NORFOLK, Va. -- The 25th-ranked Old Dominion field hockey team's season came to a close on Sunday, as the Monarchs fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 3-0, at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
"UNC is definitely the strongest team we've played all year, so it took us a little time to come up to speed," said head coach Andrew Griffiths. "But once we got accustomed to it, we played really well. I was really happy with the team's performance. Obviously, with the outcome, we let three in, but we gave ourselves a chance."
The Tar Heels (17-0) took the early lead with a penalty-corner goal in the 12th minute. Old Dominion (10-7) then held UNC scoreless for the next 40+ minutes, before UNC extended its lead with back-to-back goals in the 54th and 58th minutes.
The Monarchs' best scoring opportunities came in the final minutes, when ODU had a flurry of penalty corners.
Overall, UNC held a 24-4 advantage in shots and a 10-3 edge in corners.
Defensively, senior Kealsie Robles, in her final game as a Monarch, had a standout performance in the cage, recording a season-high 11 saves. Fellow seniors Kristie Robles, Amie Olton and Kristen Vick also played in their final game at ODU.
Old Dominion ends its season with a 10-7 overall record, including three wins over ranked teams. The Monarchs also had a 9-1 record in games away from home.
"The team has been a really enjoyable team to coach," said Griffiths. "It was a really good team environment and atmosphere. I'm disappointed for them to not go on to the postseason, but we had some great performances and the senior class has been really instrumental in helping the team get to that point."
FOLLOW ODU FIELD HOCKEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow @ODUFieldHockey on Twitter and like ODU Field Hockey on Facebook for the latest updates.