Dynasties are a quintessential part of college sports. When it comes to NCAA field hockey, “dynasty” is the only word for North Carolina, whose dominance under former coach Karen Shelton yielded 10 national championships and 25 ACC championships. From 1999 to 2023, the Tar Heels only lost to Virginia seven times in the regular season.
However, each match has carried massive postseason implications. Some matchups have taken place in the postseason itself, including the Cavaliers’ last conference championship, all the way back in 2016. In that match, Virginia overcame both its losing streak and a two-goal deficit, storming back to win the match in spectacular fashion.
Aside from that game, the Cavaliers’ most recent triumph over their rival came two years ago. However, after the victory in 2023, Virginia’s triumph was short-lived. The following year, the Tar Heels handed the Cavaliers their first shutout loss of the 2024-25 season, registering a scorching four goals completely unopposed. It was a tough loss to swallow for a Virginia team that had spent most of the season ranked third nationally and figured to be a contender for a NCAA title.
This year, the impending match against the familiar conference foe looks different. For one thing, the Cavaliers enter the contest ranked higher than the Tar Heels for the first time since 2017. In the past, the power dynamic has fallen firmly in North Carolina’s favor, but this year, Virginia is riding the high of Friday’s win over No. 9 Duke. The victory, which came in double overtime, proved once again that the Cavaliers do their best work when the stakes are highest. And what higher stake is there than toppling one of the most dominant programs in NCAA field hockey history?
More crucially, facing North Carolina also means facing senior forward Dani Mendez, who shocked the collegiate field hockey world when she transferred to Virginia’s biggest rival after three years as a Cavalier. Her departure left Virginia’s offensive front fractured — during her junior season, Mendez led the team with 20 points and netted three game winners on the season.
To pour salt on the wound, Mendez has flourished at North Carolina thus far, leading the team in assists with eight and ranking third in goals with six. She garnered ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors early in September and remains one of the Tar Heels’ most potent weapons on the forward line. By all accounts, Mendez is playing the best field hockey of her career, just for a different team.
Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, Virginia has been equally — if not more — dominant this year. The Cavaliers bolstered their offensive line with a stellar freshman recruiting class. 13 different players have tallied at least one goal, six of which came from freshmen, whereas only nine Tar Heels have registered goals this year. To top it off, junior forward Emma Watchilla was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week after the win over Duke, cementing Virginia’s place as the conference frontrunner.
Comparatively, North Carolina relies heavily on graduate forward Kara Heck to generate offensive production. If the Cavaliers can stifle her, they have a strong chance at shutting down the rest of the Tar Heel offense.
Luckily, Virginia is more than capable of doing so. The Cavaliers stand atop the ACC having allowed just five goals through nine games, whereas North Carolina has allowed 12 in 11 matches. Senior back Madison Orsi also garnered ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the win over Duke, a title freshman back Lauren Sloan earned earlier this year. Although the Tar Heels appear stronger offensively on paper, it is undeniable that the Cavaliers outmatch them defensively.
Virginia also has the edge over North Carolina when it comes to momentum — the Tar Heels just barely beat a then-unranked Boston College team last week, struggling to get past the Eagles’ goalkeeper. In a match against an opponent it should have overpowered, North Carolina looked surprisingly vulnerable in the face of a strong goal presence — something the Cavaliers have in spades in junior goalkeeper Nilou Lempers, who leads the ACC in goals against average, save percentage and saves per game.
In spite of these advantages, the Tar Heels will not go down without a fight. In order to beat them, the Cavaliers will have to play the best they have all season. One thing is for sure — it will be a match worth watching at 5 p.m. at Turf Field Friday.
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