A 43-game Division I women’s slate was loaded with quality matchups, highlighted by two conference bouts between heavyweights.

TAR HEELS HOLD OFF ORANGE

When top-ranked North Carolina needed a difference-maker in a pivotal ACC matchup against No. 4 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, Jamie Ortega was there — just like she’s been for the entirety of her career in Chapel Hill.

Ortega posted her 31st career game with five goals and notched the final tally with 1:36 remaining as North Carolina held off Syracuse 14-12 in front of 2,907 fans. Ortega is second in ACC history and third in NCAA history with 424 points.

Scottie Rose Growney and Andie Aldave each scored two goals for North Carolina (13-0, 6-0 ACC), which won its 39th consecutive regular season game. It was Jenny Levy’s 100th ACC victory.

Ortega tied the score at 7 just seconds before halftime, then Syracuse freshman Olivia Adamson scored the first goal of the third quarter for an 8-7 lead. UNC then put together what proved to be the game’s most crucial run. Emily Nalls and Growney scored less than a minute apart for a 9-8 lead, then Ortega scored twice to push the lead to 11-8.

Sam Swart and Natalie Smith each cut UNC’s lead to one goal at different points in the final half, but UNC answered each time. Smith made it 13-12 with 3:09 to play, but Ortega’s final goal was the dagger about 90 seconds later.

DENVER TOPS UCONN IN OVERTIME

Just like the first meeting between Big East foes Denver and UConn last season, fans were in for a thriller on Saturday.

No. 19 UConn got off to a blistering start in the first five-plus minutes of action, but Denver’s defense didn’t let it get out of hand. The Pioneers’ one-goal lead with 9:40 remaining was erased on Madelyn George’s goal, and after a few minutes of overtime, Julia Gilbert sent home the winner for No. 10 Denver.

Gilbert and Ellie Curry each had three goals and one assist for the Pios in their 14-13 win. Reagan Wilson had three goals, and Bea Behrins had two goals and two assists. Landyn White made 13 saves, Sydney Watson had two goals and four assists and Kate Shaffer had three goals and three assists for UConn (10-2, 1-1 Big East).

Victoria Macres was one of the heros for Denver (12-1, 2-0 Big East). The junior goalkeeper came off the bench to play the final 25:17, and she made five saves while only giving up three goals.

Denver scored six of the final nine goals with Macres between the pipes.

NOTABLE

• No. 2 Boston College scored six of the first seven goals, and Charlotte North scored five times in the Eagles’ 16-10 win over Notre Dame. Jenn Medjid had three goals and two assists. Boston College (12-1, 5-1 ACC) plays Harvard on Tuesday before finishing its ACC slate against Duke and Syracuse.

• A nine-goal run by No. 6 Stony Brook was enough for the Seawolves to storm past New Hampshire 20-6. Kailyn Hart had five goals and one assist and Morgan Mitchell had four goals and two assists for Stony Brook (9-2, 2-0 America East).

• Livy Rosenzweig scored four times, Sam Fielder had four assists and Jillian Wilson, Elli Kluegel and Georgia Latch each had a hat trick as No. 7 Loyola topped Colgate 22-9. Loyola is 11-1 and 4-0 in Patriot League play.

• Fourteen players scored for No. 8 Florida in the Gators’ 22-6 romp of Old Dominion. Emma LoPinto led with four goals and one assist. Five others scored multiple goals for Florida (9-4, 2-0 ACC).

• No. 11 James Madison scored 18 answered goals after Elon opened the scoring, with Kacey Knobloch leading with three goals and five assists in an 18-2 win. Isabella Peterson had four goals for James Madison (9-4, 3-0 CAA).

• Kyla Sears scored seven times as No. 12 Princeton (7-2, 2-0 Ivy) topped Brown 18-6. Sears now has 250 career points, which is third all-time in Princeton history.

HOW THE NIKE/USAL TOP 20 FARED

No. 1 North Carolina defeated No. 4 Syracuse 14-12
No. 2 Boston College defeated Notre Dame 16-10
No. 6 Stony Brook defeated New Hampshire 20-6
No. 7 Loyola defeated Colgate 22-9
No. 8 Florida defeated Old Dominion 22-6
No. 10 Denver defeated No. 19 UConn 14-13 (OT)
No. 11 James Madison defeated Elon 18-2
No. 12 Princeton defeated Brown 18-6

FULL SCOREBOARD

No. 2 Boston College 16, Notre Dame 10
Bryant 22, Howard 7
Bucknell 18, Army 12
Coastal Carolina 20, Delaware State 3
Campbell 17, Longwood 10
Central Michigan 18, Detroit Mercy 9
Cornell 13, Penn 9
Dartmouth 22, Columbia 6
Delaware 13, William & Mary 11
No. 10 Denver 14, No. 19 UConn 13 (OT)
No. 8 Florida 22, Old Dominion 6
Gardner-Webb 16, Wofford 7
Georgetown 17, Butler 7
High Point 19, Presbyterian 4
Holy Cross 16, Lafayette 4
Iona 16, Niagara 14
Jacksonville 23, Kennesaw State 6
No. 11 James Madison 18, Elon 2
Liberty 22, Stetson 9
No. 7 Loyola 22, Colgate 9
Mercer 17, Furman 4
Merrimack 12, Saint Francis 8
Monmouth 19, Canisius 14
Mount St. Mary’s 13, LIU 9
Navy 16, Boston U 6
No. 1 North Carolina 14, No. 4 Syracuse 12
Pitt 17, Louisville 10
No. 12 Princeton 18, Brown 6
Quinnipiac 20, Manhattan 15
Robert Morris 15, Kent State 6
Sacred Heart 13, Central Connecticut 7
Siena 16, Fairfield 11
No. 6 Stony Brook 20, New Hampshire 6
Temple 14, Cincinnati 10
Towson 16, Drexel 15
UC Davis 17, Oregon 12
UMass Lowell 11, Binghamton 9
Vanderbilt 19, East Carolina 1 2
Vermont 16, UMBC 8
Villanova 19, Marquette 14
Winthrop 13, Radford
Yale 13, Harvard 12
Youngstown State 17, Akron 14

American at Lehigh, PPD