UNC Women’s Lacrosse 2025-2026
- Thread starter airball
- Start date
Unlikely. I can’t recall seeing a postgame statement from her following a regular season away game. But I would love for someone to prove me wrong.
Prior to today’s game, Virginia’s worst losses were by 8 goals to Maryland and Stanford.
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Huh, usually that’s a nice field, well groomed. Was the grass just not green or was it muddy or something tough to play on?The only thing worse than UVA's play today was their field.
Early in the recruiting cycle for that class some thought Buffardi was the best player in the class. She's quite good.A 2026 UNC signee is USA Lacrosse’s highlighted high school player of the week.
NORTHEAST
Sophia Buffardi, Sayville (N.Y.)
On a chilly afternoon in Sayville, Sophia Buffardi had ice water in her veins in a battle of New York State championship contenders Saturday afternoon.
The North Carolina-bound senior already had a pair of assists before netting the behind-the-back winner with 45 seconds left to lift Sayville (N.Y.), arguably the favorite in Class C this year, to a 6-5 victory over four-time defending Class B champion Victor (N.Y.).
“Sophia has put so much time into mastering her skills as a player and a teammate,” Sayville head coach Gary Jensen said. “Because of this dedication, she not only has total confidence in what she knows she can deliver on the field, but her team does as well. She has made a habit of delivering under pressure. This was not the first time she has done this, and it surely won’t be her last.”
FWIW, IL rates Sophia as the #4 player in the 2026 class. (We are used to UNC having strong recruiting classes, but I think the 10-player 2026 class has a strong chance to be special.)
FWIW, here is the entire USA Lacrosse Magazine article:
BTB GWG: Buffardi Headlines USA Lacrosse High School Girls' Players of the Week
Sophia Buffardi, Kelsey Young, Maison Van den Bossche, Charlotte Cook and Sadie Ghali have earned USA Lacrosse High School Girls' Player of the Week honors.www.usalacrosse.com
FYI, Sayville is Class C, while Victor is the 4-time Class B Champion. Class B is a higher classification (larger school). IIRC, Sayville was the Class C champion two seasons ago
Chloe’s behind the back goal was on Top Ten
I like Charlotte North as a commentator. IMO she does a good job and she calls it likes she sees it.
Here is an article by Kylie Ohlmiller that explains the backer and rover zones that are becoming more prominent In women’s lacrosse.
Her article doesn’t identify that zone defenses are frequently employed by teams that are less athletic. Zones defenses generally create more turnovers; the downside is that they are more susceptible to 3-second and shooting space calls, thereby giving the opponent free position shots.
Coach Levy is committed to man-to-man defense. One exception was the 2013 triple-overtime championship victory vs. an undefeated Maryland team. UNC had lost to the Terps twice — in the regular season and in the ACC tournament. In the national championship, the Heels surprised UM with a backer zone and prevailed 13-12.
(Aside — there were actually five OT periods in that game. Each OT consisted of two periods where the teams switched ends. The game was decided in the first period of the 3rd OT. This game hooked me on women’s lacrosse because it was incredibly intense and exciting.)
Her article doesn’t identify that zone defenses are frequently employed by teams that are less athletic. Zones defenses generally create more turnovers; the downside is that they are more susceptible to 3-second and shooting space calls, thereby giving the opponent free position shots.
Coach Levy is committed to man-to-man defense. One exception was the 2013 triple-overtime championship victory vs. an undefeated Maryland team. UNC had lost to the Terps twice — in the regular season and in the ACC tournament. In the national championship, the Heels surprised UM with a backer zone and prevailed 13-12.
(Aside — there were actually five OT periods in that game. Each OT consisted of two periods where the teams switched ends. The game was decided in the first period of the 3rd OT. This game hooked me on women’s lacrosse because it was incredibly intense and exciting.)
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UNC almost always encounters zone defenses because of their athleticism, which opponent’s can’t match. This season’s statistics suggest that the Heels are getting more proficient in attacking zones. In earlier season games, the Heels had 5 free position shots (“FPS”) vs. Syracuse and 4 vs. Clemson.
Against Northwestern, the Heels had 13 FPS and against Virginia, they had 11 FPS. They have become better at attacking the zones by a series of quick perimeter passes that disrupt the shape of the zone and result in FPS. (Zones sag on the weak, non-ball side. Reversing the ball to the weak side can result is a shooting space call when the defender is not sufficiently proximate to the attacker.)
In the interest of thoroughness, I have included details that might be common knowledge. Hopefully I‘m not being insulting.
(Aside — there have been comments on the board about giving Eliza Osburn a larger role in the offense. She’s an incredible dodger; but dodging opportunities are less frequent against zone defenses. She is not as adept at moving without the ball in the seams of a zone, so she sees fewer chances to score.)
Against Northwestern, the Heels had 13 FPS and against Virginia, they had 11 FPS. They have become better at attacking the zones by a series of quick perimeter passes that disrupt the shape of the zone and result in FPS. (Zones sag on the weak, non-ball side. Reversing the ball to the weak side can result is a shooting space call when the defender is not sufficiently proximate to the attacker.)
