No. 2 UNC women's lacrosse uses goalkeeper change to beat No. 1 Boston College

The coaching staff got together during halftime as No. 2 North Carolina women's lacrosse trailed No. 1 Boston College, 7-6. It was only the second time this season that UNC trailed at half. 

Some things had to change in order for the Tar Heels to take down the Golden Eagles, who have held the top spot nationally all season. 

During the halftime discussion, the coaches ultimately decided to replace redshirt first-year goalkeeper Betty Nelson with first-year Lexi Zenk as they searched for a necessary “spark.”

And Zenk gave them just what they were looking for. 

Thanks in part to the first-year goalie, there will be a new No. 1 in the standings after this weekend. Zenk held Boston College to just four goals in the second half — tying BC's season-low for goals scored in a half this season — in UNC's 12-11 victory on Saturday afternoon on Dorrance Field. She made four saves, stopping 50 percent of shots against her from the country’s top offense and successfully completed all 12 of her clears down the field. 

North Carolina is now the only undefeated team left in Division I. 

Nelson has started every game for UNC this season. She entered Saturday’s contest with a save percentage of 54 percent, ranking third among all goalies in the nation. Nelson’s also up for the Tewaaraton Award — an honor that recognizes the nation’s top lacrosse player each year.

Zenk, on the other hand, hasn’t seen the field since March 8. The only time the New York native had played against a ranked opponent was when she went in for the second half against then-No. 14 Virginia a month ago. 

But, at halftime, down one versus the reigning national champions, Zenk was told she’d be taking over for the next 30 minutes. 

"It was a little unexpected, I'm not going to lie," Zenk said.

Still, the first-year welcomed the challenge. She trusted her preparation and felt confident about the support around her. 

“That was the first [thing] the defense had said to me when I had gotten in there,” Zenk said. “[It] was, ‘We have your back, you have our backs, we got this.’”

Head coach Jenny Levy elected to insert Zenk in the second half because she said her skill set was slightly better suited for the “rhythm of the game.”

Levy also admitted that the defense wasn’t giving Nelson enough support in the first quarter. Boston College repeatedly converted on open looks right on top of the cage — taking a 4-0 lead in the first five minutes — since the UNC defenders weren’t applying enough pressure. As a result, Nelson allowed seven goals and only stopped three shots.

So the head coach responded by trying something new, hoping a ripple effect would occur within her team. 

“Sometimes when you change a goalie,” Levy said, “it changes the momentum of the defense and it changes the momentum of the offense.”

And it did.

Five minutes after Zenk entered the game, Boston College's Mia Mascone — who had a hat trick in the first half — had the chance to score her team's first goal of the second. Tied 7-7, Mascone stood on a left-side hash mark for a free position shot. She drove in and whipped a side-arm shot.

Zenk dropped on her right knee and the ball bounced high in the air. Denied.

UNC regained possession. 

The first-year goalie remained sharp for the rest of regulation. Boston College as a team scored its fewest amount of goals yet this season.

During that final quarter, neither team ever led by more than two goals. It was only at the 6:24 mark when UNC took its first lead of the game. North Carolina had not even trailed more than 25 minutes total this season. On Saturday, Boston College led for over 53 minutes. It was a high-pressure situation.

UNC was struggling on the draw circle late in the game. Boston College held a 5-1 advantage on the draw in the fourth quarter. 

But, the Tar Heels counteracted their lack of success on the circle by stringing together stops on defense, thus creating vital opportunities to score.

And when UNC committed a turnover, it was Zenk and the defensive unit that bailed them out.

“Lexi really just came out and made some incredible stops,” junior attacker Caroline Godine said. “Sometimes we’d turn it over, and she would be the ultimate savior on the other side."

UNC historically operates a two-goalie system with the same recurring starter and the option to send in the backup. 

Levy confirmed that Nelson will still be the starter for North Carolina’s next game on Wednesday at East Carolina. But she also said she learned what Zenk can handle: she's capable of stepping in to stop the most high-powered teams in the country. 

And she will be ready when her name is called next. 

@meganosmithh

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