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Aly Messinger scored in sudden victory overtime to lift top-seeded North Carolina to a 15-14 win over second-seeded Syracuse on Sunday in a wild Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game at Lane Stadium. Messinger took an assist from Kelly Devlin and ended a contest that saw the Tar Heels fight back from a 13-11 deficit in the final 4:11 of regulation and overcome playing two men down to start overtime.

The ACC championship is the second in UNC history, joining the 2002 title won in Durham, N.C.  UNC, ranked third in the national polls, has won 13 games in a row and improved to 16-2 this season.  Fourth-ranked Syracuse fell to 16-5.

“It was a hell of a game … two really good teams,” head coach Jenny Levy said afterward. “Any time you play Syracuse, it’s a tough battle in so many different ways. I thought our kids did a great job of just being a total team today. We had a lot of adversity down the stretch. We were able to even up the score and get the go-ahead goal with 30 seconds left, and then it became an adventure. And then, obviously we were able to pull it out in overtime being two men down.”

Carolina battled back from three-goal deficits in each half and won the rematch of last year’s ACC final, won by Syracuse, 9-8, in double overtime in Charlottesville, Va.

The Tar Heels were led by a season-high four goals from Carly Reed, all of which came in the first half as Syracuse held Molly Hendrick and Marie McCool in check. Reed finished with four goals and an assist, scoring three consecutive goals to give UNC its first lead by herself.

Messinger had three goals and two assists and Devlin and Sammy Jo Tracy both had two goals and an assist. Ela Hazar had one goal and one assist, while Hendrick, Carly Davis and McCool finished with one goal apiece.

Senior Megan Ward started her fourth consecutive game in goal for Carolina and picked up her fifth straight win and improving to 6-1 this season, making six saves in 63:45 of action. Allie Murray went the distance for Syracuse in goal, making seven saves to fall to 15-5.

“This group has been tough, this group has been gritty and goal-oriented all year,” continued Levy. “I’m really proud of not just the five guys sitting up here – which I am extremely – but also proud of the whole group effort.”

Halle Majorana led Syracuse with four goals and three assists. Kayla Treanor had a goal and four assists and both Erica Bodt and Kelly Cross scored three goals. Taylor Gait and Gabby Jaquith scored single goals for the Orange.

Syracuse struck first with Cross scoring 40 seconds into the game off the opening draw.  Hazar scored on a backhanded goal off a pass from Reed three minutes later for a 1-all tie.  The Orange took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Donahue at the 21:42 mark. Bodt followed with a goal just over a minute later for a 3-1 Orange advantage.

Reed pulled the Tar Heels within a score at 3-2 with an unassisted goal from the left side at the 19:26 mark.  Treanor made it 4-2 less than a minute later, driving in from the right elbow and scoring. Treanor dished to Majorana a minute later for a 5-2 Orange advantage.  Messinger drove into the center from the right side shortly thereafter to cut it to 5-3, only to see Majorana respond with her second goal for a 6-3 Syracuse edge with 15:03 left in the half. Treanor nearly made it 7-3, but her apparent goal was disallowed for a dangerous follow-through foul when her stick struck Mallory Frysinger in the head.

Davis scored an extra man goal, her first of the season, with 12:49 left in the half to make it 6-4. Less than 30 seconds later, Reed took a pass from Messinger and made it 6-5. Reed made it a 3-0 UNC run in just over a minute off a pass from Tracy with 11:46 left in the half, forcing a Syracuse timeout.  Reed’s fourth goal of the half gave UNC a 7-6 lead at the 8:21 mark.

Syracuse snapped its scoreless span of 12:17 when Gabby Jaquith scored on a free position attempt with 2:44 left until halftime. The score was tied at 7-all at the break after Ward made a big save at point-blank range as time expired.

Majorana scored unassisted from the left side to start the second-half scoring and give Syracuse an 8-7 lead with 26:31 left. Bodt followed with a goal on an assist from Majorana for a 9-7 lead with 23:43 to go.  McCool scored unassisted with 16:15 for UNC’s first goal of the half, making it 9-8 Syracuse. Cross’ second goal of the game came at 14:58 of the second half off a pass from Treanor, making it 10-8 and forcing a Tar Heel timeout.

Bodt scored her third of the day for the Orange at the 13:02 mark for an 11-8 lead, then Tracy responded, stopping the run with a goal off a pass from Messinger, who later made it 11-10 with a free position goal at the 8:57 mark. The teams traded free position goals until the score was 13-11 Syracuse, then Devlin scored on another free position try with 4:11 left to cut it to 13-12, leading to a UNC timeout.

Tracy forced a turnover with under 2:00 to go, raced down the field and was fouled, then scored on a free position try to tie it at 13-all with 1:47 left.  Mallory Frysinger then forced a turnover with 47.5 seconds remaining and Tracy grabbed the loose ball.  After running down the field, Hazar lined up for a free position try and dished it to Hendrick at the left of the cage for a 14-13 Tar Heel lead, UNC’s first of the second half.

McCool won the ensuing draw, but her stick was ruled illegal and Syracuse was given possession. In a crazy finish to regulation, Cross scored to tie it and force overtime, taking a desperation pass from Treanor to score with no time left.

The Tar Heels started overtime two players down after late second-half yellow cards to McCool and Alex Moore. Treanor won the opening draw of overtime and Syracuse called timeout. A yellow card on the Orange helped set up Messinger’s game-winner.

McCool won ACC Tournament MVP honors and was joined on the all-tournament team by Hendrick, Ward, Reed and Mallory Frysinger.

See more at goheels.com.

Published: May 2, 2016