Hawk Stunners: Saint Joseph’s Ends UNC’s Field Hockey Dynasty in Semifinal Thriller

Saint Joseph’s field hockey team brought the drama—and the upset of the season—when they toppled the mighty No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA semifinals on Friday in Ann Arbor, MI. The Hawks ended UNC’s incredible 27-game winning streak and dashed their hopes for a third consecutive national championship with a nail-biting 2-1 victory.

Things didn’t look promising for Saint Joseph’s early on. UNC dominated the first quarter, firing six shots while keeping the Hawks completely off the board. But field hockey is a game of grit, and Saint Joseph’s wasn’t about to be intimidated. Midway through the second quarter, the Hawks flipped the script and struck first, sending shockwaves across the turf and taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.

As if that wasn’t enough, Saint Joseph’s came out swinging in the third quarter, doubling their lead early on. For the first time all season, the Tar Heels found themselves in unfamiliar territory—trailing on the scoreboard. It was a moment that could have shaken any team, but UNC wasn’t about to bow out quietly.

The Tar Heels showed their championship pedigree in the final moments of the third quarter when Charly Bruder scored off a penalty corner, trimming the Hawks’ lead to 2-1. The goal reignited UNC’s offense, and the fourth quarter became a relentless Carolina onslaught. The Tar Heels fired six shots and earned three penalty corners, doing everything short of breaking the scoreboard. But Saint Joseph’s goalie Marith Bijkerk channeled her inner superhero, making nine jaw-dropping saves to preserve the lead.

The final whistle blew, and with it came one of the most significant upsets in NCAA field hockey history. For the first time since 2021, the Tar Heels lost in NCAA Tournament play. Their streak of five consecutive wins in the national semifinals? Gone. Their unbeaten season? Over. Meanwhile, Saint Joseph’s punched their ticket to Sunday’s championship match, where they’ll face the winner of No. 2 Northwestern and unseeded UMass.

Carolina, finishing their season at an impressive 20-1, will undoubtedly be back to contend next year. But for now, the Hawks have stolen the spotlight and reminded everyone that in sports, the only certainty is that anything can happen.