Duke Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to No. 1 North Carolina

Sunday, November 16

Chapel Hill, NC

1 p.m.

Duke University

(13-7)

North Carolina

(20-1)

Duke

North Carolina

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Drops Overtime Heartbreaker to No. 1 North Carolina

11/16/2025 3:34:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Top-seeded North Carolina scored 1:37 into overtime to escape with a 2-1 victory after a fantastic team effort from Duke in the NCAA Championship field hockey quarterfinals at Karen Shelton Stadium Sunday.

The Tar Heels scored in the second quarter before the Blue Devils (13-8) equalized early in the fourth on a Shae Wozniak goal. Duke was excellent on defense throughout the game, forcing overtime where North Carolina took advantage of its 15th penalty corner of the afternoon for the winner.

Sanne Hak had the deciding goal for the Tar Heels with Sietske Bruning feeding her the ball off the penalty corner play. It was the second overtime win this season for North Carolina against Duke.

How it Happened

North Carolina started on the front foot, earning four penalty corners in the opening seven minutes. Duke goalkeeper Kaiya Chepow came up big on the first set piece, denying back-to-back shots from top Tar Heel scorers Charly Bruder and Dani Mendez.
In the 10th minute it was Duke junior Sophia Miller making the crucial defensive save on another Tar Heel penalty corner. North Carolina continued to pressure Duke's backfield but there was no backing down by the Blue Devils as they headed into the first break knotted in a scoreless tie.
The Tar Heels broke through with the game's first goal in the 24th minute as Kara Heck redirected a shot from Charly Bruder past Chepow.
Duke sophomore Madison Beach appeared to tie up the game with a phenomenal individual effort in the 28th minute, dribbling through the middle of the field and into the penalty circle and firing a backhanded shot into the right upper 90. However, following a challenge from North Carolina the call was reversed and the goal disallowed, sending Duke into halftime trailing, 1-0.
The Blue Devils remained steady in the third quarter, getting more possession and holding the Tar Heels to just four shots in the period. Chepow was excellent once again with two saves.
Freshman Shae Wozniak tied the game up for the Blue Devils in the 48th minute, pushing in a rebound off a save from North Carolina goalie Katie Wimmer. Alaina McVeigh had the initial shot, forcing Wimmer to make the save through traffic as Wozniak awaited the rebound for her fourth goal of the year.
The Blue Devils continued to press the Tar Heels in the fourth, generating more scoring looks. The teams combined for six shots but couldn't find the back of the cage to head to heartbreaking overtime finish.
North Carolina outshot the Blue Devils, 24-7, and had a 15-3 advantage in penalty corners. Chepow finished with a career-high eight saves.