When it rains, Marissa White pours. In Sunday’s rainy matchup between the No. 3 North Carolina and No. 22 Clemson women’s lacrosse teams, the first-year attacker led UNC to a 17-8 victory with five goals.
“When guys are down, he picks them up,” head coach Joe Breschi said. “When they're sky high, he keeps them going. When there's things we need to change, he's a sounding board for us. It's a two-way street and I think that's what makes it so special and his leadership so valuable to the team this year.”
The Hokies hammered four consecutive goals in the fourth quarter, but it was too late; UNC’s first quarter 5-0 run and third quarter 3-0 performance allowed the Tar Heels to maintain a steady lead to carry them to the finish.
“You always have a target on your back,” junior attacker Caitlyn Wurzburger said. “I think pressure’s a privilege here at North Carolina, and I'm excited. I love thinking people can come in here and beat us. I love that feeling.”
In her first collegiate start, McPherson hit the ground running, scoring 10 points in the first seven minutes. Shooting 53 percent from the field, she finished as the game’s leading scorer with 22 points, as North Carolina went on to beat Boston College, 73-55.
“We were playing good defense and that was our main goal,” Poole said. “They were a top-four team. They were number four in the country. So knowing that we were able to stay with a top-five team just fueled our emotion and our energy and our hard work.
“You have to be connected to the discipline and the details, the things we talk about and we drill in practice every day, and with your effort and energy and enthusiasm, you have to dig deeper,” Hubert Davis said.
After a close loss to Pittsburgh, the Tar Heels were in need of an ACC win to boost morale as they head into consistent ACC play.
“What I see is that we close the season with nine wins, which has happened only one other time since I left here, and I left here a long time ago,” Brown said. “So, this is one heck of a season for North Carolina.”
After losing its last three games of the season, UNC came into the Holiday Bowl looking to end the season on a high note. Although the Tar Heels entered as 14-point underdogs, they more than held their own and kept Oregon on its heels for the entirety of the game.
