This morning, at 11 a.m. at Anson Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, N.C., there will be two groups of lacrosse players who will gather at midfield to play an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season game.
The two sides have won five national championships combined in their histories, and are currently the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation in lacrosse polling.
Boston College, the visitors, are 13-0 on the season and are the defending national champions. They are ranked first in the nation in offensive efficiency, and their most demonstrative win this season is a 13-9 win over Northwestern on Feb. 15th.
UNC, the hosts, are 11-0 on the season. They won their last national title in 2022, beating Boston College 12-11 in a rollercoaster of a final match. The Tar Heels are first in the nation in defensive efficiency, and their signature win was an eight-goal margin over Syracuse on Feb. 22nd.
When North Carolina has the ball, the ball will find its way to either Chloe or Nicole Humphrey. Keep your eyes on Chloe Humphrey, who has 50 goals this season as a freshman. Nicole Humphrey, her older sister, is the main provider in the attack end with 46 assists.
On defense, it will be up to Shea Baker and Lydia Colasanti to cut the cord between the two sisters, and to allow Shea Dolce, one of the best goalies in her craft, to make the stop.
When Boston College has the ball, Rachel Hall and McKenna Davis will have much of the offensive attack alongside Emma LoPinto. I think if sophomore attacker Molly Driscoll has a big game, the Eagles will win this contest.
On defense, UNC will counter with Brooklyn Walker-Welch, Sam Forrest, and Elise Traggio in front of goalie Betty Nelson. I think Nelson could be a major barometer for this game; if she has more than a dozen stops — especially those right on the edge of the crease — she’ll have gotten into the heads of the B.C. shooters.
Today’s game is one which could see the emergence of the kind of player that basketball commentator Shaquille O’Neal terms as “the others.” These are players who might have not done much in the season on the stat sheet, but may have had a good week of practice and the coaching staff will get the player to come in at a key moment.
Look no further than what happened in the 2022 Final Four, when Sam Geiersbach’s five goals powered UNC’s scintillating eight-goal comeback against Northwestern in the national semifinal.
Which player is likeliest to have that kind of Walter Mitty moment today? I’d look for UNC’s center, Sarah Gresham, to see what kind of game she has at the draw circle. On the B.C. side, keep an eye on close defender Morgan Smith.
Should be a great contest.