UNC won the NCAA field hockey national championship over Northwestern in a game packed with drama. Tied 1-1 after regulation, both teams had chances in overtime. UNC nearly ended it with a penalty stroke from Riley Heck, but Northwestern’s goalie made a clutch stick save. OT featured end-to-end action with spectacular defensive plays, including aggressive saves and a key chase-down by UNC’s goalie. Northwestern’s freshman showed off elite speed and stick handling, nearly breaking through UNC’s defense but couldn’t finish.
The match went to a shootout. Both teams matched each other in the initial five rounds, showing off slick moves and last-second recoveries. Northwestern’s keeper was aggressive, charging attackers and forcing mistakes. UNC’s Riley Heck scored her first shootout attempt with a clever spin around the goalie. In sudden victory, Northwestern shot first but was stopped cold. Then Heck came back with the same spin move and buried the winner. UNC exploded in celebration, and the final moment focused on the sportsmanship between the goalies and teammates.
The win gave Erin Matson a national title in her first year as head coach. She had just finished playing for UNC the previous year, helping them beat Northwestern in that championship as a player. Now she’s likely the youngest coach ever to win a national title, completing one of the more unique back-to-back feats seen in college sports.