Facing a tough test on the road Thursday night in Charlottesville, the top-ranked UNC men’s lacrosse team sprinted out to an early lead and held on for a 16-13 victory over No. 8 Virginia.

Nicky Solomon had three goals and three assists for the Tar Heels (7-0, 1-0 ACC), while Chris Gray continued to shine with four goals and one assist. UNC also received two goals and two assists apiece from Tanner Cook and William Perry.

Solomon and Gray each scored within the first three minutes of action to give UNC a 2-0 lead. From there, the Tar Heels kept their foot on the gas pedal–building a commanding 11-4 advantage by halftime.

Virginia (5-2) came out of the locker room to score the first three goals of the second half, and used a run of four straight goals in the fourth quarter to make the score 15-13.

That was as close as the Cavaliers would get to completing the comeback, however, as the Tar Heel defense held strong and Justin Anderson added an insurance goal with just 10 seconds remaining.

This represents the first win UNC has had over Virginia since 2017.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will go for win number eight on Saturday at noon, when they host Air Force at Dorrance Field.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
No. 6 Virginia Hands No. 3 UNC Men's Lacrosse First Home Loss of 2021
A top-10 ACC showdown went in favor of No. 6 Virginia on Saturday at Dorrance Field, as the Cavaliers won a tight 18-16 game over No. 3 UNC–handing the Tar Heels their first home loss of the season. William Perry led the Tar Heels (8-2, 1-2 ACC) with a career-high four goals in the game, […]
Top-Seeded Virginia Rallies Past UNC in ACC Men's Lacrosse Tournament Semifinals
Despite leading by four goals late in the second half, the UNC men’s lacrosse team was unable to hold on for what would have been a crucial victory for its NCAA Tournament hopes–as the top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers rallied for a 14-13 victory on Saturday in Chapel Hill as part of the ACC Tournament semifinals. Virginia […]
Men's Lacrosse: No. 4 Virginia Squeaks Past No. 18 UNC
Playing on the road against the top men’s lacrosse team in the ACC, the 18th-ranked Tar Heels came up just short in their upset bid over the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday–losing by a score of 11-10. Dox Aitken scored with 1:34 remaining to give Virginia (9-2, 3-0 ACC) the victory and also clinch […]
Losing Skid Hits Six Games for UNC Men's Lacrosse After Falling to Virginia
Struggles continue to mount for the 20th-ranked UNC men’s lacrosse team, which lost its sixth game in a row on Saturday at Kenan Stadium after falling 15-12 to the No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers. It wasn’t exactly the return to Chapel Hill that the Tar Heels (6-6, 0-2 ACC) had hoped for in their first home […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Drops Virginia, Hands Head Coach Joe Breschi 100th Win at UNC
Having slipped to No. 19 in the polls after losing four out of five games during a recent homestand, the UNC men’s lacrosse team got back on track Sunday night in Charlottesville. The Tar Heels (6-5, 1-1 ACC) raced out to a seven-goal lead by halftime, then held on to defeat No. 14 Virginia by […]
Tenacious Tar Heel Men's Lax Fights For ACC Supremacy This Weekend
After starting 0-2 in ACC play, the Carolina men’s lacrosse team was in a world of trouble.
No. 4 Seed Virginia Hangs On to Top No. 1 UNC in NCAA Men's Lacrosse Semifinals
Much like the top-ranked women’s team on Friday, the No. 1 UNC men put together an incredible second-half comeback on Saturday in Hartford before ultimately falling short in the NCAA Tournament Semifinals. The Tar Heels fell to No. 4 Virginia by a score of 12-11 after a pair of shot attempts in the final minute […]
Men's Lacrosse: Nine Tar Heels Named USILA All-Americans
A total of nine Tar Heels were selected to the USILA Men’s All-American teams on Thursday, just two days before the team begins play in the NCAA Final Four against Virginia. The selections are highlighted by First Team choices Chris Gray — the ACC Offensive Player of the Year — and junior defender Will Bowen. […]
Men's Lax: Seven Tar Heels Named All-Americans by USA Lacrosse Magazine
A total of seven Tar Heels earned All-American status on Tuesday in teams selected by USA Lacrosse Magazine, led by First Team attacker Chris Gray. Gray led the Tar Heels in scoring with 42 goals and 35 assists during the regular season, then added four goals and two assists in UNC’s win over Monmouth this […]
Five UNC Men's Lacrosse Players Selected to All-ACC Team
A total of five Tar Heels were selected Wednesday to the All-ACC men’s lacrosse team, tying Duke for the most players selected on the 20-player roster. Seniors Chris Gray and Justin Anderson join juniors Will Bowen and Connor Maher, as well as sophomore Matt Wright in earning the honor. Gray was also named the ACC […]
›