Field Hockey Upsets #4 North Carolina, 2-1

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October 18, 1998

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Meridith Thorpe (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs), the ACC’s all-time leading scorer, tallied three points this afternoon as the Cavaliers defeated the Tar Heels 2-1 at University Hall Turf Field. Thorpe, who is the all-time ACC leader in both goals and points, added to both totals this afternoon as the Cavaliers upset the fourth-ranked Tar Heels.

The Cavaliers got on the board first as Thorpe stuck in Virginia’s third penalty corner of the afternoon as her shot glanced off the pads of Carolina goalie Nicole Frey. She was assisted on the play by Michelle Vizzuso (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) and Laura Lindsay (Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield). With Thorpe’s 95th career goal, the Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead with 14:20 to play in the first half.

The Tar Heels answered right back as Nancy Pelligreen scored on a penalty corner just 2:35 later off an assist from Jana Toepel.

But the Cavaliers got what proved to be the game-winning goal just before halftime as Meredith Elwell (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) intercepted a 16-yard hit and took it down to the circle where she passed to Thorpe. Thorpe led Elwell through the circle with her pass and Elwell redirected the pass into the cage with just 1:47 to play in the first half.

In the second half, the Tar Heels were awarded seven corners but were unable to convert any of them as Cavalier keeper Becky Worthington (Fairview Village, Pa./Methacton) turned back three of the five Tar Heel shots. With 6:03 to go in the game, the Tar Heels replaced Frey with Abby Martin as an extra field player. As time was running down, Carolina forced a corner and the Heels called a timeout with two seconds to go in the game. But Toepel’s shot was saved by Worthington, preserving the win for the Cavaliers.

With the win, the Cavaliers improve to 11-3 and are now 2-0 in conference play. It was the Cavaliers’ 12th win in a row at home and their 19th consecutive win in October.