Field hockey team aims to avenge ACC tournament loss to No. 2 Virginia in NCAA semifinals

Dani Forword

To win in its 14th appearance in the final four, the North Carolina field hockey team will have to avenge one of its two losses.

Only Friday’s match against No. 2 Virginia, who knocked the Tar Heels out of the ACC tournament with a 1-0 victory in the semifinal round, stands between No. 3 UNC and a chance to win its sixth national title on Sunday in Winston-Salem.

Last year they lost in the first round of the tournament to Michigan State, 3-2.

Friday’s game will also serve as a rubber match in the season series between the two, as North Carolina defeated UVA 2-1 earlier this season in Charlottesville.

Watch the game

• First game, against Virginia: 4:30 p.m. Friday at BB&T field in Winston Salem
• If they win Friday: Noon Sunday against the winner of the Princeton/Maryland game

If the Tar Heels win on Friday, they may very well face the only other team to defeat them this year, Maryland, which sports an unblemished record and a No. 1 ranking heading into its semifinal match against No. 4 Princeton.

The Tar Heels will lean heavily on senior captain Dani Forword, who has tallied three goals so far in tournament play. She also scored the game winner in the Tar Heels’ 2-1 victory against Virginia on Oct. 17.