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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 9/9 Clemson Tigers (6-2, 2-1 ACC) are slated take on the No. 2/2 North Carolina Tar Heels (7-0, 3-0 ACC) on Saturday, March 15 at 12 p.m. at Dorrance Field. Saturday’s game will be the third time that the Clemson and North Carolina programs compete against each other in regular season play. Â
After a strong 6-0 start to their season, the Tigers have experienced two back-to-back losses against then-No. 17/18 Duke and Mercer. Beforehand, the Tigers were on the longest winning streak in program history, highlighted by wins over then-No. 11/11 Notre Dame, 12-11, and then-No. 5/6 Syracuse, 9-8. Three of Clemson’s victories in the six-game stretch had the Tigers scoring at least 20 goals and winning the draw contest in five of six of those, including 13 and 16 draw margins against Syracuse and Queens.Â
The Tiger offense is led by Lindsey Marshall, Lexi Edmonds, and Tewaaraton Watch List members Kayla MacLeod and Natalie Shurtleff who all have over 20 points for the season thus far. MacLeod and Marshall have set the pace entering the midpoint of the season with 23 goals each with Edmonds and Shurtleff rounding out the offensive assault with 18 and 17 goals, respectively. Marshall is the team leader in points, pairing her 23 goals with a trio of assists for 26 total points while Shurtleff and Edmonds have four and five assists to increase their point totals to 21 and 23, respectively. Brooke Goldstein, a freshman from Florida, has nearly tripled the next closest Tiger with 15 assists and has added four goals for 19 points. Sophomore Regan Byrne rounds out the Tigers offense as the other double-digit goal scorer.Â
On the defensive side of the game, Tewaaraton Watch List member, IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week and ACC Defensive Player of the Week Summer Agostino has been a force to be reckoned with, picking up 22 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers this year. Bridget Babcock and Blair Byrne have each picked up double digit ground balls while B. Byrne, Babcock and Paris Masaracchia have each caused at least seven turnovers. In the cage, Emily Lamparter, another IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week and ACC Defensive Player of the Week from this season, has amassed 55 saves on the season for a 45.5% save rate and all six of Clemson’s wins.Â
The draw unit is currently winning 66.2% of their draw controls for 18.13 per game, the fourth-highest win rate and the per game average in Division I. Freshman Kira Balis has made great strides in the draw circle won 81 draw controls for 10.57 draw controls per game, the third-highest rate nationally, second-most in the country and the most by a freshman in Division I in either category. Shurtleff and graduate transfers Maggie Jordan and Bridget Babcock have all recorded double digit draw controls to help with the draw unit’s dominance.Â
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTÂ
The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off of a dominant 20-8 win over ACC-opponent Virginia. Attacker Chloe Humphrey netted five goals for the day, while Eliza Osborn and Olivia Vergano had four each. Defensively, Kate Levy led the Tar Heels with five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Head Coach Jenny Levy returned for her 30th season leading the Tar Heels alongside assistant coaches Phil Barnes, Marie McCool, Maiah Bartlett, and Kayla Wood.Â
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