Maggie Bill returns in UNC women's lacrosse 18-8 scrimmage win over NYAC

Saturday was a normal scrimmage for everyone — except for Maggie Bill.

On a windy, crisp afternoon, the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team warmed up for the first time since its 13-7 national title win over Maryland on May 29.

The 18-8 Tar Heel win wouldn’t count. And the New York Athletic Club — a team mostly composed of adult players — wasn’t an official college. Nothing was at stake.

The Tar Heels and NYAC knew this. Warmups were energetic, but not too serious. This wasn’t a game ­— this was a tuneup.

Even the songs blasting through Fetzer Field’s speakers were upbeat: Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel,” Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Flo Rida’s “Low.”

So when the whistle blew and the game began, it was business as usual for everyone. Everyone except for Bill, that is.

She had waited 615 days for this moment.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “I really missed it.”

The last time Bill, a 5-foot-7 redshirt junior midfielder, played in a North Carolina lacrosse game, she lost. And it wasn’t just any loss.

On May 24, 2015, UNC lost 9-8 to Maryland in the national championship. UNC led 6-3 at the break — the largest halftime lead in championship history — but allowed six Maryland goals in the second half.

Bill was a sophomore, and she put on a show — a team-high three goals and two assists. It wasn’t enough.

When she redshirted the 2016 season, she knew she’d have to wait.

She watched from the sideline as UNC fought its way to the championship again, got its revenge against Maryland and brought home the program’s second national title.

And after 615 days of that 2015 championship loss leaving a bad taste in her mouth, Bill was back.

Head coach Jenny Levy was equally excited to have Bill — who scored a goal — on the field, but she said wouldn’t rush her star player.

“She’s doing great,” Levy said. “She would like to be hitting 100 percent of her shots and understanding 100 percent of what she’s doing — which she does.”

“But it’s just going to take a little bit of time for her to get her rhythm back.”

Bill’s return was one of many positives for North Carolina. UNC outshot NYAC 36-20, and nine different Tar Heels scored.

“We’re trying to be excellent,” Levy said. “We’re trying to measure ourselves against the perfect game. Each game tells us where we’re weak and where we’re strong.”

“Today was a great start for that.”

After NYAC won the opening faceoff and scored the first goal, North Carolina rattled off nine straight goals to lead 13-3 at the half.

Junior midfielder Ela Hazar was a key cog in UNC’s attack. She scored twice and, more importantly, had a team-high four assists.

“The best part about our offense is that there are so many different people who can do different things,” she said. “That’s something we work on in practice — everyone understanding what they’re best.

“For me, it’s feeding my teammates. I like looking for the open girl.”

North Carolina’s huge halftime lead allowed Bill, Kazar and more starters to rest in the second half. Levy opted for a youth-heavy lineup, giving reserves valuable experience.

In its first title-defense test, UNC passed with flying colors. The return of Bill and most of its championship roster leaves North Carolina ready to contend again.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Bill said. “I’m excited to see what happens next week.”

@chapelfowler  

sports@dailytarheel.com