Before the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team’s victory against then-No. 1 Northwestern in February, senior midfielder Kara Cannizzaro said the matchup with the Wildcats was a chance to evaluate UNC’s progress early in the season.
Fast forward nearly two months, and the Tar Heels are preparing for another progress report.
“It’s just another in-season game that we have to play and will be an obstacle,” Cannizzaro said about this weekend’s matchup with No. 1 Maryland.
“But we don’t want to put too much pressure on it,” she said. “(The streak) gives us confidence but is not really something we like to focus on.”
No. 2 UNC (11-1, 4-0 ACC) has certainly found its identity in its current 11-game winning streak, which is a win shy of the record set in 2002. The Tar Heels have emerged as a team capable of winning in a variety of ways. They’ve shown they can blow opponents out but also keep their cool in close games.
But as the Tar Heels prepare to face ACC foe Maryland (13-0, 3-0 ACC), Cannizzaro plans to approach Saturday’s contest in College Park the same way she did the Northwestern game.
“It’s great to have all these victories,” Cannizzaro said. “But it’s still the regular season, and we’re working toward our goal of being in the national championship game.”
For junior midfielder Taylor George, the greatest takeaway from UNC’s streak is the will to win she said the team displays each game.
“We’ve pulled (games) out, regardless of how we’ve played,” George said. “Whether we got off to a fast or slow start or faced adversity throughout the game, we’ve always found a way to win.
