Lacrosse Heads to Chapel Hill to Face No. 4 UNC
Friday, February 26, 2010 | Lacrosse
The Florida lacrosse team heads to Chapel Hill to face No. 4 North Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Gators' biggest test of the season so far. Both teams feature high-scoring offenses and are undefeated heading into the weekend.
Coming off a 15-5 win in Philadelphia against La Salle on Tuesday, Florida will have their hands full against the Tar Heels, who advanced to the 2009 NCAA Championship Game. UNC, who also plays Friday night against Oregon, is 3-0 on the season, including a 12-6 win over No. 11 Vanderbilt.
This matchup will be a test for both defenses, as each team averages over 15 goals per game. The Gators have outscored their opponents 31-11 through their first two games, while North Carolina has scored 49 goals and allowed 20 in their three wins. Both teams are converting on over .425 percent of their shots.
“North Carolina is one of the top programs in the country,” head coach Amanda O'Leary said. “It will be a huge test for us to go in there and play against a high caliber team, but that's why these kids are at Florida, to be able to play against the best of the best, and certainly Carolina is one of those elite teams.”
After the first two games, coach O'Leary feels that her team is on the right track.
“They're getting better each and every game,” said O'Leary. “The first game was a little sloppy, which we expected a little bit just because of the excitement and it being the first game and the pregame jitters. They really came out against La Salle and they really played well. We've seen a lot of improvement between the first and second game.”
The Gators hope to continue improving this weekend. Led by freshman attacker Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) and midfielder Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.), UF are looking to put a lot of goals on the board. Bruns leads the team with 14 points, six goals and eight assists, through the first two games. Dashiell scored four goals against La Salle and also has six on the season.
Sophomore Rachael Zimmerman (Englewood, Co.), who played one season at UNC in 2008, controls the midfield for Florida and leads the team with 10 ground balls. Freshman goalie Cara Canington (Bel Air, Md.) has been solid in the goal for the Gators with a 4.99 goals against average.
Kristen Taylor leads UNC's attack with nine goals on the season already. Corey Donohoe and Becky Lynch each have seven goals for the Tar Heels. Goalie Logan Ripley has 14 saves through the first three games.
Live stats will be available online through GatorZone.com. Fans can also follow GatorZoneLAX on Twitter for score updates throughout the game.
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