CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Summer Knight-Thompson’s second goal of the season and 14 combined saves from Daisy Ford and Anya Jackson highlighted a stellar effort for the Stanford field hockey team as it fought hard in a 8-1 loss to No. 2 North Carolina on Sunday.
“We weren’t physical enough today, we didn’t push for the fifty-fifty balls and we played too timid,” said Susan Ewing York Director of Women’s Field Hockey head coach Roz Ellis. “The team is disappointed in their performance and sure we had our chances but we were way too inconsistent.”
Stanford, which had a few chances to open the scoring early in regulation, did well to negate UNC’s press from the beginning, fending off nearly all of the Tar Heel attacks toward goal. Though Daisy Ford and her defensive corps battled against 11 shots in the frame, the Tar Heels struck first just past the five minute mark before doubling their lead in the final three minutes of the first quarter.
With the Cardinal looking for an answer, Summer Knight-Thompson nabbed her second goal of the season to cut into the deficit. Following a set of decisive passes from the Cardinal offense, Knight-Thompson found the ball inside the circle and slashed a backhand past the UNC goalkeeper to put the Cardinal on the board after UNC had increased its lead to three.
Though Stanford continued to threaten offensively, UNC put two more on the board as Ford and the defense once again fought off the Tar Heel siege with Ford collecting three more saves to finish the afternoon with seven on her account.
Having entered the halftime break down 5-1, Stanford fought hard to limit the Tar Heels in the third quarter as Anya Jackson stepped in relief between the posts. With Jackson in lock step with her defense, the sophomore goalkeeper earned six saves in the quarter as the Cardinal kept the Tar Heels to just one goal in the frame that came right at the start of the half.
In the fourth, Stanford continued to battle, earning multiple chances and opportunities to stab one back from the hosts. However, Stanford’s limited opportunities including a Natalie Hoppe shot in front were negated by the Tar Heels. Defensively, Jackson and the defense continued to limit the chances for UNC including an acrobatic stop from Stanford’s sophomore goalkeeper late in the game as she finished with seven saves in the contest.
“We have to put the 0-2 record behind in North Carolina,” said Ellis. “We have a great team and we play great hockey and this week we are going to level up and make sure we are more consistent.”
Stanford is back in action on The Farm next week hosting Louisville and Virginia on Friday, September 26 and Sunday, September 28. First strike from Varsity Turf on Friday against the Cardinals is slated for 5 p.m. PT.