UNC women's lacrosse learning to deal with lofty expectations

On paper, it seems the top-ranked North Carolina women’s lacrosse team can be just as talented as the group of Tar Heels who became national champions last season. Four of the team’s six 2016 All-ACC first- and second-team honorees are back, and the Tar Heels bring in the third best recruiting class, according to Inside Lacrosse.

At the same time, head coach Jenny Levy said no two teams are exactly alike, and the path to success isn’t the same year to year.

“Every year is totally different,” Levy said. “It doesn’t matter how many kids you bring back or don’t bring back. Every season has different leaders, a different cadence to it, a different personality."

Those sentiments were illustrated in UNC’s season-opening 16-14 win against James Madison on Saturday.

Playing at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh due to the Orange County water shortage, the Tar Heels looked dominant at times, providing glimpses of what could be in store as they hope to defend last season’s title.

Still, a slow start and a defensive lapse midway through the second half that allowed James Madison to keep contesting served as reminders that it takes time for nearly every team to find its groove, even a defending national champion.

One constant that appears to have carried over from last season is the offensive prowess of junior midfielder Marie McCool.

One year removed from a 2016 campaign that saw her record 63 points (46 goals, 17 assists), the Moorestown, N.J., native began the season with a six-goal, two-assist performance — ending with a career-high 8 points.

Even when the Tar Heels looked sloppy for much of the first half — they trailed by three goals on five different occasions before halftime — McCool picked them up.

Eventually, UNC put together a prolonged stretch of dominance as it closed out the first half with three straight goals to pull even before opening the second half with five consecutive scores.

In addition to McCool, junior midfielder Maggie Bill (three goals) and senior attacker/midfielder Molly Hendrick (two goals) aided in powering the the Tar Heel offense, while senior attacker/midfielder Sammy Jo Tracy had 13 draw controls, helping UNC consistently control possession.

Still, UNC — which led by as many as five goals in the second half — allowed James Madison to come within one goal late in the game.

Like her coach, McCool said the process of building team chemistry and consistency won't happen automatically just because last season was a success.

“It’s something that takes time to develop and it’s going to develop over the season,” McCool said. “And we’re really excited to get to that point.”

Levy said one of the best ways for a team to become consistent is to just get more game experience.

“I love games," Levy said. "The games give you the information that you need in order to continue to push your team to be the best that they can be."

If that’s the case, the Tar Heels’ trip to face No. 3 Florida on Saturday will be an educational one.

@Brennan_Doherty

sports@dailytarheel.com