No. 2 UNC women’s lacrosse beats No. 7 Florida 15-11 in battle of top-10 teams

Three UNC hat tricks helped lead No. 2 North Carolina women's lacrosse to a 15-11 win over No. 7 Florida in a top-10 matchup to remain undefeated.

What happened?

The Tar Heels and the Gators traded goals to start the game with Florida taking a 2-1 lead. North Carolina then went on an offensive blitz led by attacker Scottie Rose Growney, scoring two of UNC’s four goals in the last four minutes to take a 5-2 advantage at the end of the first.

The Gators were able to fight back in the second quarter to make the score 7-6, but the Tar Heels weathered the storm to re-extend the lead back to three goals, including a strike from midfielder Olivia Dirks with one second left.

North Carolina started to pull away in the third as goals from midfielders Andie Alvie and Elizabeth Hillman along with attacker Jamie Ortega man gave UNC a six goal advantage. UNC’s defense and goalkeeper Taylor Moreno were fantastic in the period as well, shutting down Florida’s offense by allowing just one goal and three total shots.

Two more goals from Ortega and Ally Mastroianni sealed the deal for the Tar Heels as they took a 15-8 lead midway through the fourth quarter. While Florida scored three late goals, it was not enough as UNC came out on top winning 15-11.

Who stood out? 

Ortega, Growney and Hillman each scored a hat trick, acting as UNC’s three-headed monster that dominated offensively against Florida.

Hillman’s hat trick was most notable as it was the first of her career, proving to be another capable scorer for a UNC team loaded with offensive weapons.

Ortega and Growney are now up to nine and seven goals respectively on the season. Each also added an assist on the day.

Moreno was also terrific in goal, making eight saves to help the Tar Heels keep leads throughout the game.

When was it decided?

North Carolina’s surge at the end of the second quarter into the late part of the third was crucial in their victory over Florida. Moreno was fantastic over this stretch, not allowing Florida to score for nearly 14 minutes once they cut it to within one.

With this security in goal, UNC was able to extend their lead as a five-goal charge gave them enough cushion to cruise the rest of the way.

It started with a magnificent goal from Hillman as her supreme stick skills allowed her to weave her way through the Florida defense and dump the ball into the goal.

UNC struck first coming out of the half as Tayler Warehime found a cutting Aldave for a goal. 

After Aldave scored another, the Tar Heels capped of the run with great ball movement that eventually found Ortega who whipped the ball into the net to take six goal lead that would not be given up.

Why does it matter?

After being bounced out of the NCAA Tournament semifinals by Boston College last season, UNC won’t settle for anything less than a championship. A four-goal victory over a top-10 team could help that goal come into fruition. 

North Carolina showed its star power all over the field in Gainesville, starting with its attack that poured on 15 goals with eight players scoring at least once. Not only that, but the defense locked up the Gators offense several times, allowing UNC to maintain their lead.

Most importantly, when the Tar Heels were challenged by a Florida run, they were able to fight back, not allowing the Gators to regain the lead after the first quarter. Being able to limit runs and hold leads against top teams in the country will be key in UNC’s journey back to a national championship.

When do they play next?

UNC kicks off ACC play when it travels to play Pittsburgh on Thursday at 4 p.m.

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