Tar Heels Seek Another Strong Run In 2019

Taylor Moreno
University of North Carolina Women's Lacrosse v Northwestern
NCAA Tournament
Kenan Stadium
Chapel Hill, NC
Saturday, May 19, 2018

All-America candidate goalie Taylor Moreno

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

January 22, 2019 | Women's Lacrosse

Seeking its eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament final four in the last 11 years, the 2019 University of North Carolina women's lacrosse team boasts an experienced group of nine returning starters and 25 returning letterwinners.

Head coach Jenny Levy's squad will need that collective experience as Carolina seeks to replace the production of a senior class that included one of the most decorated players in program history, Marie McCool, against one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

The Tar Heels will open their 2019 season on February 9 against defending NCAA champion James Madison. The schedule also includes home dates against NCAA finalist Boston College, Northwestern, Virginia and Syracuse, as well as road games at Maryland, Florida, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Louisville and Duke.

Levy, now the also the head coach of the United States National Team and just awarded a contract extension with UNC through 2023, returns for her 24th season leading the Tar Heels. She welcomed the return of former assistant coach Katrina Dowd, who has rejoined the staff after tenure as the head coach at the University of Oregon.

Carolina will enter the season ranked third in the national polls.

The Tar Heels boast one of the top freshman classes in the nation, led by midfielder Elizabeth Hillman, Inside Lacrosse's pick as the top overall freshman in the country.  Hillman and classmates Tayler Warehime, Kimber Hower, Gabi Hall, Brooklyn Neumen and Amanda Fedor have been ranked among the top 100 recruits nationally.

ATTACK
Ela Hazar has been lost to graduation on the attack unit, but junior Katie Hoeg and sophomore Jamie Ortega highlight what should be one of the top attack units in the nation in 2019.

Hoeg smashed the school records for points and assists in a season last year in her first season as a starter, earning first-team All-America honors from the IWLCA along the way.

Ortega was the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference and National Freshman of the Year, setting UNC freshman records for goals (70) and points (86).

MIDFIELD
McCool graduated last summer after posting back-to-back seasons as a Tewaaraton Award finalist, so the Tar Heels have big shoes to fill in the midfield.

All-ACC pick Kara Klages returns after scoring 32 goals last year in her first season as a starter. Olivia Ferrucci (15 goals, eight assists) also returns, as does Maria DiVietro (11 goals, six assists).  Other returnees include Scottie Rose Growney (six goals), Ally Mastroianni (14), Gianna Bowe (12) and Caroline Wakefield from injury.

Freshmen Hillman and Warehime also join the mix, along with graduate transfer Ida Farinholt, who scored 25 goals at Cornell last year.

DEFENSE
All-ACC pick and team captain Charlotte Sofield should help anchor the defense along with fellow co-captain and third-year starter Erin Kelly. Second-year starting sophomores Kayla Wood and Emma Trenchard also return.

Freshmen Hall and Lizzie Benedict are defenders among the candidates to replace departed defensive starter Naomi Lerner.

GOALIES
Both of the 2018 Tar Heel goalies return this spring, and Hower has been rated one of the nation's top incoming freshman goalies.

Senior Elise Hennessey started 13 games last year for Carolina before giving way late in the spring to sophomore Taylor Moreno, who was the ACC Tournament MVP and a breakout star over the second half of the season during UNC's final four run.