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North Carolina: Tar Heels Will Face Syracuse With Final Four On The Line

May 15, 2008

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CHAPEL HILL - The unseeded University of North Carolina women's lacrosse team will play fifth-seeded Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday May 17 at 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. The winner of the contest will advance to the NCAA Final Four to face the winner of the game between Princeton and top-seeded and three-time defending national champion Northwestern.

The Tar Heels, looking for their second consecutive road win in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, are coming off an 11-7 win at No. 4 seed Virginia last Sunday afternoon. Corey Donohoe scored five goals and Megan Bosica had two goals and three assists in the upset victory over UVa.

Carolina, ranked No. 11 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and No. 12 by Inside Lacrosse, will be facing Syracuse, which is ranked No. 4 by the IWLCA and No. 5 by Inside Lacrosse. Carolina has posted a 13-6 record thus far this season and went 2-3 in ACC regular-season competition.

UNC will be playing its third consecutive game against a top-five nationally ranked opponent, having split the first two of those games (an ACC Tournament loss to Maryland and an NCAA first-round win at Virginia). The Orange is 17-2 and has won nine consecutive games. Syracuse's two losses this season came at Virginia on March 1 and at home vs. Northwestern on March 24. The Orange (as a team) and junior Katie Rowan (as an individual) both lead the nation in scoring.

The Tar Heels are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and made Final Four appearances in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

CAROLINA'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

  • Carolina is 9-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four in 1997, 1998 and 2002. The Tar Heels have reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons.
  • Carolina is seeking its fourth NCAA Final Four berth. The Tar Heels reached the national semifinals in 1997, 1998 and 2002.
  • The Tar Heels are 3-5 on the road in NCAA competition, winning in 1997 at Virginia in the quarterfinals, in 2005 at Penn State in the opening round and in 2008 in the first round at Virginia. Carolina is 6-1 at home in NCAA Tournament games, losing only in 2000 to Loyola.
  • The 2008 team is the 10th squad head coach Jenny Levy has led to the NCAA Tournament, joining the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 teams.
  • A season ago, the Tar Heels were the No. 6 seed and split a pair of NCAA Tournament games. Carolina beat Richmond in the first round in Chapel Hill and lost to Virginia on the road in the quarterfinals.

    THE SERIES VS. SYRACUSE

  • Carolina and Syracuse have met just once previously in women's lacrosse, and that meeting also came in NCAA Tournament play. On May 10, 2001, the Tar Heels beat the Orange, 14-9, in the NCAA first round in Chapel Hill.
  • UNC and Syracuse have played three common opponents this season -- Virginia, Loyola and Northwestern. The Tar Heels went 2-2 against those teams (splitting with Virginia, beating Loyola in Chapel Hill and losing at Northwestern). Syracuse went 1-2 against those three squads, losing at Virginia and at home versus Northwestern and beating Loyola on the road.

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