Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 18, 2000, edition 1 / Page 12
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4 Friday, February 18, 2000 —i f jiii i jik ! DTH/RACHEL LEONARD Attacker Meghann Mohler finished as the Tar Heels' leading scorer last year with 25 goals and 15 assists. The New MiDenetenl - . ANewYoa! Get Started Today! 3900 Chapel Hill Blvd., (South Square Area) An 403-1999 0 A * www.ricflair.citysearch.com GO LID’S GYM, f K/M Serious Fitness For Every Body. Women's Lacrosse UNC Seeks Return To Winning Ways The women's lacrosse team is coming off the program's worst season in its four years as a UNC varsity sport. By Matt Terry Staff Writer It’s understandable that the confi dence of the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team might be a little shaky after the team fell from back-to-back final four appearances to an 8-7 record and a first-round NCAA tournament exit in 1999. However, senior attacker and co-cap tain Kristin Off sounds confident for a player who was part of the team’s worst season in history. “We have the desire to go out there and just play well, to go out and kill teams and have fun doing it,” Off said. Not only are the Tar Heels confident, but they’re also cocky. And perhaps they’ve earned that right. UNC has established itself as one of the nation’s elite squads in only four sea sons, putting up a 49-18 mark in the process and reaching the national semi finals in its second and third years. This year’s team is led by Meghann Mohler, the Tar Heels’ leading scorer from a year ago. Mohler’s 25 goals and 15 assists last season made the senior a preseason All-America candidate for 2000. With Off and senior Gray Mac Nair, the three captains make up one of the nation’s top attacking units. Off was third on the team in scoring last season with 33 points. Sophomore attacker Kellie Thompson (26 points) was fourth, and Mac Nair ranked fifth (21). The Tar Heels should be able to cope with the loss of Erin McGinnis, who graduated last year as UNC’s all-time leading scorer with 211 points. “This season we’re looking at a real ly well-rounded attack,” said coach Jenny Slingluff Levy, who has led the program since its inception. “We’ve got a lot of kids who can put the ball in the back of the net, and I think that will be a strength of ours.” Slingluff Levy called her defense “interesting," but she said she wasn’t Women's Lacrosse Feb. 29 at James Madison 4 p.m. March 3 Johns Hopkins 5 p.m. March 5 Maryland 1 p.m. March 10 Loyola 5 p.m. March 12 Vanderbilt 1 p.m. March 17 vs. Boston Univ. at Baltimore 7 p.m. March 19 at George Mason 1 p.m. March 25 at Virginia Noon March 29 Duke 7 p.m. April 2 Virginia Tech 1 p.m. April 8 at Georgetown Noon April 13 vs. Penn State at Baltimore 3 p.m. April 16 Ohio State 1 p.m. April 22-23 ACC Tournament at Maryland TBA April 28 at Massachusetts 4 p.m. April 30 at Dartmouth 1 p.m. May 10-21 NCAA Tournament TBA UNC women's lacrosse coach Jenny Slingluff Levy (Tire Satly sar Hrel worried about the challenges that the departures of All- America defender Brooke Crawford and starter Katie Loovis present. The Tar Heels will be counting on contributions from several defenders, includ ing senior Jennie Voishan, junior Meghan Stringer and sophomore Christine McPike. UNC senior attacker Kristin Off ranked third on the Tar Heels in scoring in 1999 with 33 points. “Our strength (at defense) may not be a power individual like Brooke,” Slingluff Levy said. “We’ve got a very fast defense with the ability to really put a lot of pressure on other teams.” As UNC prepares for its season opener Leb. 29 againstjames Madison, several questions remain unanswered. The goaltending position is still up for grabs between sophomore Melissa Coyne and and freshman Margaret Garofalo. The Tar Heels also don’t know what to expect from a heralded recruiting class. Betsy Gaines, a starter on the U.S. Under-19 team, and Katie Boyle look to add to the attack. Andy Fortino and Meghan Kelly might get the opportuni ty to help shore up the UNC defense. “We’ve got four players right on that bubble in that freshman class,” Slingluff Levy said. “If they get their focus and gain some confidence, they can earn some playing time and contribute on the field.” The Tar Heels know they must capi talize on their enormous potential - something they failed to do a year ago - if they are to regain their national stand ing. Slingluff Levy said UNC is ready to take on the rest of the ACC - teams such as Duke, a final four squad last year, and Maryland, which has won five consecutive national championships. “Other teams probably don’t respect us as much as we think they should, and we value that as a motivator,” Off said. “We believe in ourselves, and that’s all that matters.”
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 18, 2000, edition 1
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