SARA RUBERG/ STATESMAN FILE
Despite taking a 3-0 lead and leading with eight minutes remaining, the No. 8-seeded Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team was unable to close out the game against the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, losing 14-11 in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on May 22 in Chapel Hill.
The Seawolves gave it their all to cap off one of the most memorable seasons in program history, but despite being minutes away from clinching the program’s first Final Four berth, they fell short.
“Tons of respect to North Carolina,” head coach Joe Spallina said in a postgame press conference. “They are a great team and they were the No. 1 seed for a reason. I think they’re an outstanding team … but I could not be more proud of our players. Our seniors who I am forever indebted to for what they’ve done for our program and what they’ve brought to Stony Brook lacrosse. I’m disappointed in me for not being able to navigate them and lead them to a Final Four that t
Sat May 22 2021 | Kenny DeJohn | College
PHOTO BY JEFFREY A. CAMARATI / UNC ATHLETICS
Jamie Ortega had four goals and three assists, leading North Carolina in its 14-11 come-from-behind win over Stony Brook.
Jamie Ortega started speaking during Saturday’s postgame press conference via Zoom unknowingly on mute.
Like the North Carolina offense, which was muted in the first half before coming alive in crunch time, Ortega flipped the switch and got things going.
Eighth-seeded Stony Brook blitzed the top-seeded Tar Heels in the first seven minutes, starting the NCAA quarterfinal with three goals. UNC awakened and went blow-for-blow with Stony Brook until another offensive lull in the second half that allowed the Seawolves to take a two-goal lead with 11:18 to play.
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ETHAN TAM/THE STATESMAN
Coming off an incredible performance in a win over Towson, graduate attacker Taryn Ohlmiller put up another career day with four goals and eight assists in the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team’s 20-8 win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to advance to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. The third woman to ever put up 12 points in an NCAA Tournament game and one point shy of tying the record, Ohlmiller has the Seawolves scorching-hot just when they needed it more than ever before.
Ohlmiller got started quickly when she found graduate midfielder Kaeli Huff for the first goal of the game. After what appeared to be the start of a back-and-forth affair, graduate midfielder Ally Kennedy turned on the jets to score her first goal of the day, off the draw control to kick off an impressive seven-goal run for the Seawolves.
SARA RUBERG/THE STATESMAN
The eighth-seeded Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team was firing on all cylinders at home on Friday, as the Seawolves defeated the visiting Towson Tigers by a final score of 14-8 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Seawolves now advance to the second round to face Rutgers, who defeated Drexel later in the day at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Graduate attacker Taryn Ohlmiller led the Seawolves with seven points (four goals and three assists), and tied for the second-most points in an NCAA Tournament game by a Stony Brook athlete alongside Dorrien Van Dyke and sister Kylie Ohlmiller.