Strong Second Half Lifts UNC To 18-12 Win Over Virginia

Saturday, February 29

Charlottesville, Va.

Noon

North Carolina

5-0

Virginia

4-2

North Carolina

Virginia

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

February 29, 2020 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score

By: Pat James

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Top-ranked North Carolina scored eight of the game's final nine goals to rally for an 18-12 win over seventh-ranked Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Klöckner Stadium.

Katie Hoeg paced the Tar Heels in the back-and-forth affair, scoring four goals and dishing out two assists. She was followed closely by Jamie Ortega, who tallied a game-high five goals for the third time in five games this season.

Ally Mastroianni joined Ortega with a hat trick, scoring all three of her goals in a 77-second span late in the second half. Marisa DiVietro added two goals, while Nicole Humphrey, Taylor McDaniels, Emily Nalls and Scottie Rose Growney – who also notched an assist – chipped in with a goal apiece.

With the win, UNC (5-0, 1-0 ACC) improves to 14-2 in its last 16 ACC openers. UVA falls to 4-2 and 0-1 in the ACC after also losing to Richmond in double overtime on Wednesday.

Key moments

For the second time in as many games, Carolina surrendered the first goal, allowing Virginia's Nora Bowen to score with 25:26 left in the first half. But unlike in their 19-6 win over Maryland last Saturday, the Tar Heels allowed the Cavaliers to build on that early lead, as Bowen scored again moments later. The 2-0 deficit marked UNC's largest of the season.
Carolina finally got on the scoreboard when Ortega put away a pass from Hoeg with 20:40 left in the first half. That, however, didn't slow UVA, which scored the next two goals to go up 4-1. The Tar Heels' response to that proved crucial, as they scored five of the next six goals to seize a 6-5 lead, their first of the game, with 3:30 left until halftime.
UNC's lead didn't last long, as the Cavaliers scored two goals in the final 2:12 of the first half to take a 7-6 lead into the break. But coming out of halftime, back-to-back goals by Ortega and Hoeg put Carolina back in front, 8-7.
The two teams continued going back and forth over the next 13 minutes, with Virginia taking an 11-10 lead with 15:06 remaining. Soon after, Growney scored a free-position goal and Nalls scored in transition, sparking a 7-0 run that ultimately put the Tar Heels ahead for good.
After Ortega stretched Carolina's lead to 13-11 with 10:12 left, Mastroianni put the game out of reach by scoring three straight goals from the 7:24 to 6:07 marks.

Noteworthy

The Tar Heels outscored the Cavaliers 12-5 in the second half.
Virginia held an 8-7 edge in draw controls at halftime, but UNC won 14 of 18 draws in the second half, giving it a 21-12 advantage for the game. The Tar Heels' 21 draw controls were a season high, surpassing their previous mark of 17, set against High Point and Davidson.
Emma Trenchard registered 11 draw controls, seven more than her previous career high of four, set on three occasions. Her 11 draw controls were the most since Marie McCool had 11 against Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on May 19, 2018.
In addition to her season-high three goals, Mastroianni recorded season highs in draw controls (6) and ground balls (2). The junior has tallied 11 draw controls over the last two games after totaling five in the first three games of the season.
With five goals, Ortega moved out of a tie with Kellie Thompson (1999-2002) for fifth place on Carolina's career goals list with 174.
With five points, Ortega moved out of a tie with Becky Lynch (2009-12) and past Aly Messinger (2013-16) for fifth on UNC's career points list with 233.
With six points, Hoeg is now two shy of McCool for third on Carolina's career points list with 244.
Nalls, a freshman, put together the best game of her young career. Not only did she score her first goal, but she also had two draw controls, a caused turnover and a team-high four ground balls, all in the first half.
With two goals, DiVietro matched her career high, set on five occasions, most recently against Davidson on Feb. 16. After being held scoreless in the first two games of the season, she's notched five goals over the last three.
The Tar Heels entered Saturday ranked first nationally in scoring defense (5.25 goals per game), but surrendered a season-high 12 goals to Virginia. They previously hadn't allowed more than seven.
UNC's 16 turnovers were a season high. Its previous high of 12 came in the season opener against James Madison.
Carolina leads the all-time series with Virginia 28-13. The Tar Heels have won 17 of the last 18 games in the series, including eight in a row.

Up next

The Tar Heels will return to Dorrance Field on Thursday, when they'll host Louisville in the first-ever women's lacrosse game aired on the ACC Network. The opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Fans can purchase single-game tickets online at GoHeels.com/tickets, by phone at (800) 722-4335 or in person at the UNC Ticket Office during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).