Both UNC lacrosse teams were in action during the weekend, as the no. 16 men’s team opened its 2025 season with a convincing 15-6 home win against No. 15 Michigan on Saturday and the No. 4 women’s team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 23-1 blowout road win at Liberty on Sunday.

On the men’s side, the Tar Heels seized control early with two goals in the span of 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. That lead grew to 5-1 late in the quarter and sat at 9-4 at halftime after UNC’s Andrew Preis found the back of the net with seven seconds left in the first half.

Carolina’s defense denied the Wolverines any chance to rally, as Michigan scored only twice in the second half. The Tar Heels continued to add on to their lead, as stars Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietralama each scored their fourth goals of the game. Though shots on goal were relatively even (22-18 in Carolina’s favor), UNC goalie Michael Gianforcaro made 12 saves in his first game as a Tar Heel to keep the visitors at bay.

The victory marks the 27th straight year Carolina has begun the season 1-0. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host Stony Brook at Dorrance Field on Friday at 6 p.m.

On the women’s side, Carolina netted 11 goals in the first quarter alone to quickly put Sunday’s contest with the Flames out of reach. Redshirt freshman Chloe Humphrey, playing just her second college game, scored five of those goals herself in a span of less than 10 minutes. Her sister Nicole, one of three Humphreys on the Tar Heel roster, scored her first goal of the season in the third quarter. Liberty’s only goal came in the fourth quarter, when UNC already led 21-0.

Carolina outshot the Flames 38-7 overall and allowed just four shots on goal, while UNC had 30. It’s the first time the Tar Heels have allowed just one goal in a game since the 2021 season, and the team was one goal away from matching a program record of 24 goals in a single game. Overall, UNC is 5-0 against Liberty and has outscored the Flames 102-20 in those five meetings.

The Tar Heels will be back in action Saturday when they face Florida on the road at 12 p.m. The Gators beat Carolina in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

 

Featured image via UNC Men’s Lacrosse on Twitter

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
‹
UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium
Dorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
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.
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 Lacrosse: Women Dominate Boston College, Men Outlast Army
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up wins against ranked foes at Dorrance Field Saturday afternoon. The top-ranked women’s team soundly beat Boston College, while the fifth-ranked men held on to beat Army. Both the Eagles and Black Knights are ranked No. 16 in the national polls. The women led off the […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men, Women Both Dominate in Home Wins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up comfortable home wins Saturday, with the top-ranked women defeating Pitt 19-3 and the No. 5 men defeating Brown 19-7. The women were up first Saturday, and they quickly took control with two goals in the opening two minutes. The first half was all Tar Heels, […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men's and Women's Teams Both Ranked No. 1 in Latest Polls
As of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world. The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday. 𝗡𝗼. 𝟭 𝗨!@UNCMensLacrosse joins @uncwlax at the top spot in the Week 3️⃣ @kanefootwear Media Polls. pic.twitter.com/ckKe35KDZT — […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Thump Ohio State and Louisville, Men Beat No. 13 Johns Hopkins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both picked up decisive home wins Friday at Dorrance Field, with the top-ranked women beating Ohio State 22-9 and the third-ranked men defeating No. 13 Johns Hopkins 17-9. The women’s team followed up its win against the Buckeyes with another blowout victory against Louisville Sunday. In the first […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men Ranked No. 5, Women Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Poll
The USA Lacrosse Preseason Polls have been released, and voters are high on the UNC men and women as the 2026 season approaches. The men’s team is ranked No. 5, while the women’s team is ranked No. 1 following its national championship 2025 season. The UNC men’s team reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025, breaking […]
›