The No. 1 UNC women’s lacrosse team put its new ranking in brief jeopardy Wednesday afternoon, falling behind at High Point early in the wind and rain. The Tar Heels trailed 5-2 after the first quarter, before a tornado warning sent both teams to the locker rooms. Carolina had 27 minutes to sit on its largest deficit of the 2022 season, and when the weather cleared up, the game quickly turned around.

The Tar Heels went on an 11-1 run after the stoppage, all within the second quarter, turning the deficit into a blowout with stunning speed. Halftime wouldn’t do to the Panthers what the weather stoppage did to the Tar Heels, and UNC walked away with a gaudy 23-9 win.

The win improved UNC to 10-0 on the season and 5-0 away from Dorrance Field.

Star attacker Jamie Ortega had herself a day, tying her season high with six goals in the contest and setting a season high with nine points. Three of Ortega’s goals came within a 2:07 span in the second quarter, the second of which gave Carolina the lead for good.

Ortega was one of five Tar Heels to record hat tricks on the day and one of four to amass at least five points. Senior Tayler Warehime scored her first hat trick of the season, while Andie Aldave stayed red-hot with three goals and two assists. Scottie Rose Growney and Ortega tied for the team lead with three assists.

The performance made Ortega just the fifth player in NCAA history to record 400 career points. She now sits at 408 career points, which is just 37 behind ACC all-time leader Jen Adams of Maryland. Wednesday was Ortega’s 29th career game with five or more goals, her 44th consecutive game with at least one goal and her 73rd consecutive game with at least a point. She has scored a point in 78 of her 79 career games as a Tar Heel.

Wednesday’s game was the last of the regular season non-conference schedule for Carolina, who now embark on a difficult all-ACC finish to the season. Each of UNC’s final five opponents are ranked in the latest Inside Lacrosse poll, starting with No. 25 Virginia Tech, who will visit Dorrance Field on Saturday at 11 a.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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