A setback in Field Hockey

After an incredible season (16-1) with 12 shutouts, the Heels playing the ACC Field Hockey Championship in Charlottesville, VA, were themselves shutout by the Wahoos of the University of Virginia on Friday! That gives the Wahoos and the Heels identical records at this point of the season. Virginia will play Maryland on Sunday at noon for the ACC Championship.

The Heels outshot the Wahoos 14-6 in the game but could not find the back of the goal during the 2 35-mimute periods. You will remember that these two teams had met once before this season when the Heels went to Charlottesville and beat the Wahoos 2-1 in overtime. As of the start of the ACC Tournament, the Terps were ranked 1st in NCAA Div 1 Field Hockey, the Heels were 2nd, and the Wahoos were 3rd. It appears to this writer that the ACC is the epicenter of college field hockey in NCAA Div 1!!!

Before you get too despondent over the Heels loss, let me remind you that the Tar Heels Men's Basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 1993, 2005, and 2009. They did NOT win the ACC Tournament in any of those seasons. All true Tar Heels would love to win every ACC Tournament, but failing to win an ACC Championship is no predictor of how a team will perform in the NCAA Tournament. With that said, on Tuesday, the NCAA will announce the Div 1 teams invited to this year's NCAA tourney. I am sure that our Heels will be included and hope that they will host games leading up to the tournament semi-finals and finals scheduled for Wake Forest's stadium on Nov 20 and 22. If that is the case, please join me in attending games at Henry Stadium so that we can help our Heels move on to Wake Forest.