Women's lacrosse team will play Duke in Final Four for spot in NCAA final

Somewhere between complete elation and unwavering focus, the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team has set up camp ahead of its semi-final game Friday night in Philadelphia.

The No. 2 Tar Heels took down Penn State Saturday to advance to one of the biggest stages in college sports. To add to the pressure, the team will face its biggest rival, the Duke Blue Devils.

Though the talk all week will be about the rivalry, the team knows they have to approach this game with the same attention to detail as every other.

“You need to execute to be able to win,” senior Margaret Corzel said. “That’s no different than the first game of the season. That’s no different than a fall scrimmage.”

The team gave the term execution new meaning against Duke earlier this season, securing the ACC regular season title with a commanding 12-6 win.

Against Penn State in the quarterfinals, dominance at the draw control and patience on offense gave the Tar Heels what they needed to put together a monster run. The team scored the final seven goals of the game.

Down the stretch, the aggressive play of sophomore Sydney Holman helped the team carve away at the largest deficit they had faced all season. Holman, who was called out as a feeder every time she touched the ball last Saturday, looks to pose a threat both passing and scoring.

“I try to be a threat all over the field,” Holman said.

With four goals and two assists, Holman posted a season high in points.

While the flashy plays have come on offense this season, the staple of this North Carolina team has been defense.

“We don’t like to sit back,” Corzel said. “We don’t like to see how many more goals we can score than (the other team).”

For the Tar Heel defense, keeping calm while on the big stage isn’t a major concern. All four UNC defenders played on Championship Weekend in 2013, where the Tar Heels claimed the NCAA title.

UNC will rely on sound defense Friday, as it has all season, but the team can expect a close game. Duke’s defense, one of the best in the nation, held Princeton to three points in their quarterfinal game.

But Coach Jenny Levy’s focus all season has been constant improvement, and that won’t change as her team prepares to play for a spot in the national championship game.

“We’re not done getting better,” she said.

sports@dailytarheel.com