In the interest of thoroughness, I have included details that might be common knowledge. Hopefully I‘m not being insulting.
(Aside — there have been comments on the board about giving Eliza Osburn a larger role in the offense. She’s an incredible dodger; but dodging opportunities are less frequent against zone defenses. She is not as adept at moving without the ball in the seams of a zone, so she sees fewer chances to score.)
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It seems to me that penetrating a zone and scoring requires four skills.
1. Moving without the ball and finding a hole or seam in the defense,
2. Timing - arriving at the hole/seam when the passer can make the pass (frequently players come open when defenders prevent the passer from making a pass).
3. Catching the pass (difficult in the traffic in the middle of a zone)
4. Placing the shot to avoid the goalie.
Chloe Humphrey is exceptional in all phases of attacking, but this is where she really excels — because this is so difficult. She is always moving without the ball, she understands when the pass can be made, she catches everything, and her shot placement is precise.
1. Moving without the ball and finding a hole or seam in the defense,
2. Timing - arriving at the hole/seam when the passer can make the pass (frequently players come open when defenders prevent the passer from making a pass).
3. Catching the pass (difficult in the traffic in the middle of a zone)
4. Placing the shot to avoid the goalie.
Chloe Humphrey is exceptional in all phases of attacking, but this is where she really excels — because this is so difficult. She is always moving without the ball, she understands when the pass can be made, she catches everything, and her shot placement is precise.
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Here is the Stanford article about Friday’s game against UNC @ Dorrance Field:
gostanford.com
Test Against The Tar Heels
Following a successful Senior Day celebration, No. 12/7 Stanford is back on the road for its final road trip of the regular season, heading to North Carolina for a pair of bouts starting with a test against No. 2 North Carolina on Friday, April 10.
Sort of an weird aside, but the production team at UVA was the best that I've seen all season. Shots were wide or tight at all of the right times. I think they lost the ball once or twice, but the production booth was on point.
Interesting game today that will provide some perspective — Northwestern @ Maryland, 6 pm. Unfortunately, I don‘t get the B1G network so I won‘s be watching. The winner will get a big boost in credibility.
Tomorrow, the Heels host the Stanford Cardinal @ 6:00 pm.
Tomorrow, the Heels host the Stanford Cardinal @ 6:00 pm.
I just saw the RPI for the first time today. How in the hell are we ranked 9th in RPI?!? That is insane.
www.ncaa.com
3 loss Syracuse, whom we beat easily, is ranked well above us at #3
DI Women's Lacrosse Rankings - NCAA Women's Lacrosse RPI | NCAA.com
Get updated NCAA Women's Lacrosse DI rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls.
www.ncaa.com
3 loss Syracuse, whom we beat easily, is ranked well above us at #3
FWIW - everyone agrees that we pass the eye test, but we really haven’t played many strong RPI teams. Missing the Florida game hurt (it doesn’t look like that will be rescheduled). Here is the USA Lacrosse Magazine write-up.
www.usalacrosse.com
NCAA Bracketology: A Brief Moment of Stability
The seedings are the same as a week ago — but the bubble has grown.
www.usalacrosse.com
I just saw the RPI for the first time today. How in the hell are we ranked 9th in RPI?!? That is insane.
DI Women's Lacrosse Rankings - NCAA Women's Lacrosse RPI | NCAA.com
Get updated NCAA Women's Lacrosse DI rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls.
3 loss Syracuse, whom we beat easily, is ranked well above us at #3
I just saw the RPI for the first time today. How in the hell are we ranked 9th in RPI?!? That is insane.
DI Women's Lacrosse Rankings - NCAA Women's Lacrosse RPI | NCAA.com
Get updated NCAA Women's Lacrosse DI rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls.
3 loss Syracuse, whom we beat easily, is ranked well above us at #3
Charlotte North and the other commentator had mentioned the RPI rating and they wondered the same thing, but they also started that the committee uses other things besides the RPI more that will justify who teams have beaten, rankings, etc. and this should put teams like UNC correctly where they should be placed in the tournament. Thank God they use other measures as well. Go Heels!
One of the dirtiest plays I've ever seen in women's lacrosse happened in that game. Don't know how three referees missed that play. It was just off ball. That play should absolutely be review-able. But the NCAA has no provision for it.
and then they gave Md a non releasable yellow card shortly thereafter for a foul not nearly as egregious.
That was done intentionally and the referees must call that. I hope the Maryland player is not severely injured. They wanted NW to win and therefore no call was made. That look like it could have been a season ending injury. I hope and pray that I am wrong. That was a dirty cheap shot, and the NW coach should punish her player for during that. The NW player needs to be suspended a couple of games or something.
The player for Maryland, LaPointe, came back into the game after leaving the field. I'm guessing that she was in concussion protocol. Smith, not only was not disciplined by the refs, but she didn't miss a draw after the incident. I don't know what was going through Amonte-Hiller's mind at that point, but there's 0 chance that no one on the NW staff saw that play. I don't care how much I want to win, her butt would be anchored to the bench for the rest of the game if I were her coach and we'd be talking about a team suspension after the game. The equivalent in the boys game (because they're wearing helmets) would be a blind side cross check to the head. That type of play has to be red carded and those officials should be suspended for missing the call.
