W. Lacrosse: Women's lacrosse opens home season with wins

Every practice North Carolina women's lacrosse coach Jenny Levy tries to start the team's workout with an up-tempo drill.

Not only does it force a pace that most teams can't endure but the speed of play creates scoring chances for UNC right away.

This weekend against Oregon and Richmond" Levy's method paid off as the No. 9 Tar Heels (3-0) raced to victories of 15-7 and 15-8.

""It's really important for us this season to get out of the gates quickly"" Levy said. The past two years I feel like we've been a slow-starting team and had to battle our way back.""

Not this weekend.

On Friday" it was a 5-0 blitz of the Oregon Ducks that saw five different Tar Heels score in the game's first 15 minutes.

Two days later a bombardment from juniors Kristen Taylor" Megan Bosica and Jenn Russell shocked the Richmond Spiders.

""I think that's something we've all embraced as a team"" Taylor said. Get right out there. Don't wait for anything. Use the warmup to get ready to go so when the first whistle blows we can bust right out of the box.""

It seems as though Taylor took her own words to heart.

Less than two minutes into Sunday's match against Richmond" Taylor slowly jogged 10 yards from the sideline.

As a Spider defender closed in on her the junior attacker sprang into action.

Without a moment's hesitation Taylor cradled an incoming pass and raced toward the near post. As she entered the 8-meter arc" she spun a half circle and whipped a shot into the corner.

""If it wasn't me" someone else was going to do it Taylor said. I think it's been good for our team to get on the board right away so the defense can take risks" and we just build confidence.""

That someone might have been Bosica.

After being named one of the team's three captains this year" the attacker netted a pair of two goal and two assists in the weekend's games.

On Sunday Bosica took the initiative. In the game's opening minutes she flew into the arc feinted to the right to pass her defender and ripped a shot to the low corner for the game's second score.

And the barrage wasn't over.

Four minutes into the second period Bosica darted a shot behind her back into the netting.

It gave the Tar Heels a 9-3 lead and the ultimate capper on a weekend full of quick" precise strikes.

""(Teams) have to adjust to us" Levy said. Any time a team's adjusting to what we do" that's a good day.""



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.