Florida has consistently struggled against North Carolina.
Prior to Saturday’s matchup, the Gators were just 1-5 against the Tar Heels, with their lone win in Chapel Hill.
And in a game in which the No. 10 Gators were down 8-4, a 4-0 run to end the first half and a rally in the second half helped UF upset No. 2 North Carolina 16-15 in Chapel Hill.
It’s Florida’s first win over a top-5 team since it beat No. 5 Northwestern, 9-8, on May 4, 2014.
The Pirreca sisters, sophomore Shayna and freshman Sydney, were the stars for Florida in the win, combining to score seven of UF’s 16 goals.
Sydney scored three goals in the first half, becoming the first UF true freshman to score a single-half hat trick since Mollie Stevens in the second half against Denver on May 11, 2014. Stevens also scored a hat trick against the Tar Heels on Saturday.
Shayna scored two goals and now has eight goals this season, which is second on the team behind Stevens (11).
Senior defender Sydney DuPre scored the Gators’ final goal of the game on her first shot of the season and just her second in her collegiate career.
The victory did not come without its struggles, especially in the first half.
In the first 30 minutes, the Gators were outshot 24-15, lost the draw control battle 11-6, and committed double the fouls that UNC did.
In the second half, Florida was able to break even in draw controls and outshot the Tar Heels 13-11.
The Gators went on a 4-0 run during the middle of the final 30 minutes. During that span, freshman midfielder Lindsey Ronbeck scored her first two career goals while the Pirreca’s each scored a goal.
Following the spree, UF let up two consecutive goals, prompting Florida coach Amanda O’Leary to replace freshman goalie Haley Hicklen with senior Mary-Sean Wilcox, who started the game in the cage.
While UNC outscored the Gators 3-2 after the goalie switch, it wasn’t enough for the Tar Heels to erase their deficit.
Contact Kyle Brutman at kbrutman@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @KBrut13.
UF's Mollie Stevens attempts to make a play on the ball during Florida's 12-11 win over Michigan on Feb. 13, 2016, at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