If you want a real laugh, read Kevin Brown's game recap on Inside Lacrosse. The play in question isn't even mentioned until halfway into the write up and then he dances around the issue like a ballerina.
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Stanford @ Dorrance today at 6:00 on ESPNU.
Stanford is a talented, experienced team. The starting lineup boasts seven 5-star recruits; the roster includes ten 5-stars, 8 of whom were ranked in the top 20 by IL-Women. Eleven of 12 starters are juniors/seniors/5th years.
Stanford is 11-2 on the season with recent road losses to BC and Villanova. It’s worth noting that the two losses were games where the starting goalie, Lucy Pearson (#1), did not play. There is no definitive indication as to whether she will play today, but it is possible. With Pearson in the goal, opponents have averaged only 7 goals/game. Statistically, the defense is led by 5th year defender Kate Bellisimo (#21) 26ct/35gb and senior midfielder, Rylee Bouvier (#17) 25ct/23gb. Expect the Cardinal to play zone against UNC.
The possession stats are solid but not overwhelming: +3 dc/game; +2 to/game and +2.3 gb/game. The Cardinal apparently don’t pressure clearances — opponents clear at a rate of 95%. The Cardinal clear at 90.8%, which isn’t exceptional, but they are athletic. It will be interesting to see if the Heels can generate turnovers in the midfield.
Stanford’s offense is diversified, with 9 goal scorers with 14+ goals. The offense is led by RS junior Aliya Polisky (#24) 31g/19a; she’s athletic and gritty. BC transfer Mallory Hasselbeck (#8) 20g/21a is a 5th year player who was rated the #1 player in the h.s. class of 2021. Ava Arceri (#2) 30g/10a is a 5’11 junior who finishes well around the crease.
Shooting is a strength of the Cardinal - they average +9 shots/game and have a strong shooting percentage of 51.9%. They also excel on free position shots - 57.1% - which is very good.
It should be an interesting game. Carolina has played well since the NW game, but Stanford presents a more competitive challenge than the two prior games. If you’re catching the game, determining whether #1 (Pearson) is in goal will be a good place to start.
(If you’re attending the game, I am jealous.)
GO HEELS!
Stanford is a talented, experienced team. The starting lineup boasts seven 5-star recruits; the roster includes ten 5-stars, 8 of whom were ranked in the top 20 by IL-Women. Eleven of 12 starters are juniors/seniors/5th years.
Stanford is 11-2 on the season with recent road losses to BC and Villanova. It’s worth noting that the two losses were games where the starting goalie, Lucy Pearson (#1), did not play. There is no definitive indication as to whether she will play today, but it is possible. With Pearson in the goal, opponents have averaged only 7 goals/game. Statistically, the defense is led by 5th year defender Kate Bellisimo (#21) 26ct/35gb and senior midfielder, Rylee Bouvier (#17) 25ct/23gb. Expect the Cardinal to play zone against UNC.
The possession stats are solid but not overwhelming: +3 dc/game; +2 to/game and +2.3 gb/game. The Cardinal apparently don’t pressure clearances — opponents clear at a rate of 95%. The Cardinal clear at 90.8%, which isn’t exceptional, but they are athletic. It will be interesting to see if the Heels can generate turnovers in the midfield.
Stanford’s offense is diversified, with 9 goal scorers with 14+ goals. The offense is led by RS junior Aliya Polisky (#24) 31g/19a; she’s athletic and gritty. BC transfer Mallory Hasselbeck (#8) 20g/21a is a 5th year player who was rated the #1 player in the h.s. class of 2021. Ava Arceri (#2) 30g/10a is a 5’11 junior who finishes well around the crease.
Shooting is a strength of the Cardinal - they average +9 shots/game and have a strong shooting percentage of 51.9%. They also excel on free position shots - 57.1% - which is very good.
It should be an interesting game. Carolina has played well since the NW game, but Stanford presents a more competitive challenge than the two prior games. If you’re catching the game, determining whether #1 (Pearson) is in goal will be a good place to start.
(If you’re attending the game, I am jealous.)
GO HEELS!
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Pretty sure that either the B1G or NW can (and should) suspend her for a game for a missed red card. We shall see. They certainly do it in other sports and pretty sure this happens in WLax as well.
Thanks for the wonderful write up airball. This is going to be a tough and good game. This is what you want. You want to play a tough schedule / games to see where you team is and what weaknesses there are before the ACCT. I look forward to watching this game today. Go Heels!
Jay Alter needs to buff up his knowledge of women’s lacrosse. UNC has four free position shots vs. one for Stanford. Stanford’s zone will yield more fps than UNC’s man defense. The focus of Carolina’s offense is to create fps opportunities.
Against UNC’s man-down zone, Stanford was likewise trying to create a fps.
Against UNC’s man-down zone, Stanford was likewise trying to create a fps.
Chloe does everything for this team. Defense gets called for way more fouls this season.