Lacrosse Takes 2 at ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Tar Heels (7-2) were decisive victors in both of their games this weekend, handing Ohio State a five-goal loss before beating PSU (3-6) by eight.

Sunday, UNC took an early lead and never looked back. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half before Penn State found the net for the first time with 12:58 remaining in the frame.

UNC then ran off five unanswered goals and ultimately took a commanding 9-2 lead to intermission.

The second half was much of the same. UNC scored five of the half's first seven goals before Penn State rallied late to make the final deficit less gaudy.

North Carolina was led in scoring by Lindsay Stone and Erin McInnes, who each had four goals.

Stone also added a pair of assists to lead all scorers with six points.

Colleen O'Hara led the Nittany Lions in scoring with a goal and a pair of assists.

For the tournament, UNC finished 2-0, while Maryland and Ohio State each had 1-1 records.

The Buckeyes shocked Maryland with a 12-11 win in the early game Sunday.

Ohio State's win gave the American Lacrosse Conference its first win of the tourney (Ohio State and Penn State each play in the ALC despite their schools' affiliation with the Big Ten). Penn State lost both of its games on the weekend.

Saturday, North Carolina used a second-half surge to secure its sixth win of the season and hand Ohio State a 12-7 loss in the opening game of the tournament.

The first half was a strong one for both teams. No. 5 UNC took an early 5-2 lead before the Buckeyes challenged.

With less than 15 minutes remaining in the half, No. 19 Ohio State ran off three unanswered goals and knotted the score at five.

But just before the end of the first half, McInnes found the back of the net with three seconds on the clock to put North Carolina up one at intermission.

Ohio State scored the first goal of the second half before UNC scored six straight, effectively ending the game. Four of the Tar Heels' goals came from Kellie Thompson, who finished the game with five scores.

Stone added three goals and two assists for UNC, while Shannon Wilson led the Buckeyes' with two goals and an assist. Ohio State goalie Erin Forquer was outstanding in the cage, making 16 saves.

North Carolina's win was followed by a 13-11 Maryland win against Penn State to push the ACC to 2-0 in the tournament.

With the weekend sweep, the Tar Heels have now won four of their last five games. Before the wins against Ohio State and Penn State, North Carolina lost 11-8 at Virginia.

UNC's next game is on the road against George Mason in Fairfax, Va., on Friday. The Tar Heels will then play three more non-conference games before heading into the ACC Tournament.

The tournament will be the weekend of April 19 in Durham. Last year, the Tar Heels lost in the ACC title game to rival Maryland 17-9 before losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to fifth-seeded Loyola.