University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
Tar Heels Fall To No. 2 Duke, 10-8
March 8, 2006 | Women's Lacrosse
March 8, 2006
CHAPEL HILL - Duke jumped out to an early lead and held on to defeat North Carolina, 10-8, in collegiate women's lacrosse action on Wednesday night at Fetzer Field. Duke improves to 5-0 overall this season, 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Carolina falls to 3-1, 1-1 ACC.
The Blue Devils, ranked No. 2 in the nation this week by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), led 6-1 after the first 20 minutes of action and held on for the victory. The Tar Heels, ranked No. 3 by the IWLCA, got as close as one goal at 9-8 with just over 10 minutes left in the game but could get no closer as Duke held the ball for most of the final minutes.
Michelle Menser led Duke with three goals. Leigh Jester had two goals and an assist. Kristen Waagbo had a goal and three assists.
Meg Freshwater and Stephanie Scurachio each scored three goals for Carolina, with Freshwater adding an assist. Freshman Kelly Taylor had a goal and an assist for UNC.
After the two teams traded single goals in the first six minutes, Duke scored five straight goals in the next 14 minutes of first-half action to grab its 6-1 lead. Menser scored twice during that span and Waagbo had two assists.
Freshwater's second goal of the night at the 22:08 mark of the first half broke the Tar Heel scoring drought and cut the Blue Devil lead to 6-2. Just over a minute later, Taylor scored for UNC to make it 6-3. Duke's Jester scored off a Waagbo assist with 0:18 left in the first half to make it 7-3 at the break.
Carolina scored three of the first four goals of the second half to cut it to 8-6, with Scurachio scoring twice and Kelly Renzi tallying one goal. Waagbo's unassisted goal at the 16:26 mark of the second half broke the UNC run to make it 9-6 Duke.
Freshwater and Scurachio scored back-to-back goals in less than three minutes to make it 9-8 with 10:27 left to play, but Carolina could not get any closer. Duke was able to maintain possession in the closing minutes and added an insurance goal by Katie Chrest with under a minute to play when the Tar Heels were in a scramble defense, trying to regain possession.
The game was worth one point in the Carylye Cup, the annual multisport competition between Carolina and Duke. The Tar Heels now lead in the race for the Carylye Cup by a 10-7 margin.
UNC will return to action on Saturday at Fetzer Field against Boston University at noon.
