Women's Lacrosse Falls to #1 North Carolina 12-10
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 18, 1998
Charlottesville, Va. - The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels came from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the second-ranked Maryland Terrapins in the first ACC Women's Lacrosse Semifinal. Maryland scored three times in the first five minutes but the Tar Heels rallied and tied the game at 3-3 halfway through the first period. The game featured seven ties and four lead changes before the Tar Heels finally prevailed 12-10, knocking off the defending ACC Champions.
Maryland took the early lead with a goal by Noelle Mitchell 34 seconds into the game. 1997 ACC Tournament MVP Sascha Newmarch then scored and assisted in a five minute span to put the Terps in control 3-0. Maryland freshman Jen Adams took a pass from fellow Australian Newmarch to the cage to give the Terps the three-goal lead.
But North Carolina stormed back behind Lori Pasquantonio, who was a part of each of the next three goals. She scored on an unassisted crease dodge ten minutes into the half, and then took a pass from Gray MacNair to the cage five minutes later. Her pass to Tricia Cummings tied the score at 3 with 13:21 to go in the first half.
Maryland went up 4-3 as Jen Adams stuffed in a rebound two minutes later, but the Tar Heel's Kristin Off answered the Terrapin goal with an unassisted goal with just over nine minutes to play in the half. Maryland, however, won the next draw and Kristin Sommar found a streaking Christie Jenkins to put the Terps up by one again.
North Carolina's Lizzy Bennett tied the score with 2:39 to play in the half as she took a Cummings pass to the net. It appeared as if the teams would enter halftime tied, but Erin McGinnis was awarded a free position with one second on the clock and converted it, giving North Carolina its first lead of the day at the half, 6-5.
Maryland tied the game with a goal from Adams, who was assisted by fellow freshman Meredith Egan four minutes into the half. Carolina went back on top with a free position conversion from MacNair just over a minute later. Adams again helped the Terps tie the score as she assistsd Mitchell a minute later to even the score at 7. McGinnis converted a second free position three minutes later to put the Heels up by one again. Pasquantonio gave the Heels their first two-goal lead with an unassisted goal halfway through the second period. Newmarch cut the deficit in half with an unassisted goal 43 seconds later to make the score 9-8 in favor of the Heels.
Maryland rattled off two quick goals in 44 seconds as Newmarch fed fellow captain Cathy Nelson at the 13:55 mark and Adams scored her fourth goal of the game with an assist from Jenkins to put Maryland back on top 10-9.
But the Tar Heels answered with two quick ones of their own as Pasquantonio converted a free position and McGinnis scored unassisted 41 seconds later to retake the lead 11-10. McGinnis and Pasquantonio hooked up to add an insurance goal for the Tar Heels with a score at 5:17 as Pasquantonio found McGinnis for her fourth goal of the game.
Both goalies were outstanding as UNC's Debbie Castine had 16 saves while Maryland's Alex Kahoe made 15 saves.
North Carolina advances to the ACC Finals for the first time. Theiie. Their opponents in the Championship game on Sunday will be the Virginia Cavaliers.
1 2 Final (Records)
Maryland (#2) 5 5 10 (11-3)
North Carolina (#1) 6 6 12 (12-1)
Scoring: Goals (N): Pasquantonio 4, McGinnis 4, Off , L. Bennett, MacNair, Cummings
(M): Adams 4, Newmarch 2, Mitchell 2, Nelson, Jenkins
Assists: (N): Pasquantonio 2, Cummings , MacNair,
(M): Newmarch 2, Egan, Adams, Jenkins, Sommar
Clearing: N: 7-8; (D): 16-18
Caused Turnovers: N: NR; M: 1 N: 7-8; (D): 16-18
Caused Turnovers: N: NR; M: 13
Turnovers: N: 12; M: 8
Draw controls: N: 10; M: 12
Ground balls: N:19; M: 28
Fouls: N: 8; M: 23
Shots: N: 29; M: 32
Free Positions: N: 8; M: 7
Saves: N: 3 (Castine 16); M: 15 (Kahoe 15)tions: N: 8; M: 7
Saves: N: 3 (Castine 16); M: 15 (Kahoe 15) 15
