Men's lacrosse seeks redemption in ACC Tournament
Ending the regular season with a successful 8-4 overall record, including a win against reigning NCAA champion Johns Hopkins, might be enough for some lacrosse teams.
As far as North Carolina senior midfielder Nick Tintle can tell, however, that's not good enough for this team.
Now the North Carolina men's lacrosse team will carry that attitude to the ACC Lacrosse Championship in Charlottesville, Va., - and a first-round matchup against Duke.
And Tintle looks to Friday's game as a candidate for the Tar Heels senior corps' first conference win of their careers.
"We need it," he said after Saturday's victory against Hofstra. "Definitely need it. We've been close a couple times, we've been upset."
"But it's in our cards. We're gonna get it soon enough."
A less-than-stellar 0-3 ACC record is a motivation for the team, especially against Duke, senior midfielder Rob Driscoll said.
"We know we're playing Duke, and we know exactly how it's going to be," Driscoll said.
And if March 15th's matchup was any indication, the Tar Heels will need to bring their A-game if they want to topple the Blue Devils. Duke blew open a close game with a six-goal barrage during the second quarter en route to a 19-9 romp.
Coach John Haus said preparation during practice time this week, will be key toward any UNC success Friday.
"You know, we told the guys inside that we'll give them a game plan and they've got to believe in it and execute it, and if they do that then hopefully we'll be real competitive against Duke on Friday."
compiled by rachel ullrich
Boston College awaits women's lacrosse in ACCs
The North Carolina women's lacrosse team will get a chance to avenge its double overtime loss to Boston College today.
The fifth-seeded Tar Heels will play the fourth-seeded Eagles in a first round matchup of the ACC Championship in Charlottesville, Va.
UNC last faced BC on March 29 when the Eagles barely edged the Tar Heels, scoring a 5-4 victory.
Since then, UNC has suffered a few tough losses. On April 12, the Tar Heels lost by two goals at home against conference rival Maryland, then they were routed by powerhouse Northwestern to close out the regular season.
North Carolina aims to bounce back in the tournament, however.
In order to do that, the Tar Heels must address some aspects of their game. Senior Meg Freshwater noted one thing UNC needs to fix.
"I think we need to work on our transition attack," she said after the Tar Heels' 10-8 loss to the Terrapins.
"I think we're a lot faster than a lot of other teams, and we don't utilize that as much as we can."
Another key to the game will be North Carolina's ability to get the ball in the stick of the team's leading scorer, freshman Corey Donohoe.
With the improved play of sophomore Kristen Taylor, the Tar Heels have another offensive weapon to complement their dynamic frosh.
Coach Jenny Levy said she expects Taylor to be a leader for the team in the postseason.
"(She) is playing well for us right now," Levy said. "She was feeling sick at the beginning of the season, so she's gotten her strength back."
That's good news for the rest of the team, which has come to rely on Taylor and her sister, Kelly, for their speed and lacrosse IQs.
Levy said along with a couple of other players, the Taylor sisters set the tone of the game.
"We encourage our kids to play fast and physical," Levy said.
compiled by beth mechum
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
