeastern fell to 18-7, tying for third for the third time.

SEMIFINALS

North Caro. -- 2 -- 0 -- -- 2

Northeastern -- 0 -- 1 -- -- 1

First half: NC -- Abbi Keller (unassisted), 19:40; NC -- Nancy Pelligreen (Ashley Hanson), 5:59.

Second half: N -- Karrie Danilecki (Katie West), 5:28.

Shots: North Caro. 18, Northeastern 16. Goalkeeper saves: North Caro. 10, Northeastern 12. Penalty corners: North Caro. 3, Northeastern 1.

Princeton -- 2 1 -- 1 -- -- 4

Old Dominion -- 1 2 -- 0 -- -- 3

First half: P -- Kirsty Hale (unassisted), 32:59; OD -- Rosemarie van der Rijt (Mimi Smith, Anne Muller), 26:09; P -- Molly O'Malley (Amy MacFarlane), 11:59.

Second half: OD -- Heather Eastburn (van der Rijt), 27:20; P -- Ann Marie Reich (Christine Hunsicker, Hale), 26:28; OD -- Eastburn (unassisted), 8:49.

Overtime: P -- Hale (unassisted), 6:57.

Shots: Princeton 18, Old Dominion 30. Goalkeeper saves: Princeton 17, Old Dominion 11. Penalty corners: Princeton 5, Old Dominion 10.

CHAMPIONSHIP

North Caro. -- 2 -- 1 -- -- 3

Princeton -- 0 -- 0 -- -- 0

First half: NC -- Susannah Schott (Joy Driscoll, Ashley Hanson), 22:40; NC -- Nancy Pelligreen (Cindy Werley), 2:31.

Second half: NC -- Hanson (unassisted), 26:32.

Shots: North Caro. 28, Princeton 4. Goalkeeper saves: North Caro. 3, Princeton 16. Penalty corners: North Caro. 12, Princeton 4.