Third-Ranked Cavaliers Set For NCAA Semifinal Matchup with No. 2 UNC

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (18-3) makes its second straight appearance in the NCAA semifinals at 2 p.m. Friday against second-ranked and defending national champion North Carolina. The game will be streamed live on NCAA.com; that broadcast in addition to live stats will be linked on VirginiaSports.com.

“We are very excited to be in the final four and we are looking forward to our matchup with North Carolina,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. “We have to be dangerous and put the ball in scoring positions more often and we have been working on it since the last time we played them. We need to play the ball more and play the odds and produce in the circle.”

Virginia defeated Michigan State 3-2 in overtime and Princeton 4-2 en route to the NCAA semifinals. It is UVa’s fourth overall appearance in the national semifinals (1997, 1998, 2009); the Cavaliers have never advanced to the championship game.

The second-ranked Tar Heels are 21-2 on the year, with their two losses coming at the hands of top-ranked Maryland. Kelsey Kolojechick leads UNC with 15 goals on the year, followed by Jaclyn Radvany (12) and Caitlin Van Sickle (11). Katie Ardrey paces the offense with a team-best 14 assists. Goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer has a 0.77 goals-against average and a .726 save percentage in the cage.

North Carolina leads the all-time series with UVa, 45-16. The Tar Heels have won the last three matchups: the 2009 NCAA semifinal game, the regular season contest this season (Oct. 16 in Chapel Hill) and the ACC semifinal game played on Nov. 5. Virginia last beat UNC 1-0 in overtime in the semifinals of the 2009 ACC Tournament.

No. 1 Maryland (21-1) will take on No. 7 Ohio State (18-4) in the other semifinal game at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday. The winners will meet for the national championship at 12 p.m. Sunday.