EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 1-seeded Northwestern field hockey team is set to take on No. 8-seeded North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 15, in an NCAA Quarterfinal matchup at Lakeside Field. The game is slated for 1 p.m. CT, and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Sunday’s contest is a rematch of the 2022 and 2023 NCAA title games, as well as the 2025 semifinals. It will be Northwestern’s fifth time facing North Carolina in the last six years, making the Tar Heels the ‘Cats' most-played NCAA Tournament opponent under Head Coach Tracey Fuchs.
Northwestern (19-2, 7-1 Big Ten) enters Sunday after a 5-0 win over Saint Joseph’s in the first round on Friday. Meanwhile, North Carolina (13-7, 6-2 ACC) advanced after defeating 2025 quarterfinalist Miami (OH), 1-0, in Friday’s second game. The ‘Cats seek a spot in what would be their sixth-straight NCAA Semifinal with a win.
RIVALRY RENEWED
Combining for the last eight NCAA championships in the sport, Northwestern and North Carolina have been among the most successful Division I field hockey teams this decade. The Tar Heels captured the title in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, while the Wildcats won the 2021, 2024 and 2025 championships.
NU holds a 6-6-1 all-time record over UNC. Though the teams did not play each other from 1994 to 2020, they have faced off in five of the last six NCAA Tournaments beginning in 2021. The ‘Cats beat the Tar Heels in the 2021 first round en route to their maiden national title, but the Tar Heels won their meetings in the 2022 and 2023 national title games.
Northwestern won the pair’s most recent matchup, in the 2025 NCAA Semifinals, in dramatic fashion. The ‘Cats trailed 3-1 in the third quarter and were down a goal with 1:10 remaining on the clock. However, Ilse Tromp scored the game-tying goal for NU to send the game into overtime, before 2025 graduate Grace Schulze scored the winner in extra minutes for the ‘Cats.
Though North Carolina and Northwestern have met several times in recent years, Sunday will be North Carolina’s first time playing in Evanston since 1987.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina defeated Miami (OH) 1-0 in Friday’s first-round match. Dani Mendez scored the winning goal for the Tar Heels in the first quarter. The win was a bounce back for the Tar Heels, who lost to Syracuse on penalties in the ACC Tournament, ending a streak of nine consecutive conference tournament titles.
The Tar Heels, under fourth-year head coach Erin Matson, have a 13-7 record this season and went 6-2 in ACC play. Despite starting the season 3-4, they won four of their last five regular season games to capture the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and a share of the ACC regular-season title.
On Sept. 21, North Carolina gained reinforcements in the form of fifth-years Ryleigh Heck, Sietske Bruning and Mendez, who were granted an additional year of eligibility in the NCAA’s new 5-for-5 model following an Indiana court ruling. Heck, the 2023 Honda Award sport winner, leads the ACC in goals (1.083) and points (2.25) per game.
Heck and Bruning both earned second-team All-ACC Honors in 2026, while Charly Bruder received a first-team nod. Midfielder Sofia Ferri was named ACC Freshman of the Year after a seven-goal, three-assist 2026 campaign.
The Tar Heels, who lead Division I Field Hockey with 11 NCAA titles and 43 tournament appearances, also look to keep their NCAA Semifinal streak alive, qualifying each of the past four seasons.
WILDCATS TO WATCH
Senior forward Ashley Sessa paced Northwestern on Friday in the first round with two goals in NU’s win over Saint Joseph’s. The game was Sessa’s second consecutive multi-goal showing, as she also scored two goals in the ‘Cats’ Big Ten Tournament Championship contest against Maryland.
In her NCAA Tournament debut, first-year Bree Moffett scored her second career goal, deflecting a rebound off Hawks goalie Avianna Wagner. First-year Raquel Hofmeister continues to shine after a successful Big Ten tournament. She contributed a goal against Saint Joseph’s, as well as the shot that set up Moffett’s goal. Her five shots tied Sessa for a game-high in the first round.
NFHCA Week 11 Ranking: The Wildcats returned to the No. 1 spot in the Nov. 10 edition of the NFHCA Coaches poll, earning 10 of 11 first-place votes. Northwestern surpasses previously top-ranked Maryland after defeating the Terrapins in the Big Ten Tournament title game. The ‘Cats have now spent nine weeks this season in the poll’s top spot.