Vol. 6: UNC's Reign Continues
The top-ranked Tar Heels went head-to-head with No. 2 Syracuse on Saturday and handed the Orange a resounding 17-6 defeat, further affirming their No. 1 ranking.
Tar Heels goalie Taylor Moreno celebrates with her teammates during UNC’s 17-6 win over No. 2 Syracuse on April 3. Photo courtesy: Jeffrey Camarati/UNC Athletics.
NOTE:Â National stats included are correct through April 5.
Syracuse used second-half scoring surges to beat Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Except, on Saturday, the Orange didn’t have to wait for its offense to kick in.
Led by Meaghan Tyrrell, No. 2 Syracuse shot out to a 4-1 lead. The Orange scored on four of its first five attempts and won five of the game’s first six draws.
Then the gas ran out.
No. 1 North Carolina held its ACC counterpart scoreless for almost 29 straight minutes, during which Jamie Ortega and Co. orchestrated a 10-0 run. Syracuse goalkeeper Asa Goldstock, who entered the weekend fourth in save percentage (.545), didn’t make a stop for the first 18 and a half minutes of play.
The Tar Heels outscored Syracuse, 7-2, in the second half to round out a 17-6 victory, maintaining their place atop both the rigorous ACC and the Inside Lacrosse poll.
Ortega finished with a season-high eight points (5 goals, 3 assists). Her partner-in-crime, Katie Hoeg, was right behind with seven (3 goals, 4 assists). And Scottie Rose Growney found the back of the cage four times.
But senior midfielder Ally Mastroianni was arguably the most important piece Saturday. She was integral in the Tar Heels erasing their three-goal deficit, chipping in two goals and an assist before the rest of the UNC offense exploded.
To say the Tar Heels are deep would be an understatement. It’s not just the offense, either. Goalkeeper Taylor Moreno bounced back from a rough start to make seven straight saves while the Tar Heels shifted momentum.
Her back line never eased up, that’s for sure. UNC caused nine turnovers.
Luckily for Syracuse, it could see the Tar Heels again in the ACC title game.
For now, though, UNC is on the road to perfection.
Other Notable Storylines:
1) No. 12 Loyola took down No. 17 Navy and then tacked on its seventh straight victory. The previously 4-0 Midshipmen looked outmatched in Annapolis a week ago. For most of the game, that is. It started with a 4-4 tie midway through the first frame. That’s when the Greyhounds stitched together a 10-0 run that dipped into the second period. By then, it was too late for Navy to recover. Livy Rosenzweig notched seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in the victory. She carried that over to Saturday’s game versus Lehigh, when she tallied a game-high six points as well as eight draw controls. The Mountain Hawks hung around, however, Loyola netted four of the game’s final six goals to lock up the top spot in the Patriot League south division.
2) No. 5 BC prevailed against No. 8 Duke in the annual Red Bandana Game. In a game honoring Welles Crowther, a BC men’s lacrosse alum who died saving more than a dozen people on 9/11, the Eagles fittingly never gave in. The Blue Devils got out to a 6-3 lead and entered halftime with a one-goal advantage. But, courtesy of Cara Urbank and Jenn Medjid, BC used a 4-0 run to start the second half and take its first lead of the game. Head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein’s team never gave it back. Charlotte North brought her A-game against her old team, scoring six goals in the 17-15 win.
3) Central Michigan’s Natalie Karlen is on another level right now. Turning in probably the best career day you can have, the senior attacker broke single-game program records for goals (10) and points (13) in a 21-14 win over Kent State last Thursday. In the process, Karlen also became the first Chippewa to reach the 200 career points milestone. What’s more, her 10 goals were the most scored by a Division I player in a game since 2004. The Hagerstown, Maryland, native followed up the prolific performance with a five-goal outing against Akron on Saturday, helping Central Michigan to its second consecutive win.
