Tar Heels, Northwestern To Clash In Battle Of Nation's Top Offenses

huddle
University of North Carolina Women's Lacrosse v Louisville
UNC Lacrosse Soccer Stadium
Chapel Hill, NC
Thursday, March 5, 2020

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Tar Heels, Northwestern To Clash In Battle Of Nation's Top Offenses

March 8, 2020 | Women's Lacrosse

By: Pat James

The North Carolina women's lacrosse team will look to continue its best start since 2014 when it faces Northwestern on Monday in Evanston, Ill. The opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

UNC (6-0, 2-0 ACC) is ranked No. 1 in all three national polls, and is second nationally in scoring offense (19.50 goals per game). Only the Wildcats (4-2) – who are No. 7 in the IWLCA poll and Inside Lacrosse DI Media Poll, and No. 9 in the Nike/US Lacrosse DI poll – have been better offensively, averaging 22.17 goals per game.

The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN

The Tar Heels trail the all-time series with Northwestern, 11-10, but have won eight of the last nine meetings, including six in a row.
In Carolina's last meeting with the Wildcats, Jamie Ortega recorded 10 points as UNC built a 14-3 halftime lead and never looked back on its way to a 21-11 win on March 2, 2019, in Chapel Hill. The game was the Tar Heels' first at the new UNC Lacrosse & Soccer Stadium, which has since been dedicated as Dorrance Field in honor of longtime women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance.
In its last trip to Northwestern, Ela Hazar had a record-setting day as Carolina beat the Wildcats, 18-13, on March 17, 2018, at Martin Stadium. Hazar had eight assists for the Tar Heels, besting the previous single-game UNC record of six. Hazar also became the school's career leader in the category. Katie Hoeg has since broken Hazar's career record.
Carolina is 3-5 against Northwestern in Evanston.
Monday will be the 17th meeting in the series in the last 12 seasons (since 2009).
This marks the 16th consecutive season that UNC and Northwestern have met in the regular season (every year since 2005).
Tar Heel associate head coach Katrina Dowd played at Northwestern from 2007-10. She was a two-time first-team All-American, a three-time NCAA champion and the 2010 IWLCA Attacker of the Year.

A STRONG START

Carolina's 6-0 start is its best since 2014, when the Tar Heels started a program-best 11-0 before losing to Northwestern. That loss snapped a 15-game winning streak, dating back to the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
UNC's 117 goals are its most ever through the first six games of a season. Carolina scored 116 goals in the first six games of the 2014 campaign. Through Thursday's games, the Tar Heels ranked top 10 nationally in assists per game (third, 10.33), points per game (second, 29.83), scoring offense (second, 19.50) and shot percentage (fifth, .552).
The 40 goals the Tar Heels have allowed are the fewest they've surrendered through the first six games of a season since giving up 38 in 2013. UNC ranked second nationally in scoring defense (6.67 goals per game) through Thursday.
Carolina's 12.83 scoring margin is its best ever through six games. The Tar Heels won their first six games in 2014 by an average of 11.5 goals per game.

TAR HEELS ROLL PAST LOUISVILLE IN FIRST ACC HOME GAME

Playing in the first-ever women's lacrosse game on the ACC Network, top-ranked North Carolina put on a show, outscoring Louisville 13-2 in the first half en route to a 19-7 win on Thursday night at Dorrance Field.
Katie Hoeg and Jamie Ortega took center stage for the Tar Heels, combining for 15 points. With two goals and six assists, Hoeg moved into second place on UNC's career points list. Ortega almost made history, as well, scoring all seven of her goals in the first half, one shy of tying the program record for a game.
Scottie Rose Growney followed Hoeg and Ortega with five points (four goals and an assist). Melissa Sconone and Ally Mastroianni rounded out Carolina's multi-point scorers, finishing with three (one goal and two assists) and two points (one goal and one assist), respectively.

