For Virginia field hockey, North Carolina has been a constant source of heartbreak. Just last year, the Cavaliers’ only regular-season loss Oct. 10 came in a Tar Heel goal in the fourth quarter, North Carolina taking the 1-0 win out of Virginia’s hands. Then, a chance for revenge was squandered in a 4-1 loss during the ACC Championship in November.
Those losses, which defined some of the pitfalls of the 2025 season, made a 2-1 win for the No. 9 Cavaliers (5-2, 1-1 ACC) against the No. 11 Tar Heels (3-4, 0-1 ACC) that much more cathartic. With defensive finesse and an electric offense that came out swinging and kept up the pressure, Virginia put North Carolina and the conference on notice, defeating the Tar Heels at Chapel Hill for the first time in 20 years.
Karen Shelton Stadium was roaring as gameplay began, with the Cavaliers starting out fast and landing a corner in the first 30 seconds. A drag flick shot from second-year back Lauren Sloan threaded through Tar Heel defenders and, for a moment, was halfway blocked by sophomore keeper Merritt Skubisz before landing in the back of the cage. That initial goal would spur an already high-voltage offense as Virginia kept up the pressure on the circle, but following another corner where the Cavaliers lost control the possession battle resumed, North Carolina eager to find shots of its own.
An equalizer would arrive from sophomore forward Charly Bruder, one of the Tar Heels’ biggest threats throughout Sunday’s match, as she spun and launched a hit at fourth year goalkeeper Nilou Lempers. The ball collided with Lempers’ boot but was knocked in regardless, another close goal in a match where two of the ACC’s strongest keepers were put to the test in crucial moments. Lempers would end the outing with five saves, a season high.
The Virginia defense, however, tried to make those crucial moments few and far between by only allowing North Carolina one corner for the first 45 minutes of play, despite the Tar Heels gaining ball control and breaking into the circle at every opportunity. Although the Cavaliers’ defense often struggled to move with the ball throughout the match, their resilience shone through as they shut down 10 shots and seven North Carolina corners in an intense fourth-quarter stretch, with three corners coming back to back.
The Virginia offense would have a gauntlet of corners all their own, with five in the closing minutes of the first half that first year back Marisa Fahning, fourth-year back Mia Abello and Sloan would struggle with, as four initial shots were blocked. The fifth, another drag flick shot from Sloan, looked like more of the same until third year midfielder Amelie Rees got her stick around the ball, tapping it in just over Skubisz to end the first half-hour of play.
In the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Tar Heels came out with a vengeance, quickly landing their first corner of the match after having four shots denied in the first half. The corner would give North Carolina a momentary lead, with a pass from graduate back Grace Pottebaum connecting with sophomore forward Reese Anetsberger to score off of the deflection. But after Lempers pointed to an obstruction from Tar Heel sophomore midfielder Reid Miller on Sloan — causing Sloan to fall to the ground while defending the ball — the play underwent official review, with officials deciding to retract the goal.
The denial for North Carolina would intensify what was already a gritty match, with both teams anxious to get to the cage, leading to some loss of composure from the Cavaliers’ offense as key shots went wide. First-year forward Livvy Barker was given a green card in the 42nd minute, putting Virginia down to 10 players, before first year midfielder Katy Chapman received a yellow card for dangerous tackling and also had to leave the field.
A high-stakes fourth quarter loomed with the Cavaliers down to only nine players, but the defense remained sharp until Barker and Chapman could rejoin the field. Then, in the 52nd minute, a direct parallel of Virginia’s bitter loss Friday night to No. 8 Duke occurred — but this time, the Cavaliers had the advantage. The Tar Heels pulled keeper Skubisz from goal, adding another field player in a final try to force overtime. Although the North Carolina defense would remain stalwart, with shots and even a corner from Virginia blocked that could have decisively sealed the win, Skubisz’ absence would signify a major concession from the Tar Heels as the clock ran.
The Cavaliers found momentum in the possession game once again as they moved closer to a landmark conference win, and in the final seconds first-year Caitlin Connell held the ball, cornered by a swarm of North Carolina offense. They strained for a chance at a final shot that would never come, and Virginia would leave the field having snapped the Tar Heels' 17-game win streak against ACC opponents, leaving their weekend in North Carolina with history made.
“Super proud of our belief, effort and desire to win today,” Coach Ole Keusgen said. “This was a hard-fought win, where everyone did their part and everyone contributed. We connected well today and created a lot of opportunities, which ultimately was the difference.”
The Cavaliers will return against No. 12 Syracuse Sept. 25 at Turf Field in Charlottesville for another heavyweight ACC match.
Adair Reid is the newsletter editor for the 137th term of The Cavalier Daily, former humor editor for the 136th term and staff writer on the sports desk. She is a fourth-year College student, majoring in English and Media Studies. She is from Richmond and enjoys writing about the University’s Olympic sports teams and the changing landscape of college athletics.
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