Riding high after a thrilling overtime upset over No. 1 Maryland last week, the third-ranked UNC women’s lacrosse team was brought back to earth Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium–suffering a 17-10 loss at the hands of the No. 4 Florida Gators.

The Tar Heels (3-2) received four goals from senior midfielder Marie McCool and two apiece from Jamie Ortega and Marisa Divietro, but it would not be enough to overcome the relentless Florida attack.

Despite racking up just 29 shots compared to UNC’s 39–not to mention winning only nine of the game’s 29 draw controls– the Gators (4-1) took full advantage of the chances they created.

Shayna Pirreca scored six goals for the visitors, while teammate Lindsey Ronbeck added five of her own.

In addition to the high efficiency on offense, Florida goalie Haley Hicklen registered a career-high 16 saves and held the Tar Heels scoreless over the first 14 and a half minutes of the afternoon.

The Gators scored the first four goals of the game and took a 9-5 lead into the locker room at halftime. From there, they opened the second half on a 6-2 run and never looked back on the way to a statement victory on the road.

“Credit Florida,” UNC head coach Jenny Levy said afterward.  “They were tough, played well together and outplayed us today. We did win more draw controls and took [39] shots.  I thought we had some really good opportunities, but credit their goalie for playing very well.”

Up Next:

UNC opens ACC play in its next game–a visit to Charlottesville on Saturday, March 10 to face Virginia.

 

FINAL STATS

 

 

Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati (UNC Athletics)

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