Despite losing a four-goal lead in the final 5:28 of regulation, UNC found a winning goal in sudden-death overtime to beat No. 8 Virginia 16-15 in a thriller in Charlottesville Saturday.

In a topsy-turvy game, the Tar Heels found themselves trailing 3-0 inside the game’s first seven minutes, but led 6-3 by the end of the first quarter thanks to a flurry of goals, including two from Dominic Pietramala and Brady Wambach in a span of seven seconds. Owen Duffy then scored 49 seconds into the second quarter to cap a 7-0 UNC run.

The Tar Heels kept the Cavaliers at arm’s length for much of the game, never letting Virginia get closer than a two-goal deficit. Mason Szewczyk netted his first goal of the game with 6:45 to go in the fourth quarter, putting UNC up 15-11 and seemingly in a comfortable position. But Virginia wasted little time in whittling that lead away, scoring three goals in a span of 2:20 to pull to within 15-14. It was the closest the game had been since the score was 4-3 in the first quarter.

The Cavaliers waited until literally the final second of the game to equalize, scoring with one tick left on the clock after a failed UNC defensive clearance. The game went to overtime tied at 15-15.

In the overtime period, Carolina was unfazed by the momentum shift. After Wambach won the opening faceoff, Pietramala uncorked a shot which was saved by the Virginia goalie, but James Matan cleaned up the loose rebound and slotted home the game winner.

Saturday’s win was the first for UNC in overtime since 2021, and also marked the first time the Tar Heels have beaten Virginia in back-to-back seasons since 2016 and 2017. The Tar Heels are now 11-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC play and will wrap up the regular season when they host No. 15 Duke at Dorrance Field Saturday, April 25 at 12 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Photo Gallery: UNC Men's, Women's Lacrosse Win NCAA Tournament Openers in Chapel Hill
Both the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams hosted NCAA Tournament action at Dorrance Field during the weekend. The No. 3 seeded men’s team earned a blowout, first round victory against Albany on Saturday, before the No. 2 seeded women’s team handled Clemson on Sunday after having a bye in the first round. Check out […]
Pietramala's Record-Breaking Day Helps UNC Men's Lacrosse Beat Albany in NCAA Tournament
UNC junior attackman Dominic Pietramala rewrote several record books in a 24-6 Tar Heel win against Albany in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday in Chapel Hill. The win was the Tar Heels’ first in the NCAA Tournament since 2021. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2tGpLXLAB1 — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) May 9, […]
4 UNC Lacrosse Players Named First Team All-Americans, Several Others Honored
A combined four players between the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were named as first team All-Americans by USA Lacrosse this week. Brady Wambach earned first team honors on the men’s team, while Chloe Humphrey, Sam Forrest and Eliza Osburn each earned nods on the women’s team. Wambach, a junior faceoff specialist, has already […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse No. 2 Overall Seed, Men No. 3 in NCAA Tournament
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both national seeds in their respective NCAA Tournament fields, which were announced Sunday night. The women’s team is the No. 2 overall seed in the bracket, while the men are No. 3 overall. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels earned the No. 2 overall seed despite […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Falls to Virginia in ACC Championship Game
Virginia scored 11 unanswered goals to end the first half to blow open the ACC Championship game early and beat UNC 16-6 in Charlotte Sunday. Carolina is still searching for its first conference tournament title since 2017. The Tar Heels had opened on the front foot, scoring two goals in the first five minutes to […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Beats Syracuse, Will Face Virginia in ACC Championship
UNC fought back from multiple deficits Friday night against Syracuse in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlotte and finished strong to defeat the Orange 12-10. 🗣️HEELS WIN #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/BOPH3HoE0G — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) May 2, 2026 A low-scoring first quarter ended with the two teams tied 1-1, but Syracuse opened up a […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Falls to No. 16 Duke in Regular Season Finale
No. 16 Duke raced out to an early lead and never looked back in a 16-12 win against UNC Saturday at Dorrance Field in the regular season finale for both sides. The Tar Heels found themselves down 2-0 inside of two minutes played, then trailing 4-0 before finally finding the back of the net late […]
No. 1 UNC Men's Lacrosse Falls at No. 2 Notre Dame
In a matchup of the two top-ranked teams in the nation, No. 2 Notre Dame got the better of No. 1 UNC Saturday in South Bend, outscoring the Tar Heels 6-2 in the second half to earn a 10-5 win. Carolina started on the front foot after Dominic Pietramala and Brevin Wilson each netted goals […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Beats No. 3 Syracuse in ACC Opener
No. 2 UNC earned another ranked win Saturday in a heavyweight clash vs. No. 3 Syracuse, beating the Orange 14-9 at Dorrance Field. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/KVdR277PVR — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) April 4, 2026 UNC took a 1-0 lead inside a minute off an opening goal from Dominic Pietramala, but fell behind […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Breschi Agrees to Contract Extension Through 2029
UNC men’s lacrosse head coach Joe Breschi, the winningest coach in program history, has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the end of the 2029 season. 𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 ✍️ Head Coach Joe Breschi has signed a three-year contract extension, through the 2029 season. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/tcrmdWmOtG — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) April 2, 2026 Breschi has […]
›