DTH Columns

Sept. 1, 2004 — Field Hockey deserves credit

Even the most casual North Carolina sports fan is aware that Saturday marks the first football game of the season.

Some might not know the opponent (Division I-AA William & Mary) or the kickoff time (1:35 p.m.), but they still know that it's game number one.

And that's for a team coming off a 2-10 season that isn't expected to be competitive in the ACC, let alone on the national level.

How many people realized that field hockey started its season last week?

Everyone raising a hand needs to put it back down.

And for the follow-up, who knew that the field hockey team is already 2-0, including a victory against Michigan, the team that knocked it out of the NCAA Tournament last year?

To the 21 ladies with their hands up, I know you're on the team.

Field hockey returns every starter from a team that was ranked as high as No. 2 last season and enters this year with national championship aspirations. It is one of three UNC fall sports teams that can legitimately make such a claim, along with men's and women's soccer. (Surprise!)

Yet, field hockey often finds itself passing below the casual fan's football-focused radar.

The team plays in the ACC, one of the top two field hockey conferences in the country, the other being the Big 10. The defending NCAA champion is Wake Forest, who topped Duke in the final.

But don't worry about the Tar Heels being able to compete - there is some outstanding talent on this team.

Forward Kelsey Keeran's 43 points last year earned her one of 16 spots on the All-America team.

Being named first-team All-America is something North Carolina's heralded basketball players have been unable to accomplish since Joseph Forte did it in 2000-01.

After scoring four goals to power the Tar Heels' two opening-week victories, forward Karen Mann was named field hockey's ACC Player of the Week.

Contributions are coming from all classes - sophomore Rachel Dawson and freshman Anne Marie Janus will play crucial roles in the team's ultimate destiny.

At this point, I do have to state something for the record regarding a wee bit of hypocrisy.

I haven't seen a field hockey game since I came down to UNC in the fall of 2001. And it took a look in the media guide to name a single player, let alone the starters.

Wait! Before you move on to the crossword, let me explain.

As a member of the sports desk, I've known that the field hockey team has been good for several years. And I did read up on them before I got down to school, which culminated in me reading all the way to the end of an article on the team for the first time last week

I'm thinking that article was a start, something that got me interested enough to actually get up and go out to Henry Stadium. If I did my job here, I'll be seeing you at 1 p.m. Sept. 18.

(Before the third football game.)