No. 2 UNC women's lacrosse dominates Mercer, winning 20-7

The No. 2 North Carolina women’s lacrosse team (7-0) defeated Mercer (3-2) 20-7 on Friday night in Chapel Hill.

What happened?

UNC sophomore attacker Caitlyn Wurzburger assisted graduate attacker Sam Geiersbach to open the scoreboard shortly after the first minute of play. Mercer equalized shortly after, but a downpour of Tar Heel goals followed. Wurzburger assisted two more goals and scored another in quarter number one. 

At the end of the first quarter, North Carolina was leading 8-1 and never looked back. The Tar Heels were in possession for most of the quarter and fired the ball 12 times on the Mercer goal.

Senior attacker Jamie Ortega scored the first point of the second half, scoring five points by halftime. The Tar Heels expanded their lead in a more contested, yet high-scoring second quarter. North Carolina was up 13-4 going into the break.

North Carolina continued to show its resilience on the field during the third and fourth quarters. The Tar Heels went on to win the game 20-7.

North Carolina’s passing stood out throughout the entire game. The Tar Heels had 14 of 20 unassisted goals, showing the team’s willingness to make the extra pass and work as a team to overcome their rivals.

Who stood out? 

Wurzburger and Ortega stood out for the Tar Heels, scoring seven and six points, respectively. Ortega, who holds UNC’s career point record, continued to show her leadership and resilience on the field. 

Wurzburger, North Carolina’s top assister along with Ortega and second top scorer this season, also showcased her strengths.

Graduate midfielders Andie Aldave and Ally Mastroianni also scored a hat trick each tonight. They were able to demonstrate their attacking solidity in the second half.

Even though it was not a very busy night for graduate goalkeeper Taylor Moreno, she was strong in goal with four saves.  

When was it decided?

The Tar Heels’ high scoring first quarter left Mercer with little chances of coming back in the rest of the game. 

After the one-sided first quarter, the game became more equalized. North Carolina, however, continued to show its superiority in the following quarters and did not allow Mercer to cut down the distance. The Tar Heels went on to expand their lead by two goals in each of the three following quarters.

Why does it matter?

The undefeated Tar Heels were the clear favorites going into the game, and this win solidifies their dominance on the field and reinforces the statement that they are National Championship contenders.

North Carolina continues to demonstrate their strength in all facets of the game. Another high-scoring game shows how the Tar Heels have a strong offense. The Tar Heels also showed their defensive superiority by being shot on only 13 times. 

These victories will set up the Tar Heels for the games later in the season. Most notably, North Carolina has its eyes set on No. 1 Boston College later the season. 

When do they play next?

UNC is back at Dorrance Field on Sunday to host Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Louisville at 1 p.m.

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com