The move up in divisions appears to be working out nicely for North Carolina’s club team.
After winning the US Lacrosse WCLA (Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates) Division II National Championship twice in three years (2012 & 2014), the Tar Heels moved up to Division I for the 2015 season. After two adjustment seasons, UNC was back among the national elite last year, advancing to the D-I national semifinals for the first time. Evidently, they liked that experience so much that they are back in the final four again in 2018.
UNC punched its ticket Thursday with a dominating 15-3 quarterfinal win over No. 4 seed Pittsburgh. No. 7 seed UNC built a 6-2 halftime lead, then steamrolled the Panthers in the second half to earn their way into Friday’s semifinal.
“Going into the game, we were aware of how good Pitt was, but once we got the lead, we just kept building on it,” said junior team captain Julia Silvestri, who finished with three goals. “It felt like we got to every 50-50 ball, and our transition was really effective. It was our best game of the year.”
Senior Bianca Ingato and sophomore Morgan Bauer also added three goals apiece for the Tar Heels, who captured their sixth straight win and reached the 15-goal mark for the eighth time this year.
North Carolina now faces No. 1 seed Michigan, which used a late five-goal run to get past defending champion Delaware, 9-5. The Wolverine defense kept the Blue Hens scoreless over the final 17 minutes of the game while rallying for the win. UM’s balanced scoring attack featured goals by eight players, while freshman goalie Maddie Collins anchored the defense with eight saves.
“Our motto is ’30 Strong’ because we get contributions from everybody,” said Michigan coach David McKinnon. “I think having the wind at our back was a factor in the second half. Playing into the wind can limit what you do. And running into the wind stinks.”
The nation’s only undefeated team, Michigan carries a 17-0 record into Friday’s national semifinal.
There was no lack of drama in No. 7 Virginia’s upset over No. 2 Georgia as the Cavaliers posted the 5-4 victory. UVA improved to 10-3 on the year while holding Georgia to its lowest goal total of the season.
Trailing 4-3, Virginia’s Nicole Blystone tied the score on a free position goal with 10:06 remaining. Neither team could tally the go-ahead goal until the closing seconds when junior Megan Greatorex capped a two-minute Cavalier possession by notching her third of the day, with 14 seconds to go, on a free position strike. Six of the game’s nine combined goals were via free position shots, including all five of Virginia’s tallies.
“There was a lot of pressure on that last shot and I was just trying to focus on placing it correctly,” Greatorex said. “I have a go-to shot that I like to take under pressure, but I think their goalie knew that, so I had to alter my plan.”
The Cavaliers’ semifinal opponent will be No. 3 seed BYU, which rallied from a four-goal halftime deficit to defeat San Diego State, 12-10. BYU and Virginia will be meeting for the second time this year, having almost matched up in February at the Santa Barbara Shootout. BYU won that game 10-8.
On Thursday, BYU relied on the play of senior All-American Briana Arnold to fuel its comeback. Arnold scored five of her game-high six goals in the second half, including four straight at one point, to spark the rally.
“Briana has the most drive and commitment on our team, and her force of will ignites a passion in our other players,” said BYU coach Nikki Dabrowski. “Our offense was just too stagnant in the first half, so we talked at halftime about wanting everybody on offense to be a threat. She helped to make that happen.”
The Cougars improved to 15-2 on the year by winning for the 10th time in their last 11 games.
Junior Jillian Schell led San Diego State’s upset bid with four goals. The No. 11 seed Aztecs had knocked off No. 6 Boston College in Wednesday’s opening round to earn their spot in the quarterfinals.
Ironically, No. 7 North Carolina, the lowest seed among the four semifinalists, is also the only returning final four squad from last year.
Friday’s first semifinal between Michigan and North Carolina begins at 5 p.m., following by the second semifinal between Virginia and BYU at 8 p.m. Live video streaming of both games is available at www.asbn.tv.
Friday’s National Semifinals – Division I
5 p.m. - No. 1 Michigan (17-0) vs. No. 5 North Carolina (11-2)
8 p.m. – No. 3 BYU (15-2) vs. No. 7 Virginia (10-3)
Denver, Loyola Secure D-II Semifinal Berths; Two Spots Still Open
No. 1 seed Denver and No. 2 Loyola claimed spots in Friday’s WCLA Division II semifinals by each finishing 2-0 in round-robin play Thursday. The third and fourth spots will be determined on Friday morning following the completion of pool play.
Two-time defending champion Denver easily won both of its games, defeating Grand Valley State, 18-6, in its opening contest and following with a 16-5 victory over Portland State in the afternoon.
Midfielder Olivia Oppenheim paced the Pioneers with a team-high seven goals in the win over GVSU. Junior Kaitlin Ball added three goals, with Siena Buffa and Caroline Murphy scoring two apiece.
In their second game, the Pioneers built a 6-3 halftime lead, then blew the game open in the second half by outscoring tournament newcomer Portland, 10-2. All-American Sophie Smith led the way in this contest with four goals, including three during UD’s second half explosion.
The Pioneers (13-4) bring a six-game winning streak into Friday’s semifinal.
No. 2 seed Loyola also cruised into Friday’s semifinal by registering a combined 40 goals in its two victories. Loyola blitzed New Hampshire, 22-9, and added an 18-5 win over St. Benedict. Michaela Smith and Kelly O’Krepkie led the barrage against UNH with six goals each. O’Krepkie also tallied six goals in Loyola’s second victory over St. Ben.
The Greyhounds, last year’s national runner-up, return to the national semifinals for the fourth straight year. Loyola is 12-3 on the season.
“Reaching the nationals is always the goal for us,” said team captain Madison Craft. “We hope that this is our year to finish first.”
Providence registered the biggest surprise in Thursday’s D-2 action, upsetting No. 3 seed St. Thomas, 13-12. Five goals by freshman Katharine Cintron helped lead the Friars, who withstood a late charge by the Tommies to grab the win. Providence can earn its first national semifinal berth with a win against Oakland on Friday morning.
“We are here to win it,” said Providence coach Mike Koperda. “We knew it was important to win the first game because it sets your journey through the tournament.”
No. 4 seed SMU was 61 seconds away from also grabbing one of the semifinal spots, but was unable to seal the deal. Having rallied for an 8-7 win over Utah State in its opener, SMU led Vermont by one goal in its second game but allowed the Catamounts to tie the score late and win the game in overtime.
Friday’s D-II semifinal games will be played at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Live video streaming of both games is available at www.asbn.tv.
WCLA Division II Championship – Thursday’s Pool Play Game Scores
Denver 18, Grand Valley State 6
Denver 16, Portland State 5
Loyola 22, New Hampshire 9
Loyola 18, St. Benedict 5
Providence 13, St. Thomas 12
St. Thomas 13, Oakland 7
SMU 8, Utah State 7
Vermont 10, SMU 9 (overtime)