Women’s Lacrosse Knocks Off No. 2 Syracuse, 15-9, To Advance To ACC Title Game

Friday, April 28

Charlotte, N.C.

3:30 p.m. ET

North Carolina

14-3

#2 Syracuse

16-2

North Carolina

Syracuse

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

Women’s Lacrosse Knocks Off No. 2 Syracuse, 15-9, To Advance To ACC Title Game

April 28, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A huge first half lifted No. 6 North Carolina women's lacrosse to a decisive 15-9 win over No. 2 Syracuse on Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the ACC Championship presented by Ally.

The Tar Heels, the tournament's third seed, earned a spot in Sunday's championship game against top-seed Boston College at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte.

Following the win, UNC improves to 14-3 (7-2 ACC) on the year. The team is 16-10 all-time in ACC semifinals and has won 12 of its last 13 semifinal games.

UNC has now won 20 straight ACC Tournament games, extending the longest streak in ACC history.

How It Happened

Melissa Sconone found the back of the cage 36 seconds after the first whistle, sparking an 8-0 run that would stand until 9:12 in the second quarter.
The opening frame saw two goals from both Caroline Godine and Marissa White, with White making it a hat trick 18 minutes into the game.
Godine added two more in the second quarter, including one four seconds before the buzzer to give UNC a sizable 10-2 lead at the half.
Carolina's defense was on point, forcing Syracuse into seven turnovers while Alecia Nicholas had seven saves in the first half.
The Orange scored quickly after the break before Reilly Casey and Caitlyn Wurzburger scored back-to-back goals for a 12-3 lead, the largest of the game.
Godine netted her fifth of the day to give the Tar Heels a 13-7 edge heading into the final 15 minutes.
Nicole Humphrey and Godine both scored in the final quarter, the latter who notched her career-high sixth.

Inside the Box Score

Godine led all players with a career-high six goals and seven points.
UNC held a 17-13 advantage in ground balls, led by Nicholas with a game-high five.
Kaleigh Harden had a career- and game-high three caused turnovers, with UNC having six total.
Nicholas made 11 saves between the pipes, her fourth 10+ save performance.

Tar Heel Tidbits

UNC handed Syracuse – which had never had a larger deficit than five prior to today – just its second loss of the season.
Carolina improves to 12-7 in the all-time series with Syracuse, including 5-2 in the ACC Tournament.
UNC is 2-2 against top-5 opponents, 4-2 against the top-10 and 7-3 against the top-25 this year.
North Carolina has won 63 of its last 67 games and 71 of its last 76 games.
The Tar Heels have scored double-figure goals 73 times in their last 76 games.
White leads the team with 40 goals and is the only Tar Heel who has scored in every contest.
Behind her five points, Caitlyn Wurzburger is now nine away from reaching 200 in her career.
Wurzburger also dished out four assists, bringing her career total to 89 to rank fifth all-time in program history.

Up Next
Third-seed North Carolina will battle top-seed Boston College in the ACC Championship title game on Sunday, April 30. First draw is set for noon ET at American Legion Memorial Stadium and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.

UNC is seeking its seventh-straight, and eighth overall, conference championship title. Carolina has reached the ACC Tournament title game seven years in a row, 12 times in the last 13 years and 16 times overall.

Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.