In a battle of Top 3 teams, No. 2 UNC outscored No. 3 Northwestern 9-4 in the second half to earn a 15-12 road win Thursday night.

 

It was a game of runs, as the Tar Heels scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead inside the game’s first seven minutes, but the Wildcats would use a 7-1 run over the next 20 minutes of game time to go in front 8-5. An Olivia Vergano goal on the stroke of halftime gave UNC a spark, and the Tar Heels used that momentum to open the second half with seven consecutive goals to flip the game on its head. The 13-8 lead would stand for the rest of the game, as the Wildcats wouldn’t get within two goals for the remainder of the evening.

Chloe Humphrey accounted for more than half of the UNC goals, scoring four and assisting on four more for a game-high eight assists. Kiley Mottice scored consecutive goals in less than a minute in the third quarter to finish with a hat trick, while Vergano, Ashley Humphrey and Kate Levy all scored twice.

The win is UNC’s highest-ranked win of the season. The Tar Heels have already defeated three teams ranked inside the Top 5 and three more ranked inside the Top 20. UNC is also 5-0 in true road games. Now 10-0 on the season, Carolina will be back in action when it visits No. 20 Notre Dame Sunday at 3 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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