University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels To Face Duke In NCAA Semis Friday
May 19, 2015 | Women's Lacrosse
CHESTER, PA.—Second-seeded North Carolina (17-3) will try to secure its third trip to the NCAA Tournament championship game when it faces third-seeded Duke (16-4) on Friday evening at 5 p.m. at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. The Tar Heels entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 2 in both the IWLCA coaches poll and the Inside Lacrosse media poll, while the Blue Devils were ranked fifth by the coaches and sixth by the media.
Friday's national semifinal will be the second meeting between Duke and Carolina this season. Just over a month ago in Carolina's regular season finale, the Tar Heels won 12-6 at third-ranked Duke to capture the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championship with a 6-1 record.
Friday's meeting will mark the second NCAA Tournament meeting between Carolina and Duke and the first since the 2005 quarterfinals (the Blue Devils won that game, 15-7, in Durham).
The winner of Friday's contest will advance to the national title game on Sunday night against either No. 1 seed Maryland or No. 3 seed Syracuse. The Terrapins and Orange will meet in Friday night's second semifinal game at PPL Park.
The Carolina-Duke game will be streamed live by ESPN3. Sunday night's NCAA championship game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
The Tar Heels are aiming for their second NCAA championship in three years, having won the 2013 title with a triple-overtime win over Maryland in Villanova, Pa.
Carolina is the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champion and advanced to the ACC Tournament title game before losing to Syracuse in overtime on April 26. u Carolina has played 11 games against top-10 ranked opponents this season and are 8-3 in those contests. Overall, UNC is 11-3 against ranked foes in 2015.
TAR HEEL TOURNAMENT TIDBITS
• Carolina won the NCAA championship in 2013, has reached the national semifinals eight times and the NCAA championship game twice.
• UNC is 24-15 all-time in NCAA Tournament games and has made eight semifinal appearances (1997, 1998, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015), including five in the last seven years. Carolina head coach Jenny Levy's 24 NCAA Tournament wins rank fifth in the history of the sport.
• The Tar Heels are 15-5 in the NCAA Tournament since 2009. In its last seven NCAA Tournament appearances, Carolina has advanced to the NCAA semifinals five times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015), reached the NCAA championship game twice (2009 and 2013) and won the 2013 national title.
• UNC is 2-5 in NCAA Tournament semifinal games, winning to advance to the national championship game in 2009 (losing to Northwestern) and 2013 (beating Maryland). The Tar Heels lost in the NCAA semifinals in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2011.
• Head coach Jenny Levy has led Carolina to 17 NCAA Tournament berths, including 11 in a row.
• Carolina is making its 17th NCAA appearance in 20 years as a varsity program (since 1996).
• UNC is a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh year in a row.
SERIES HISTORY VS. DUKE
• Carolina leads the all-time series with Duke, 16-14, including a 12-6 Tar Heel victory at Duke five weeks ago on April 17.
• UNC has won nine of the last 12 meetings in the series.
• The series is tied, 3-3, in games played at neutral sites. The Blue Devils won the only previous NCAA Tournament meeting (in the 2005 quarterfinals in Durham).
