You've Got a Friend: Frosh Leads UNC to Win
from press release
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Sarah Kuonen
scored the tie-breaking goal with 7:29 to play and North Carolina
held on to defeat Virginia, 8-7, in Atlantic Coast Conference
women’s lacrosse action at Fetzer Field on Saturday
afternoon.
Carolina attempted to control possession for several minutes late
and prevent Virginia from tying the score, only to turn the ball
over and give UVa one last shot. UNC goalkeeper Lauren Maksym
saved Ainsley Baker’s shot with just over a minute left,
however, icing the victory.
Carolina, ranked No. 5 by the IWLCA and No. 7 by the Inside
Lacrosse media poll, improves to 5-2 this season and 1-0 in ACC
play. Virginia, ranked No. 7 by the IWLCA and No. 11 by
Inside Lacrosse, falls to 3-3, 0-2.
Freshman Abbey Friend led the Tar Heels with three goals.
Laura Zimmerman had two goals and an assist and Corey Donohoe had a
goal and an assist. Kuonen and Kara Cannizzaro each scored
once for UNC, and Becky Lynch dished out an assist.
Charlie Finnigan led Virginia with three goals and one
assist. Josie Owen had a goal and two assists, Julie Gardner
had a goal and one assist and Baker and Maddy Keeshan each scored
once for the Cavaliers.
UNC led early and controlled momentum for much of the first
half. Cannizzaro started the game off with an unassisted goal
at the 27:15 mark, wrapping around the cage from the rear to score
for a 1-0 UNC lead. Baker scored off a pass from
Gardner to tie the score at one apiece with 24:48 to go in the
first half, then Zimmerman and Friend scored for a 3-1 UNC
advantage. The teams traded goals and it was 4-2 with 19:35 left in
the openingperiod.
Friend then scored on aone-timer shot off a perfect pass from
Donohoe at the 13:42 mark to give UNC a 5-2 lead. Shortly
thereafter, Zimmerman just missed scoring her third goal of the
half when her shot hit the crosspipe. Minutes later, Donohoe scored
on a free position try to make the score 6-2 at the 12:16 mark,
forcing a Cavalier timeout.
Owen broke the UNC run with a free position goal at the 10:18 mark
that made the score 6-3 Tar Heels. Friend responded with her
third goal of the opening 30 minutes, taking a pass from Zimmerman
and making it 7-3 with a quick goal at 6:53.
The first half ended at 7-3 Carolina. In the second half,
Virginia went on a 4-0 run to tie the game at 7-7. Gardner
started the scoring with a free position goal at the 22:41 mark to
make the score 7-4 UNC. Gardner scored off a nifty pass in
traffic from Baker, making the score 7-6 and forcing a Carolina
timeout with 21:25 to play. Just 18 seconds later, Finnigan scored
a fast break goal off a pass from Baker to make it 7-6 UNC.
Finnigan scored on a free position try with 10:59 to go, tying the
score at 7-all.
Kuonen’s unassisted goal with 7:29 left broke the tie and
gave UNC the 8-7 lead. The Tar Heels held possession for
several minutes and tried to hold for the last shot but Emily
Garrity turned it over with 1:37 left, giving the Cavaliers the
ball.
Virginia was able to get a decent shot by Baker, by Maksym’s
big save ensured the victory.
The Tar Heels will return to action next Saturday at 1 p.m. at
Fetzer Field against Georgetown.