UNC OPENS ACC PLAY WITH WIN OVER VIRGINIA

Top-ranked North Carolina scored eight of the game's final nine goals to rally for an 18-12 win over then-seventh-ranked Virginia in the ACC opener for both teams on Feb. 29 at Klöckner Stadium.
Katie Hoeg paced the Tar Heels in the back-and-forth affair, scoring four goals and dishing out three assists. She was followed closely by Jamie Ortega, who tallied a game-high five goals for the third time in five games this season.
The first team to lead UNC at halftime, Virginia held an 8-7 edge in draw controls at the break. But in outscoring the Cavaliers 12-5 in the second half, Carolina won 14 of 18 draws, giving it a 21-12 advantage for the game. The Tar Heels' 21 draw controls were a season high, surpassing their previous mark of 17.

TRENCHARD NAMED IWLCA, ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coming off the win at Virginia, North Carolina junior defender Emma Trenchard was tabbed as the IWLCA Division I and Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on March 3.
Trenchard, from Windsor, Conn., tallied 11 draw controls in UNC's 18-12 win over the then-No. 7 Cavaliers, seven more than her previous career high of four, set on three occasions. Her 11 draw controls were the most by a Tar Heel since Marie McCool had 11 against Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on May 19, 2018.
Trenchard also collected two ground balls and caused a turnover while holding fellow Tewaaraton Award Watch List nominee Sammy Mueller to just one goal.
Through six games this season, Trenchard paces Carolina with 25 draw controls. She's also recorded eight ground balls and five caused turnovers, tied for the most on the team.

TAR HEELS NOTCH HISTORIC WIN OVER RIVAL MARYLAND

Scottie Rose Growney scored a career-high six goals and Jamie Ortega added four goals and three assists as North Carolina downed then-No. 3 Maryland, 19-6, on Feb. 22 at Dorrance Field.
UNC's 19 goals marked its most in 41 all-time games against the Terrapins, surpassing its previous best of 17, set on two occasions. The Tar Heels' 13-goal margin of victory was also their largest in the history of the rivalry, besting Carolina's 13-7 win in the 2016 national championship game.
UNC's 19 goals were the most surrendered by the Terrapins since they gave up 19 against Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals on April 28, 2006.
Maryland's six goals matched its fewest ever against the Tar Heels. They were also the Terrapins' fewest against any opponent since scoring six against Carolina on April 25, 2008.

GROWNEY GARNERS IWLCA, ACC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Coming off the win over Maryland, Scottie Rose Growney was named the IWLCA Division I and Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 25.
Growney, from Berwyn, Pa., scored a career-high six goals in UNC's 19-6 victory over the then-No. 3 Terrapins. She also recorded a ground ball and a draw control. Her six goals were the most scored by a Tar Heel against Maryland since Erin McGinnis (1996-99) had six on April 24, 1999.
Through six games this season, Growney has scored 18 goals, including six free-position goals.
Over her last nine games, dating back to last season, she's scored 28 goals.

SEVEN TAR HEELS ON 2020 WPLL PROTECTED ROSTERS

Seven former Carolina women's lacrosse players dot the protected rosters of teams in the Women's Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL), as announced by the league and revealed by Inside Lacrosse on Feb. 27.
Former Tar Heels on WPLL rosters for the 2020 season include Molly Hendrick (Brave), Marie McCool (Brave), Emily Garrity Parros (Brave), Charlotte Sofield (Pride), Sammy Jo Tracy (Pride), Courtney Waite (Brave) and Caylee Waters (Fight).
Maryland is the only school with more players on protected rosters than UNC.
Carolina associate head coach Katrina Dowd is also on the protected roster of the WPLL Fight, meaning at least eight players with Tar Heel ties will be in the league next season.
The WPLL also announced the hiring of new league leadership in coaching and management positions on Thursday. Among the changes was the hiring of former Carolina and U.S. national team player Amber Falcone McKenzie as the league's Futures Director. In that position, she'll oversee the league's youth developmental arm and ongoing partnership with U.S. Lacrosse and its Under-15 and Under-17 teams.

