After a dominant first half in which it surrendered only two goals to the best offense in the country, Syracuse looked to be on pace for an easy victory.

Then North Carolina’s Megan Ward entered the game and made the Orange earn it.

The sophomore made 11 saves as the Tar Heels rallied to take the lead with 13:35 remaining, but late goals from Amy Cross and Katie Webster helped No. 2-seed Syracuse (17-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast) hang on for a 9-7 victory over the third-seeded Tar Heels (14-4, 5-2) in the semifinals of the ACC tournament in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“We knew that UNC was definitely a great second-half team,” said Webster, who led Syracuse with four goals. “We got the early lead, and we needed it.”

Kayla Treanor put the Orange on the board only 4:57 into the game, and Webster’s trio of scores kept SU in control throughout the first 30 minutes.

Down 6-2 at the break, North Carolina head coach Jenny Levy looked to Ward for a spark in the second half. The sophomore did just that, as she stymied the Orange for almost 22 minutes of game action.

“(Ward) was definitely hot in the beginning,” Webster said.

The Tar Heels rallied to take a 7-6 lead, but the Syracuse offense was simply too much in the end. Following goals from Treanor and Cross, Webster provided some final insurance with 5:49 left thanks to a spin move around UNC midfielder Maggie Bill.

At the other end, Kelsey Richardson and the Syracuse defense shut down any attempt at a second comeback. Richardson went the distance and made nine saves between the pipes.

The Orange will face top-seeded Maryland at 1 p.m Sunday in the championship game. Webster said the Orange learned a lot from its loss to the Terrapins on March 10, but this game will come down to execution.

Said Webster: “If we come out like we did today and don’t break down as much in the second half, then we can definitely win on Sunday.”

Published on April 25, 2014 at 9:11 pm

Contact Tyler: tfpiccot@syr.edu