North Carolina took down top-seeded Louisville to win the ACC field hockey championship in a wild and chaotic game. Tied at two in the third quarter, the Tar Heels caught a break on a Louisville miscue, but things got weird when the scoreboard buzzer started going off nonstop. Nobody knew how to stop it. The officials, players, and even the guy running the sound board looked completely lost. Despite the constant buzzing, play continued. At one point, an old-school face-off called a “bully” was used, which even the broadcasters admitted was rare and not well-known.
Once the sound chaos settled, North Carolina started to take control. After a slick breakout and sharp move near midfield, the Tar Heels scored off a clean backdoor pass to grab the lead. Louisville tried to respond with some misdirection but immediately turned the ball over, leading to another dangerous Carolina attack. Late in the fourth, Louisville pulled its goalie, and although the defense made one big stop, North Carolina slammed home a rebound to seal the win. The celebration was instant. Players swarmed each other. Fans in the crowd fumbled a few awkward high fives before locking in a solid one. A dad in the stands made sure to collect fives from everyone around him. North Carolina came into the tournament hot after beating Syracuse in the semis, and they closed it out in chaotic but confident fashion.