Spiders Fall to UNC in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

Sunday, May 14

Chapel Hill, N.C.

12:00 PM

University of Richmond

17-4, 8-1

#3 North Carolina

16-4, 7-2

Richmond

UNC

Spiders Fall to UNC in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

05/14/2023 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Richmond Spiders dropped a 16-12 decision to 4 seed North Carolina Sunday in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Spiders led 8-6 late in the second quarter before UNC, the defending national champions, outscored UR 10-4 over the remainder of the game.

"I think UNC is a greet team. They made some adjustments at the half and I think we ran out of gas a little bit at the end," said Head Coach Anne Harrington. "It's never one play that loses a game. I think there were a couple of missed opportunities — man-up, man-down things. But we came out with a lot of heart and fight and I'm very proud of the team for that."

Senior All-Americans Lindsey Frank and Arden Tierney led the Spiders with five points apiece. Frank registered a team-high four goals and one assist while Tierney led UR with three assists and added a pair of goals.

The Tar Heels were able to limit opportunities for the Spiders attack by winning 17 of the game's final 25 draw controls after Richmond opened the game winning six straight draws.

The Spiders trailed 5-3 after the first quarter but scored the first four goals of the second period to take a 7-5 lead. UNC's goal 3:10 before halftime snapped a streak of more than 12 scoreless minutes for the Tar Heels. At halftime, Richmond clung to an 8-7 lead.

The lead changed hands twice in the first half of the third period, as UNC scored twice to take a 9-8 advantage before goals by Grace Muldoon and Sarah Roycroft gave Richmond 10-9 lead with 8:48 left in the quarter.

But the Heels reasserted themselves with three straight goals and led 12-11 entering the final period.

Richmond again pulled within one when Frank scored with 5:09 to play, before UNC recorded the game's final three goals to make the final score 16-12.

The game featured five ties and four lead changes, with UNC finishing with 32 shots to Richmond's 28.

The Spiders finished the season 17-4, winning the program's sixth conference title and advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

"We're so proud of them," said Harrington. "A win today would really have been icing on the cake, to get past UNC to the Elite Eight. But really I think [the players] have nothing but pride to feel for themselves and this program. It's a special group and we've said that over and over so we wanted them to soak in the moment even though it's a little bit bittersweet."