Women’s lacrosse prepares to take on No. 1 Northwestern in final regular-season game

After completing its ACC schedule with a clean sheet, the No. 3 North Carolina women’s lacrosse team (13-1, 5-0 ACC) has one last stop to make before it starts postseason play – Evanston, Ill., home of No. 1 Northwestern.

Three senior classes have seen their UNC careers end at the hands of the Wildcats, as North Carolina lost to Northwestern in the 2009 NCAA final and then fell in the NCAA semifinals in consecutive years to the Wildcats.

North Carolina rattled off 20 shots in the first half of last year’s postseason game against the Wildcats but scored on just five of those 20 shots.

Ultimately, it lost 11-10 on a goal with 18 seconds remaining from All-American Shannon Smith, who returns this year to face the Tar Heels.

“We got some good looks on cage, but at the end of the day they were hurried shots, and we didn’t finish on them,” coach Jenny Levy said. “I think that probably could have been the difference in the game, but credit Northwestern, that’s their defense.”

The 2012 Tar Heels hope to put history behind them, and break the Wildcats’ 21-game home winning streak, just as they did two years ago in Evanston, when UNC handed them their first loss following a 41-game win streak.

Only one defensive starter who played against Northwestern last year returns for the Tar Heels, but midfielder Kara Cannizzaro said she has confidence in the lone returning defender, sophomore Sloane Serpe.

“I hate going against her every day in practice,” Cannizzaro said. “She brings a lot of leadership and she really controls our defensive unit.”

Senior captain Becky Lynch said the team’s defense has shown that it can play just as well as last year’s squad that was heralded for its experience.

“This defense right now they’ve proved so much, they’ve proved that they’re one of the best defenses in the nation,” Lynch said.
“We all get to prep and we all get to watch film, so the fact that they haven’t ever really played against Northwestern, I don’t think it’s going to really take a toll on how well we’re going to do.”

The Tar Heels will need that unit to shut down Smith, who ranks among the nation’s top 10 scorers. Cannizzaro played with Smith and standout Northwestern midfielder Taylor Thornton on the U.S. national team last summer.

“We just have to play really focused and stay with the basics and I think we can contain them,” Cannizzaro said. “It’s just that we can’t take unhealthy risks.”

In net, junior goalie Lauren Maksym boasts the nation’s second-best goals against average at 6.94, trailing only Northwestern’s Brianne LoManto at 6.36.

Maksym is a full goal ahead of last year’s 8.29 average, which Levy attributed to this year’s defensive strategy catering to Maksym’s strengths.

“She owns the defense,” Levy said. “This is her defense in front because they’re younger in front. Last year’s defense had played with Logan Ripley, and so there was certainly an adjustment.”

Lynch said that the team wants a win, but that ultimately the season will extend beyond the regular season finale in Evanston.

“Northwestern is the No.1 seed, so that would be pretty awesome to beat them, but after that we still have the ACC tournament,” Lynch said.
“At the end of the day it’s not really the rankings that matter, but it would put us in a great position for seeding for NCAAs.”

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