UNC SWEEPS HIGH POINT, DAVIDSON BEHIND RECORD-SETTING OFFENSE

The Tar Heels erupted for 46 total goals as they cruised to a 24-3 win at then-No. 25 High Point on Feb. 14 and a 22-5 victory over Davidson on Feb. 16.
In the win over the Panthers, UNC tied the school record for goals in a game, set against Longwood on April 15, 2007 and against Canisius on Feb. 19, 2014. The 24 goals were also the most scored by Carolina in a road game and its most in any game since a 23-4 win over Liberty on Feb. 18, 2018.
In the Tar Heels' home opener against the Wildcats, 13 different players combined for 38 points, the most in program history. Carolina had registered its previous high of 37 points on two occasions, against Longwood on April 15, 2007 and against Canisius on April 15, 2018.
UNC also finished with a school-record 16 assists against Davidson. The Tar Heels had previously tallied 15 assists on four occasions, most recently against Canisius on April 15, 2018.

FOUR TAR HEELS MAKE TEWAARATON AWARD WATCH LIST

North Carolina women's lacrosse players Katie Hoeg, Taylor Moreno, Jamie Ortega and Emma Trenchard are part of the 50-player watch list for the 2020 Tewaaraton Award, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced Feb. 13. The Tar Heels' four selections tied with Maryland for the most among all schools.
This marks the second straight year Hoeg, Moreno and Ortega have been named to the watch list for the Tewaaraton Award. Moreno and Ortega were among the 25 nominees for the 2019 award.

MORENO NAMED ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coming off the season-opening win over James Madison, North Carolina goalkeeper Taylor Moreno was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Feb. 11. It was the fourth time in her career that she received the honor.
Moreno, a redshirt junior, was stellar in UNC's 15-7 win over the then-17th-ranked Dukes, making 12 saves and allowing just three goals while facing 15 shots on goal. She also gathered a ground ball and caused a turnover in 43 minutes, 34 seconds of playing time.
The performance marked the 17th of her career with double-digit saves.

TAR HEELS BLOW PAST JMU IN 2020 OPENER

Second-ranked North Carolina kicked off the 2020 season in emphatic fashion on Feb. 8, beating then-No. 17 James Madison 15-7 at Sentara Park in Harrisonburg, Va.
Senior Katie Hoeg led the way for UNC with eight points (two goals and six assists). She was followed closely by fellow Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American Jamie Ortega, who opened her junior campaign with seven points (three goals and four assists).
Three other Tar Heels logged multi-point performances, including junior Scottie Rose Growney and sophomore Tayler Warehime, who each scored three goals to join Ortega with hat tricks. Freshman Melissa Sconone also added three points (two goals and one assist) in her Carolina debut.

KATIE HOEG, JAMIE ORTEGA A DYNAMIC DUO

Any conversation about the Tar Heels' offense revolves around senior Katie Hoeg and junior Jamie Ortega – and rightfully so. The duo combined for 216 of Carolina's 490 points last season, becoming the first pair of 100-point scorers in program history.
Through six games this season, they've totaled 86 of UNC's 179 points. Entering Friday, Hoeg was first nationally in points per game (7.33) and Ortega was third (7.00).
Ortega finished her sophomore season with a UNC-record 112 points in 2019. The previous school record was 89 points, set in 2018 by Hoeg – who had 104 points in 2019, just behind Ortega.
Ortega also broke the Carolina record for goals in a season, finishing with 81. The previous school record was 72, set by Molly Hendrick in 2017.
Entering Monday's game against Northwestern, Ortega is fifth in school history in both scoring (240 points) and goals (181). She needs 18 goals to break Abbey Friend's school record of 198 and 17 points to surpass Corey Donohoe's school-record mark of 256.
With 253 points already to her credit entering Monday, Hoeg ranks second on UNC's career points list and will potentially have a chance to break Donohoe's record against the Wildcats.
After tallying a school-record 50 assists in 2018, her first year as a starter, Hoeg obliterated that mark last season, finishing with 73. Of those, 33 came on goals by Ortega.
With 26 assists through the first six games of this season, Hoeg has extended her school record to 158 career assists. Ela Hazar held the previous record with 121.

