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No. 2 North Carolina field hockey (2–0) defeated No. 15 Iowa (1-1), 4–1, on Sunday afternoon in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa.
Both teams traded early blows in a frenetic first quarter that ended tied at 1-1.
The Hawkeyes capitalized on an early penalty corner to strike first, slipping one past first-year goalkeeper Merritt Skubisz after she had already turned away two initial attempts.
But the Tar Heels answered minutes later. Junior midfielder Sanne Hak fired two shots on cage, forcing saves, before senior midfielder Dani Mendez converted off a corner for her first goal of the season. The equalizer at the 8:36 mark steadied UNC and swung momentum back toward the visitors.
From there, North Carolina’s defense tightened. Skubisz finished the frame with two saves, while the Tar Heels tallied four shots—with Hak, senior forward Ryleigh Heck and Mendez all pressuring inside the circle. After 15 minutes, the two sides remained even at 1-1, setting the tone for a tense matchup in Iowa City.
North Carolina wasted no time in seizing control in the second frame. Less than twenty seconds in, Heck buried her second goal of the season off an assist from Mendez, pushing the Tar Heels 2-1.
UNC continued to apply pressure as the quarter unfolded, generating a penalty corner and testing Iowa’s defense with steady circle entries. On the other end, Skubisz came up with a key save midway through the period to preserve the slim lead.
The Tar Heels extended their advantage in the 27th minute when Mendez found the cage for the second time in the afternoon. Her tally gave North Carolina a 3-1 cushion heading into halftime, capping off a dominant quarter in which they capitalized on their attacking rhythm while holding Iowa largely in check.
Neither side found the cage in the third quarter, as the matchup tightened into a defensive battle.
Graduate goalkeeper Katie Wimmer entered for North Carolina and immediately made her presence felt, turning away a pair of Iowa shots to preserve the two-goal lead. On the other end, the Tar Heels created opportunities off back-to-back penalty corners, but attempts from first-year forward Isabel Boere and Heck were denied.
Each side finished with three shots in the frame, but neither converted. Behind Wimmer’s two saves and a backline anchored by senior midfielder Sietske Brüning, the Tar Heels carried their 3-1 advantage into the final quarter.
North Carolina put the game out early in the fourth quarter. Just 46 seconds in, graduate forward Kara Heck finished a feed from first-year forward Reese Anetsberger to stretch the Tar Heels’ lead to 4-1.
From there, UNC leaned on its defense to close out the win. Wimmer turned away another Iowa attempt off a penalty corner, and despite green cards assessed to Heck and Anetsberger, the Tar Heel backline held firm.
The Hawkeyes generated two more corners in the closing minutes, but North Carolina’s defense blocked both shots to seal a 4-1 victory. With the win, the Tar Heels completed a weekend sweep in Iowa City and improved to 2-0 on the young season.
The Tar Heels will face off next against UPenn Friday at 3:30 p.m.
@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com
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