North Carolina
Northwestern
Juras's Goal Gives Tar Heels 2OT Win Over Northwestern, 9-8
February 17, 2007 | Women's Lacrosse
Feb. 17, 2007
CHAPEL HILL - Senior Christina Juras scored the game-winner at the 2:52 mark of the second overtime to give North Carolina a 9-8 victory over two-time defending NCAA champion Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Fetzer Field in the season opener for both teams.
Juras's sudden victory goal came just eight seconds after freshman Jenn Russell won the draw control that began the second, three-minute portion of the second overtime. Russell won the draw and fed the ball to Juras, who sped down the field for the unassisted goal, putting it past goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop for the win.
Three different Tar Heels scored two goals apiece -- Juras, Russell and Jess Allen. Chelsea Parks tallied a goal and an assist, while Meg Freshwater and Erica LaGrow both scored once for UNC. Hannah Nielsen and Meredith Frank both had two goals and an assist for the Wildcats, and Hilary Bowen had two goals as well. With the victory, Carolina improved to 1-0 this season. Northwestern fell to 0-1.
Carolina held a 13-9 edge in draw controls, including a 7-4 edge in the second half as UNC fought back from a 6-3 deficit with 25:08 to play to force overtime.
In the first half, the Wildcats grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first 18 minutes, with Frank scoring twice and Bowen once. Carolina cut the lead to two with a Meg Freshwater free position goal with 9:59 left before the break. Aly Josephs would score less than a minute later for Northwestern before Russell scored an unassisted UNC goal to make it 4-2 at the break.
Parks scored at the 26:26 mark of the second half to make it 4-3 before back-to-back goals from Nielsen in a 52-second span made it 6-3 Wildcats. Three straight Tar Heel goals from Russell, Allen and Juras tied the score at 6-6 with 16:52 left in regulation. The two teams traded goals the rest of the way in the second half. LaGrow's unassisted goal with 1:02 left evened the score at 8-8 and forced overtime.
Neither team scored in the first six-minute overtime, forcing the sudden victory second overtime period during which Juras scored her game-winner.
The Tar Heels will return to action on Friday Feb. 23 when they host Oregon at Fetzer Field.
