Game One: North Carolina 20, Virginia 8
North Carolina opened the series with a big victory against Virginia Friday afternoon at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels (14-0, 8-0 ACC) used a strong first half to cruise past the Cavaliers (8-6, 3-6 ACC), 20-8.
The Tar Heels began the game with two goals in the first 90 seconds to take an early lead. Sophomore midfielder Kiki Shaw answered for the Cavaliers less than a minute later to cut the deficit in half.
North Carolina responded with two consecutive goals, before junior attacker Ashlyn McGovern scored to make the score 4-2. North Carolina senior attacker Jamie Ortega and Shaw traded goals, and the Tar Heels maintained their two-goal lead with 18:09 remaining in the first half.
From that point on, it was all North Carolina for the remainder of the first half. The Tar Heels scored unanswered goals to end the half and went into the break with a 13-3 lead. North Carolina’s big run was powered by the trio of Ortega, senior attacker Katie Hoeg and junior attacker Tayler Warehime, who combined for seven goals during that time frame.
Virginia finally stopped North Carolina’s momentum with a goal from Shaw within the first minute of the second half. However, the Tar Heels proceeded to score three consecutive goals to extend their lead to 16-4.
Virginia scored two of the game’s next three goals, but North Carolina went on another 3-0 run to take a 14-goal lead. Junior midfielder Annie Dyson scored the final two goals of the game for the Cavaliers, who fell by a score of 20-8.
Ortega had a huge game for North Carolina, as she tallied six goals in the win. Hoeg and freshman attacker Caitlyn Wurzburger each contributed four goals. Shaw led the Cavaliers with a career-high three goals.
Game Two: North Carolina 15, Virginia 4
Hoping to turn things around after a tough defeat, Virginia played the second round of its doubleheader against North Carolina. The Tar Heels looked every bit like their No. 1 ranking and cruised past the Cavaliers for the second game in a row, 15-4.
North Carolina came out of the gates with emphasis, looking to prove that the drubbing of its ACC rival in game one was no fluke. The Tar Heels opened up with an 11-0 scoring run going all the way to the 7:14 mark of the first half, dictating every aspect of the game and giving the Cavaliers no room to operate.
Ortega, Hoeg, and Wurzburger, the heroes in game one for North Carolina, picked up right where they left off, with each player scoring two of the first six goals of the game.
With offense firmly in control, the Tar Heels were able to incorporate more players into the scoring mix. Senior midfielder Ally Mastroianni netted two goals of her own on the run, while sophomore midfielder Julia Dorsey scored her first goal of the game.
As the game spiraled out of control for the Cavaliers, Shaw continued her dominant game one performance, answering the 11-0 Tar Heel run with her 10th goal of the season. Senior attacker Scottie Rose Growney would convert a free position shot with three seconds left to send the Tar Heels into the halftime break with a 12-1 advantage.
As indicated by the score, the first half was all North Carolina. The Tar Heels defense suffocated a normally potent Virginia offense, holding them to just four shots in the half, compared to North Carolina’s 21. The Tar Heels played disciplined lacrosse, committing just five fouls and giving Virginia no opportunities with the free position shot.
Looking to inspire something close to a comeback, Virginia’s offense still could not get anything to go. The Tar Heels scored the first two goals of the half, extending the lead to 13. It was not until 11:17 into the second half that Virginia found the back of the net again, via McGovern’s 26th goal of the season.
The Cavaliers managed to close the game marginally by scoring the last two goals of the game, but the damage had been dealt, and Virginia walked away with a 15-4 defeat.
Coach Julie Myers and the team will look to close out the season strong in a bout with in-state rival Virginia Tech 5 p.m. Saturday at Klöckner Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
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