Recapping the Recent History of BC-UNC Rivalry
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
What used to be a David vs. Goliath matchup is now a duel between two of the sport's greatest titans: North Carolina and Boston College.
After UNC won 12 of its first 13 meetings with BC, it's been pretty even. In fact, in the last eight years, the Tar Heels are just 7-5 against the Eagles.
Not only that, but UNC has just a plus-0.75 scoring margin in those dozen contests, each of which was decided by an average of 3.25 goals per outing.
The showdown between the ACC's best rarely disappoints. And it has undoubtedly become the best rivalry in women's lacrosse.
UNC and BC, currently the top-two teams in the nation, are set to square off for the second time this season in the ACC Championship Saturday afternoon. It's the third time the schools will face each other in the conference tournament final since 2018.
UNC is searching for its sixth consecutive ACC Tournament title. That would tie Maryland (2009) for the longest streak in ACC history. BC, on the other hand, is looking for its first ACC Championship, as well as the school's first by a women's sport.
Before the latest chapter of this tug-of-war for league bragging rights, Eagle Action is looking back at the teams' top-five matchups since the series got interesting in 2015.
1. Apuzzo's heroics send BC to National Championship in Double OT
Score: 15-14 2OT (BC)Date: May 24, 2019
This was not just one of the greatest games in BC lacrosse history. It was one of the greatest games in school history. Period.
UNC stormed out of the gates, staking itself to a 6-0 lead in the first half. The Tar Heels had all the momentum until BC ended the period with a 5-1 run before stringing together three straight goals to start the second half and take its first lead of the night. It was the exact opposite script of that year's ACC Tournament title game, during which BC took a 5-0 lead and saw UNC chip away and ultimately complete the comeback.
This time, the Eagles gave the Tar Heels a taste of their own medicine. UNC didn't roll over, though, and an intense back-and-forth ensued. But as good of a job as Tar Heels defender Emma Trenchard did in locking down Sam Apuzzo, the then-reigning Tewaaraton winner came through in the clutch. After her potential game-winning shot was met by the net of UNC goalie Taylor Moreno in regulation, Apuzzo sent BC to its third consecutive National Championship with a charging goal and twirling celebration.
2. Hall stands tall to spoil UNC's defeated season in the Final Four
Score: 11-10 (BC)Date: May 28, 2021
Junior goaltender Rachel Hall, then in her second year at BC after transferring from Oregon, stood on her head against the Tar Heels in last year's national semifinal. Hall came into the matchup having posted a meager .348 save percentage in her previous six games. But she stepped up when it mattered most, making 11 saves in an 11-10 victory over UNC. It helped that the Eagles' backline was playing its best lacrosse, too. Sydney Scales, at the time a freshman, held Tar Heels star Jamie Ortega to one goal, and the Eagles caused seven turnovers.
In part thanks to a first-half hat trick from Jenn Medjid, the Eagles closed the opening half on a 6-1 run and then extended their lead to 11-6 in the latter portion of play. UNC, which held a 16-7 advantage in the circle, made a dent in that five-goal deficit. Katie Hoeg and Caitlyn Wurzburger got the Tar Heels back within two goals, however, UNC didn't make it a one-score game until the final seconds of regulation.
It was too little, too late. The Eagles advanced to their fourth straight National Championship, getting one step closer to their elusive title.
3. Heels' transfers shine in Alumni Stadium top-two showdown
Score: 16-15Date: March 20, 2022
This game was a testament to the growth of women's lacrosse. A total of 5,937 fans showed up to watch the top-two teams in the country duke it out in March, well before postseason play. The highly-anticipated contest featured reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Charlotte North and Ortega, two of the four active players in the sport with 400 or more career points. In the early going, though, it was dominated by a pair of transfers: new Tar Heels Andie Aldave (Notre Dame) and Sam Geiersbach (Richmond).
Aldave and Geiersbach combined for five first-half goals and helped UNC take a four-goal halftime lead. Geiersbach was the star of the second quarter with a pair of spin-zone goals parallel to the pipe. The highlight-reel plays were part of a 6-0 Tar Heels run.
The Eagles eventually woke up. Unlike their 2019 Final Four matchup, though, it might have been a bit too late. BC won 6-of-7 draws in the third quarter and, at one point, made it a 10-8 game. That said, a 5-1 UNC surge that bled into the fourth quarter forced North and the Eagles to dig deep for another scoring spurt. They got it.
Jumpstarted by a Medjid stop-and-go move and goal, BC scored six of the next seven and pulled within one with 67 ticks remaining. North won the ensuing draw, her seventh of the day, and had 1-v-1 with Trenchard. North bent around the cage yet was trapped by UNC defender Brooklyn Walker-Welch and committed a heartbreaking turnover that spelled doom for the Eagles.
4. Second-half surge powers UNC to ACC title in Chestnut Hill
Score: 15-13Date: April 28, 2019
The second of back-to-back ACC Championships between these squads brought quite a bit excitement to Chestnut Hill. The Eagles were coming off an electrifying comeback win over Syracuse in the conference tournament semifinals that year—it was a come-from-behind victory that saw BC go on a game-winning 4-0 run with 8:10 left.
Head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein's team appeared to carry that momentum into the final, scoring the game's first five goals. Later in the first half, UNC responded with a 5-0 run of its own to tie the game at 6-6. Led by dual-sport playmaker Kenzie Kent, BC scored three of the final four goals of the opening frame.
UNC and BC traded punches in the early going of the second half. Except, a flurry of three straight Tar Heels goals created the separation UNC needed to stave off a BC comeback that was nearly orchestrated by Dempsey Arsenault and Jordan Lappin.
5. Eagles remain undefeated with Red Bandana win over UNC
Score: 17-11Date: March 24, 2018
Although BC pulled off the 2015 upset that got this rivalry's wheels moving, this 2018 matchup was what really leveled the playing field. Keeping the first of two perfect regular seasons alive, the Eagles took down then-No. 5 UNC back on Newton in their annual Red Bandana Game. Apuzzo racked up nine points, and BC used an 11-goal second half to distance themselves from the Tar Heels.
The turning point was when Kaileen Hart scored back-to-back goals in the second half, kickstarting a 6-0 run that blew the game wide open for the Eagles.
