Jamie Ortega and Katie Hoeg had no choice but to take the next step this season if the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team was going to be successful.

Needless to say, they have.

Ortega is pacing the team with 52 goals, while Hoeg has contributed 23 goals and 39 assists. They’ve helped offset the offense lost due to the graduations of Marie McCool, Maggie Bill and others, and now they face the final two games of the regular season — both ACC matchups — that will have major postseason tournament implications.

First up is Syracuse, and coach Jenny Levy is preparing to take on an offense with a multitude of weapons outside of leader Emily Hawryschuk.

“I don’t think you can sleep on any of their players,” Levy said. “If you take away one, then there’s going to be somebody else who can do the job for them. Your defense has to play a team game. You better be aware of their other top kids.”

NO. 3 SYRACUSE AT NO. 4 NORTH CAROLINA
WHEN: Saturday, April 13, NOON
WATCH: ACC NETWORK EXTRA

UNC’s defense has improved from last season — a point of emphasis for Levy — so that could be a factor in containing Hawryschuk, Nicole Levy, Meaghan Tyrrell and Megan Carney. But it’s Syracuse’s defense that could pose a threat.

Freshman Sarah Cooper has been a boon to Gary Gait’s zone defense, putting an extra bit of focus on Hoeg’s ability to feed. She’ll need to pick apart the zone, finding Ortega, Tayler Warehime and others, to put points on the board.

“Hoeg’s intellect on the field is really important, to understand how to attack the defense, where the seams are. She’s a great feeder, but she’s also a really strong finisher,” Levy said.

A key to deciding what figures to be a back-and-forth affair comes in the draw circle. UNC previously could lean on McCool for consistency in that area, but the Tar Heels have taken a step back. Both teams lean on those on the circle — not just the drawtaker — and the battle for each possession figures to have a major impact.

Other games highlighting the weekend include:

• No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 12 Duke
  Sunday, Noon, ACC Network Extra

Notre Dame’s final ACC game comes against a team with a 2-3 record in conference play but a one-goal loss to Syracuse as proof that the Blue Devils aren’t pushovers. The Fighting Irish defense has been the team’s backbone, but they’ve now allowed 13 goals in consecutive games. They only allowed 10 goals twice in the 11 games prior. Samantha Giacolone has been a revelation in the cage, but the defense in front of her needs to buckle down and get back to what’s worked. The pressure, to some extent, is on Charlotte North and Olivia Jenner to fuel Duke’s offense against this unit. A win for Duke would go a long way to boosting its resume.

• No. 16 USC at No. 19 Stony Brook
  Sunday, Noon, AmericaEast.tv

Stony Brook earned a much-needed win over a ranked team in Johns Hopkins on Tuesday, sending the Seawolves into this home game with a renewed confidence. While Stony Brook’s offense has taken a step back this spring, its defense remains just as robust. Teams are scoring just 7.36 goals per game against SBU, and that’s isn’t good news for a USC team that has dominated in conference but struggled somewhat against non-conference opponents. UMBC transfer Sara Moeller has come into her own offensively for Stony Brook with Taryn Ohlmiller and Nicole Barretta on the shelf, and that has helped elevate the Seawolves’ play. Both teams have something to prove.

MORE GAMES ON OUR RADAR

All times are listed in E.T. For a full list of broadcast games, please visit our US Lacrosse TV/Streaming listing page.

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

6 p.m.

Stanford at No. 20 Colorado (Pac-12 Networks)

No. 11 James Madison at Drexel (NBC Sports Philadelphia+)

UAlbany at No. 19 Stony Brook (AmericaEast.tv)

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Noon

No. 1 Boston College at Virginia Tech (ACC Network Extra)

Dartmouth at No. 8 Penn (ESPN+)

1 p.m.

Army at No. 15 Navy (CBS Sports Network)

No. 13 Johns Hopkins at Ohio State (Big Ten Network+)

Louisville at No. 7 Virginia (ACC Network Extra)

3 p.m.

Rutgers at No. 10 Michigan (Big Ten Network+)

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

Noon

No. 11 James Madison at Hofstra (Pride Productions)