St. Joseph’s one win away from a national field hockey crown following upset of North Carolina
As the Hawks prepare to face either Northwestern or Atlantic 10 rival UMass in Sunday's final, they will continue asking the question they’ve used as their mantra throughout the week, “Why not us?”
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The temperature was in the low 40s on Friday at game time when St. Joseph’s and top-ranked North Carolina met in the Final Four for women’s field hockey. The wind chill made it feel like 22 degrees.
But despite the below-freezing temperatures, the atmosphere surrounding Phyllis Ocker Field was electric as the Hawks (20-3) defeated the reigning champions, 2-1, to advance to the national championship game Sunday.
“I’m just trying to take a deep breath right now,” said Hawks coach Hannah Prince. “That was just an incredible effort from our team. There were ups and downs in the game. We made some mistakes at times, but we responded to every single thing that they threw at us. We executed when we needed to. I always say we play with our core values, heart, grit, and team first. And we truly did that today. And I couldn’t be more excited for this team advancing on to the national championship.”
Back-to-back goals from fifth-year Hawks forward Manu Ghigliotti put the Tar Heels (20-1) in a position they haven’t been in all season: playing from behind.
Across their 20-game undefeated season, the Tar Heels had never found themselves trailing by a goal, let alone two. But Ghigliotti said it wasn’t that she exposed anything within one of the top defenses in the country.
» READ MORE: St. Joe’s is bringing a ‘Why not us?’ mentality to field hockey Final Four matchup
“It’s more about what did I see with my teammates,” Ghigliotti said. “We’re trying to go fast as we can, and then try to look for a pass or throw fast and to keep attacking together.”
Ghigliotti struck first to put the Hawks on the board eight minutes into the second quarter and again six minutes into the third quarter, sending half of the bleachers decked in crimson up in celebration. But with under 10 seconds left in the third quarter, it was the fans in Carolina blue’s turn to celebrate as UNC halved its deficit with a corner from sophomore forward Charly Bruder.
But the Hawks remained “stingy,” a trait from its last few games, said Prince, who also praised senior goalie Marith Bijerk.
“She really stood on her head today,” Prince said. “I mean, I’m looking at the box scores in front of me, nine saves, and nine saves in some incredibly tough moments.
“We didn’t play perfect defense. We’re never going to, but she really had our team’s back today. I could hear her on the field just demanding from her teammates, you know, in a positive way. To organize them, and I’m just super impressed with her, and she really showed up. And yes, she’s had a fantastic season, and we’re super proud of her.”
As the Hawks prepare to face Northwestern, which beat UMass, 1-0, in the other semifinal, they will continue asking the question they’ve raised as their mantra throughout the week: “Why not us?”
“There is no reason that [we], as a program, couldn’t think of a reason why we could not come out on top today or for this weekend,” Prince said. “It’s just that belief inside of us that we can go after anyone, and, you know, I said to the girls in pregame, like, you have to believe it with every ounce of your being.”
This belief has been big for the Hawks throughout the season, one that has carried them to an NCAA championship appearanc. It’s the farthest any sport at the university has ever advanced.
The win also marks just the second time since 2018 that the Tar Heels have not appeared in — and failed to win — a national title in field hockey. UNC coach and Chadds Ford native Erin Matson was a part of all five titles in the last six years, with four as a player and one as head coach.
The Hawks remained determined as the first national title in school history sits on the other side of 60 minutes.
“We’re happy to play either team, honestly; it’s been our mindset all year,” Prince said. “I think that’s just the confidence that our players have and the belief that we have that we know we can beat anyone. So we’re very excited about whoever the matchup is.”
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