Liberty University
0-1
North Carolina
2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 18 |
Despite Quick Start, Lady Flames Lose Season Opener to No. 1 Tar Heels
2/15/2023 8:30:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
No. 1 North Carolina, last year's NCAA champion, topped the Liberty Flames 18-6 on Wednesday evening at Dorrance Field in what was the Lady Flames' 2023 season opener.
The season opener on the road for Liberty (0-1) was a tough task facing North Carolina (2-0). who went undefeated in 22 games to win the NCAA Championship last year. UNC extends its home winning streak to 35 games.
The Lady Flames led 3-1 after the opening 13 minutes of the game, but the Tar Heels scored three quick goals to get the lead back before the end of the first quarter. North Carolina did not trail again, fueled by a seven goal second frame to get all the separation needed.
Liberty had three players with multiple points in the contest, led by Cami Merkel (2 g, 1 a, 3 pts), along with Lizzy Ferguson (1 g, 1 a, 2 pts) and Kelly Scott (1 g, 1 a, 2 pts
The Lady Flames drop their third match to the Tar Heels and are still in search of the first win in the series.
Scoring Summary
Liberty Goals: Cami Merkel 2, Lizzy Ferguson 1, Kelly Scott 1, Mackenzie Lehman 1, Jordan Sheive 1
Liberty Assists: Lizzy Ferguson, Olivia Glaze 1, Cami Merkel 1, Kelly Scott 1
North Carolina Goals: Caitlyn Wurzburger 4, Reilly Casey 3, Kiley Mottice 2, Mackenzie Rich 2, Caroline Godine 2, Kaleigh Harden 2, Darcy Felter 2, Marissa White 1
North Carolina Assists: Caitlyn Wurzburger 3, Reilly Casey 2, Nicole Humphrey 2, Alyssa Long 1, Emily Nalls 1, Brooklyn Neumen 1
Goalkeepers
W: Alecia Nicholas 2-0, eight saves
L: Mara Tellers 0-1, four saves
Turning Point
Leading 3-1 after 13 first quarter minutes, The Tar Heels scored three goals in the remaining two minutes of the quarter to get their first lead of the game. UNC came out in the second quarter and tallied seven goals in those 15 minutes while holding Liberty to one goal in that span. The Tar Heels took an 11-4 lead into the break.
First Half Summary
• Liberty jumped out to a 2-0 lead and a 3-1 lead as late as with under two minutes left in the first quarter. Attacker Jordan Schieve earned the first goal (unassisted) of the season for the Liberty just 2:58 into the game. Midfielder Lizzy Ferguson stretched the lead to 2-0 with help on an assist from Olivia Glaze. Attacker Cami Merkel got the third Liberty goal, assisted by Lizzy Ferguson.
• The Tar Heels scored three goals in the last 1:57 of the quarter to get the lead just before the end of the quarter. UNC's Caitlyn Wurzburger scored two goals in the final 21 seconds, beating the buzzer to give the hosts a 4-3 edge.
• Led by two more goals from Wurzburger (four goals for the day), UNC scored seven goals in the second quarter to put the game out of Liberty's reach. The Lady Flames added a goal in the quarter from Cami Merkel, her second of the game.
Second Half Summary
• Liberty's first goal of the half came from Mackenzie Lehman at the 1:25 mark of the third period, and Kelly Scott notched her first career assist on the goal. Liberty held the Tar Heels to seven goals in the half, with only three coming in the third quarter.
• The Lady Flames' final goal of the day came from Scott (two points) with 3:08 left in the game, and it was assisted by Merkel.
Key Stats & Notes
• Grace Loughery and Kelly Scott both made their first starts in Liberty uniforms.
• Liberty caused six turnovers, one more than the Tar Heels for the match. UNC scooped up 11 ground balls, compared to 10 for Liberty.
• The Tar Heels held a 28-22 edge in total shots. Both teams found success in the clear, with UNC converting on all 19 of its attempts. Liberty was 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) on its clearing opportunities.
• UNC moves to 2-0 for the season after they opened the season with a 14-9 win over No. 12 James Madison, last Saturday. The Tar Heels' last defeat came in the 2021 season in the NCAA semifinal on May 28.
• Liberty falls to 0-3 versus North Carolina and 4-10 all-time in season openers. The last time Liberty won a season opener was in 2019, a 15-5 victory at Lehigh.
• Liberty lacrosse continues a trend for spring sports teams opening the season against the defending NCAA champion. Liberty men's tennis began the year by hosting No. 1 and defending national champion Virginia (Jan. 19). Liberty softball faced No. 1 and defending national champion Oklahoma in California, last Thursday. Liberty was a combined 0-3 in those contests.
Up Next
• Liberty will head to No. 21 Richmond (2-0) in the Spiders' home opener on Saturday at the Robins Stadium. First draw is 3 p.m.
• The two programs met in Liberty's home opener last season, with Richmond getting the 13-12 win in overtime.
• The Lady Flames are in search of their first victory against the Spiders. Richmond holds the 8-0 series edge.
Main Photo at Top of Story (L-R): Grace Loughery, Mikayla Coghill, Kylie Jones, Hannah Davis
