GoHeels Exclusive: Women's Lacrosse Ready For Another Run

The 2018 Tar Heel seniors

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

February 10, 2018 | Women's Lacrosse, Featured Writers

By: Pat James

by Pat James, GoHeels.com

Early in the fall season, the void was noticeable, as one might expect when a team loses about a third of its roster.

The North Carolina women's lacrosse team graduated 11 seniors off last year's squad, which won the ACC regular season and tournament championships for a second straight season. Of those departures, four players – Molly Hendrick, Sydney Holman, Carly Reed and Sammy Jo Tracy – combined for 175 of UNC's school record 318 goals.

Such a mass exodus of experience and production would garner further attention in most seasons. But for the players who remain, that's been less of a disturbance than the way last season ended, with a 16-14 loss to Navy in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

"That left a tough taste in our mouth that we've used to train with all fall and in our preseason …" said Jenny Levy, who is entering her 23rd season as the Tar Heels' head coach. "We use it to remind ourselves that you've got to work every day to be the best you can be that day. If you can do that, then good things will happen."

Behind a mix of established veterans and talented newcomers, UNC hopes that's the case this season, which begins with a visit to James Madison at noon Saturday.

Here are five things to know about the team entering the season:

'As elite as they come'
Despite several departures, the Tar Heels still feature the country's best 1-2 midfield punch in Maggie Bill and Marie McCool.

Bill missed the final seven games of last season because of an injury. But before then, she appeared to be on her way to the second All-America selection of her career. Levy said UNC will ease Bill back into action.

A 2017 Tewaaraton Award finalist, McCool is a two-time first-team All-America and was the youngest member of the 2017 United States National Team that won a gold medal at the World Cup in England.

"Both of them have great game IQ and they're so versatile, they can do so many things on the field," Levy said. "And then together, they look for each other and they play off each other. It just gives us a very dynamic player combo.

"We also have other players on the field who also do the same thing. But Maggie and Marie are as elite as they come."

A lethal playmaker
The Tar Heels also return senior attacker Ela Hazar, one of the top playmakers in school history.

Last season, when she was a third-team All-America selection by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), she set the single-season UNC record with 40 assists. She also scored 32 goals to finish with 72 points, the eight most by a Tar Heel in a single season.

Entering this season, Hazar needs just 19 assists to surpass Becky Lynch for the most in school history.

"She approaches the game like a game of chess, so she's constantly thinking about what the counter move is, if we need one," Levy said. "She understands it, and I think that's what makes her so valuable is she plays the game in a very intelligent way. If people underestimate her, which they will, she'll beat you with it."

The next generation
From 2014-17, Caylee Waters helped provide a steady presence in the net, registering a school record 49 goalkeeper wins and twice earning National Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

But Waters, selected No. 1 overall in the inaugural Women's Professional Lacrosse League draft, graduated last year. In her place, UNC looks to redshirt sophomore Elise Hennessey and redshirt freshman Taylor Moreno for continued stability.

Hennessey posted a 45.5 save percentage in eight games last season. Both were All-America selections in high school.

"I'm really excited about this next generation of goalkeepers for Carolina in Elise Hennessey and Taylor Moreno," Levy said. "I know that in four years we will be talking about them just like we talked about (Megan) Ward and Caylee Waters. They just haven't had a chance to prove it yet."

Fresh faces
For the second time in the last three years, the Tar Heels boast the best freshman class in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse.

That group is headlined by attacker Jamie Ortega and midfielder Ally Mastroianni. ILWomen.com ranks them as the nation's No. 2 and No. 3 freshmen, respectively, and midfielder Scottie Rose Growney is listed at No. 15.

"(The freshmen) still have a lot to learn, and I'm really excited to see this first part of the season and how they respond …" Levy said. "I was impressed with how they competed this fall against a lot of different opponents that I think are high-end. I just think that as they play more games throughout the season, they'll continue to get better because they have put the work in."

A challenging schedule
UNC, No. 3 nationally in the IWLCA preseason rankings, once again faces one of the toughest schedules in the country this season.

Ten of the Tar Heels' 15 opponents are ranked. All but one – Liberty – either played in the NCAA Tournament or was nationally ranked last year. Two of those foes are No. 1 Maryland and No. 5 Florida, which UNC hosts on Feb. 24 and March 3, respectively.

"Each opponent will present to you a different challenge that will reveal your preparation," Levy said. "That's good for us, and I know it will help us get sharper and really tackle the little nuances of the game that we need to improve on.

"At the same time, I think it can also highlight our strengths. Because there's a little bit more inexperience on our field this year than we've had the past two years or so, the season is really important for information for our players and our coaches to continue to grow."