Syracuse Falls to North Carolina, Loses For Second Time in Three Games
Syracuse’s bid for the ACC championship falls short in the semifinal round with a 15-9 loss to North Carolina. An uncharacteristic rough start for the Orange where almost nobody was able to get a shot off resulted in a 6-0 lead for the Tar Heels after the first 15 minutes, and that gap was just too much for Syracuse to overcome in the second half. Nothing seemed to click until the second half for the Orange, and even after adjustments were made, nothing could cool off the North Carolina offense.
The Tar Heels came in hot, scoring eight straight to start the afternoon and shutting out the Orange in a quarter for the first time this season. The rough start took the wind out of the ACC regular season co-champions early, with Caroline Godine and Marissa White leading the offensive charge. Delaney Sweitzer looked mortal in net, saving eight shots and recording a save percentage of .348.
Even with Emma Ward scoring a pair and the regular scorers for the Orange sharing a goal apiece, the UNC defense was stifling in the first half, restricting Syracuse to nine shots on goal in the first half and two goals to their name. The pipes seemed to attract every shot the ‘Cuse delivered, with Ward striking the posts three separate times in the first half.
The second half started out promising with a four-goal surge from the Orange, lowering the Tar Heel lead to five. Despite this offensive attack, it was quickly brushed aside by North Carolina as they drained the clock to finish the match. North Carolina advances to play Boston College in the ACC Championship game on Sunday.
As the ACC Tournament play for the Orange finishes, Syracuse now looks forward to the seeding in the NCAA tournament. The first round of the NCAA Tournament begins on May 12 and 14.
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