Aisling McKeon scores Buckeye goal in 4-1 loss to the Tar Heels

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 15 Ohio State field hockey team  fell to North Carolina by a score of 4-1 in an NCAA First Round matchup Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Buckeyes conclude their season with a 13-7 record while UNC improves to 17-2.

"North Carolina has such a fantastic team and they come from all different angles," Anne Wilkinson, Ohio State head coach, said. "Second half we started putting things together."

"Our seniors had this as a goal and have worked very hard to play in the NCAA tournament. I am so proud of them," Wilkinson added.

North Carolina built a 3-0 lead in the first half. The Tar Heels got on the board when they worked deep into right corner where Kelsey Kolojejchick centered a pass to Danielle Forword who beat sophomore goalkeeper Ally Tunitis, starting her third game of the season, at 7:27.

UNC earned a penalty corner nearly a minute and a half later but was denied as sophomore Jenn Sciulli covered the open net, making a big defensive save near the goal line.

Despite a strong defensive effort on a Tar Heel penalty corner, UNC was awarded a penalty stroke which Illse Davids converted at 21:17. Tunitis made contact with the ball with her glove but was unable to handle it. Two minutes later, North Carolina upped its lead to 3-0 at 23:37, scoring on the penalty corner.

In the first half, OSU's penalty corner defense of senior Rachel Hunter, junior Bri Doak, sophomore Aisling Coyle, Sciulli and Tunitis broke up 5-of-6 UNC attempts. The Tar Heels posted 10 shots with Tunitis making three saves.

UNC's Kolojejchick put a Melanie Brill in the net at 44:50 in the second stanza to give the Tar Heels four goals. 

Ohio State got on board at 53:40 as junior Aisling McKeon ran the ball up the center after a penalty corner, beating senior goalkeeper Brianna O'Donnell who entered the game at 52:01. Sophomore Maria Briones raced down the field and ran into contact to draw the corner.

Scoring on the UNC defense is a hard task as the Tar Heels have allowed just 10 goals this season. The goal scored by the Buckeyes was just the sixth game in which North Carolina has even allowed an opponent to score.

Tunitis continued to defend the Buckeye goal well, making two big stops in the 62nd minute and four overall on the day.

Notes:
- The game vs. the Tar Heels marked the fifth time Ohio State has played in the NCAA tournament and fourth under head coach Anne Wilkinson. The Buckeyes are 1-5 all-time in the national tournament.
- Ohio State was one of three Big Ten teams to make the NCAA tournament this season, making it the 10th time in the last 11 years the conference sent three or more teams.
- Freshman Danica Deckard earned her first career start vs. North Carolina Saturday. The rookie from Selinsgrove, Pa., has played in 14 games this season.