CONFERENCE CONSISTENCY

Carolina has won 44 of its last 49 games against ACC opponents and four consecutive ACC Tournaments.
UNC's four straight ACC Tournament titles are the second-longest streak in the event's history. Maryland won six straight from 2009-14. UNC's 12 consecutive ACC Tournament wins are also the second-longest streak in the tournament's history.
Carolina's five ACC Tournament titles overall are tied with Virginia for the second most behind Maryland's 11.
Since the 2015 ACC Tournament final, UNC's only league losses have come to Boston College (2018 and twice in 2019), Syracuse (2017) and Notre Dame (2019).

NEW STADIUM

Carolina opened its new, on-campus UNC Lacrosse & Soccer Stadium on March 2, 2019. In the inaugural women's lacrosse game played there, the third-ranked Tar Heels downed fifth-ranked Northwestern, 21-11.
UNC went 6-1 in its new stadium in 2019.
Construction began on the facility in May 2017. It is built on the site of the old Fetzer Field, which housed six sports on campus from 1935 through 2017 and where the women's lacrosse team posted a 139-27 record.
In September, the stadium was dedicated as Dorrance Field in honor of longtime Carolina women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance.

SIX TAR HEELS RECEIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS FROM ILWOMEN

Katie Hoeg, Taylor Moreno, Jamie Ortega and Emma Trenchard all grabbed spots on Inside Lacrosse's 2020 preseason first-team All-America team, the magazine announced on Jan. 22. Junior defender Kayla Wood and senior defender Catie Woodruff earned honorable mention All-America honors.
UNC's four selections to the 13-member first team were the most of any school. Northwestern and Syracuse each had two.

UNC CHOSEN AS ACC PRESEASON FAVORITE

The Atlantic Coast Conference released its preseason coaches poll on Feb. 4, and the conference's coaches picked North Carolina as the 2020 ACC women's lacrosse preseason favorite.
Winners of the last four ACC Tournaments, the Tar Heels received 62 points in voting from the ACC coaches, and Syracuse was second with 52. Notre Dame was third in the poll, followed by No. 4 Boston College, No. 5 Virginia, No. 6 Virginia Tech, No. 7 Duke and No. 8 Louisville.
UNC also tied Syracuse for the most selections to the Preseason All-ACC Team. Four Carolina players grabbed spots on the 17-member team: senior attacker Katie Hoeg, redshirt junior goalkeeper Taylor Moreno, junior attacker Jamie Ortega and junior defender Emma Trenchard.

A TOP FRESHMAN CLASS

The Tar Heels boast one of the top freshman classes in the nation, led by midfielder/defender Livi Lawton, Inside Lacrosse's pick as the top freshman defender in the country.
Lawton, from Downingtown, Pa., is listed by IL as the No. 10 overall newcomer in the nation. Joining Lawton in the top 50 are midfielder Nicole Humphrey (No. 16), midfielder Briana Lantuh (No. 28), midfielder Julia Dorsey (No. 32), midfielder Emily Nalls (No. 39) and attacker Melissa Sconone (No. 47).
Additionally, attacker Katherine Thompson is listed among IL's first-year players "On The Rise."

HILLMAN, NEUMEN WIN GOLD AT U19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

UNC sophomores Elizabeth Hillman and Brooklyn Neumen were two of 18 players on the U.S. Women's U19 lacrosse team that captured the gold medal at the 2019 World Lacrosse Women's U19 World Championship in August in Peterborough, Ontario.
In the gold-medal game against Canada, Hillman, one of two co-captains on the U.S. squad, scored early in the second half to put the Americans up 9-2. They went on to win 13-3, giving the U.S. its fifth U19 world title.

UNC WELL-REPRESENTED ON U.S. FALL CLASSIC ROSTER

Of the 27 players who Jenny Levy selected to the United States women's national team for the 2019 Fall Classic, seven were Tar Heels. Junior Emma Trenchard was one of just five current college players on the roster and the only junior. Alumnae Kristen Carr, Molly Hendrick, Marie McCool, Emily Garrity Parros, Courtney Waite and Caylee Waters gave Carolina the most players of any school.