Chalk has prevailed through the first two rounds of the NCAA Division I women’s tournament.

All eight national seeds are still alive with the quarterfinals on tap for Thursday. And the second round of play provided little to no drama, as none of the games were decided by less than three goals. That sets the stage for a quarterfinal round with the proven eight best teams in the country.

Of the four games on deck, two are rematches from earlier this spring — Maryland-Florida and Northwestern-Syracuse. The other two games are first-time meetings in 2022, but Stony Brook and North Carolina played one of the top games of the NCAA tournament a year ago, and both Boston College and Loyola have the type of offenses that can go off at any moment.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves and look to the quarters, let’s take a look back at the weekend to see how we got here.

BEST GAME

Stony Brook grits out win against Rutgers.

On a day with no games decided by fewer than three goals, there wasn’t a clear-cut “best game.” But Stony Brook’s 11-7 win over Rutgers showed considerable grit between two teams made up of similar character.

If lacrosse is a game of runs, then you can show this game for proof. Stony Brook scored the first three, then Rutgers scored the next four. Down 4-3, Stony Brook went on a four-goal run for a 7-4 lead.

Cassidy Spilis then tied it at 7 with 12:02 left in the third quarter. Stony Brook’s defense locked in from there, shutting out the Scarlet Knights the rest of the way and allowing the offense to score the game’s final four goals.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Maryland neutralizes Maddie Jenner.

Maddie Jenner entered Sunday’s game with at least seven draw controls in every game she played this season. She won double-digit draws in most games en route to the single-season draws record.

Shaylan Ahearn and the Maryland draw unit were up to the task, holding Jenner to just four draw controls and giving the Terps an 18-10 advantage on the circle in a 19-6 win.  

SURPRISE THAT WASN’T

Syracuse beats Princeton.

Syracuse couldn’t host its pod because of a graduation conflict in the Carrier Dome, so Princeton was chosen to host instead. Home field advantage, coupled with the added zest of trying to prolong Chris Sailer’s coaching career, saw the Tigers become a somewhat popular pick to advance.

But alas, there’s a reason Syracuse earned a national seed and Princeton did not. The Orange got five goals from Meagan Tyrrell and three from Olivia Adamson in a 13-9 win.

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

Shaylan Ahearn, Maryland: Ahearn controlled nine draws (her most since April 13) and scored twice, tying a season high. Her draw efforts were most impactful, as she helped limit Maddie Jenner to just four draw wins.

Caitlyn Wurzburger, North Carolina: With one goal and six assists, Wurzburger led UNC in points in its huge win. She produced all seven points in UNC’s game-opening 13-0 run.

Charlie Campbell, Stony Brook: A 12-save performance was exactly what Stony Brook needed out of its goalie against a gritty Rutgers team. Campbell was dominant, especially in a third quarter that let the Seawolves take a lead.

TEWAARATON WATCH

Charlotte North, Boston College: North scored four times and broke the Division I women’s all-time goals mark in a 13-8 win over Denver.

Jamie Ortega, North Carolina: It was just another day for Ortega, who scored four goals (on five shots) and dished out two assists in a blowout win.

Meaghan Tyrrell, Syracuse: Tyrrell scored five goals and picked up two ground balls in a 13-9 win over Princeton. Tyrrell has scored at least five goals eight times this season.

Aurora Cordingley, Maryland: Cordingley had one goal and one assist in a blowout win over Duke, which focused much of its defensive efforts on slowing her down.

Ally Mastroianni, North Carolina: With three goals and one assist, Mastroianni put together her second straight four-point effort. She also controlled five draws, giving her 121 for the season.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

8

All eight national seeds advanced past the second round into the quarterfinals, and chalk has mostly prevailed through the first two rounds of the tournament.

24

A North Carolina program record for goals in an NCAA tournament game, a mark that’s also tied for the most in a game of any sort. UNC’s 22-goal margin in a 24-2 win over Virginia also ties the program’s largest margin of victory ever (2007 vs. Longwood).

345

The number of goals scored in the decorated career of Charlotte North, who is now the all-time goals leader in Division I women’s lacrosse. Her first goal against Denver — fittingly scored on a rocket from the 8-meter arc — pushed her past Courtney Murphy (Stony Brook, 2014-18), who scored 341 goals in her career.

2,000

The number of fans in Chestnut Hill to see Boston College defeat Denver 13-8. That crowd represented the largest of the second round of the tournament. Maryland-Duke drew 1,111 fans to College Park, which was the second-highest amount.