April 29, 1999

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Led by four different multiple goal scorers, the No. 7 North Carolina women's lacrosse team defeated No. 9 Dartmouth Big Green 10-8 on Thursday afternoon at rainy and cold Francis E. Henry Stadium on the UNC campus.

With the victory, the Tar Heels probably earned a bid in the 1999 NCAA Division I Lacrosse Championship that begins next Wednesday. The NCAA will announce bids to the tournament Sunday night at 8 p.m. The win closed the Tar Heels' regular season with an 8-6 record. The Big Green fell to 10-3 on the season with the loss.

Carolina had to overcome a late Dartmouth rally which saw the Big Green run off three successive goals in the final 2:47 of play to cut what seemed like a comfortable UNC lead to only two goals at the end. But the Tar Heels regained possession in the last minute and ran out the clock to secure a big vital to UNC's post-season bid hopes.

Kellie Thompson led the offensive charge for UNC with four goals while Julie Kickham, Kristin Off and Meghann Mohler each scored two goals for the Tar Heels. Erin McGinnis added two assists for the Tar Heels.

Liz Merritt led the Big Green with three goals, while Jacque Weitzel had two goals and one assist and Suzy Gibbons one goal.

Dartmouth led early on two occasions by 1-0 and 2-1 margins. But a goal by Mohler with 24:17 left in the first half gave UNC a 3-2 lead and the Tar Heels never relinquished the lead again. Goals by Off and Thompson pushed the UNC lead to 5-2 at intermission.

Three times in the second half the Big Green crept within two goals of the Tar Heels but it could never get any closer than that. UNC's biggest lead of the game was 10-5 with 4:56 to play after Thompson scored her fourth goal of the game.

UNC freshman Melissa Coyne earned her first career start in goal in lieu of four-year starter Debbie Castine who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee three minutes into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal game against Maryland last Saturday. Coyne was steady in goal for the Heels, making 12 saves and allowing eight goals in 60 minutes. Dartmouth goalkeeper Sarah Hughes had 10 saves and 10 goals allowed.

North Carolina outshot Dartmouth 25-20. UNC also won 12 of 20 draw controls, but the Big Green compensated for that by winning the ground ball battle 36-29.