Central Michigan attacker Natalie Karlen lines up for a free-position shot at Kent State on April 1. Photo courtesy: Jack Reeber/Central Michigan Athletics.
Numbers to Know:
14.70 - caused turnovers per game by Liberty, the most in the country. The Flames have caused 147 turnovers in 10 games this season. Liberty’s ride has been a big reason why head coach Kelly Nangle’s team is tied for 32nd nationally in scoring defense.
.619 - save percentage posted by UNC goalie Taylor Moreno. She’s only conceded 51 goals in 561 minutes this season.
10.50 - assists per game logged by Stanford, tops in the nation. The Cardinal has registered 63 feeders in six games this year. Sophomore attacker Jay Browne has played a huge part, piling up 21 assists so far.
Stanford’s Jay Browne smiles at fellow attacker Ali Baiocco amid the Cardinal’s 23-8 win at Fresno State on March 31. Photo courtesy: John Lozano/isiphotos.com.
Tewaaraton Watch:
NOTE: As the season progresses, I’ll also track draw control, ground ball, and caused turnover leaders. Because of COVID-19 and the various postponements (and game totals), I’ve also broken down scoring categories in game averages. Qualifying players for the tables below must have played at least three games this season. Stats are correct through April 5.
POINTS PER GAME LEADERS
GOALS LEADERS
GOALS PER GAME LEADERS
WATCH LIST HONOREES
Nine players were added to the women’s Tewaaraton watch list last Friday. Here are some notable newcomers:
Hannah Leubecker (Maryland, sophomore attacker): Leubecker came into last weekend tied sixth nationally in goals with 35 under her belt. She has netted 19 in her last four games, averaging 4.75 scores per outing in that span.
Katie Detwiler (Loyola, junior defender): The Devon, Pennsylvania, native just earned her third Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honor. Detwiler held Lehigh’s Sondra Dickey to three points on Saturday. Earlier in the week, she limited Navy’s Nicole Victory, another Tewaaraton watch list honoree, to no goals and two assists.
Jenn Medjid (BC, junior attacker): Medjid tied the Eagles’ single-game program record by scoring nine goals in their 18-3 win over Louisville. She followed up that performance with her ninth consecutive multi-score contest in BC’s win against Duke.
The complete women’s watch list will be pared down to 25 players on April 23. That said, it’s important to note that nominees for the next cut can come from outside the initial watch list and Friday’s additions.
Five finalists will be named in early May. Then the award will be given to the nation’s top player at the conclusion of the season.
Latest Inside Lacrosse Poll
NOTE: screenshots pulled from insidelacrosse.com (not all records fully updated).
Finally. Top-four movement. Syracuse’s loss to the top-ranked Tar Heels dropped the Orange from No. 2 to No. 3 in this week’s poll. BC jumped Notre Dame for the No. 4 spot after the Eagles outlasted Duke. Jacksonville moved into the Top 10 while remaining undefeated. Drexel and Louisville climbed into the Top 15, thanks to wins over Hofstra and Virginia Tech, respectively. Following a one-week hiatus, Elon returned to the Top 20 with decisive victories against Longwood and William & Mary. Towson also popped back in the poll in the wake of a dominant 18-5 win over George Mason. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Arizona State found themselves on the outside looking in. The Buckeyes didn’t play last week, but the Sun Devils’ five-game win streak came to an end at Colorado. Perhaps the biggest loser of this week’s poll, however, was Navy, which suffered a 14-6 defeat to Patriot League favorite Loyola and bowed out of the Top 20 for the first time in six weeks.
What’s Ahead?
NOTE:Â all times listed in EST.
No. 1 UNC @ No. 5 Notre Dame, April 10, 3 p.m.
No. 11 Maryland @ No. 20 Penn State, April 11, 1 p.m.
VCU @ No. 17 Elon, April 11, 1 p.m.
No. 6 Virginia @ No. 3 Syracuse, April 10, 11 a.m.
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