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 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 […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Earn No. 1 Overall Seed, Men No. 8 Seed in NCAA Tournament
It’s tournament time for the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. The NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed Sunday night, with the women earning the No. 1 overall seed in the field and the men earning the No. 8 overall seed. The women are the No. 1 overall seed for the third time in the last […]
6 UNC Lacrosse Players Named Tewaaraton Award Nominees
Six UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse players have been named as nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the national player of the year. On the men’s side, Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala both earned nods, while Sam Forrest, Brooklyn Walker-Welch, Chloe Humphrey and Ashley Humphrey are nominated on the women’s side. 🗣️ Tewaaraton […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men Cruise Past Hofstra, Women Stay Undefeated vs. No. 14 Virginia
Both the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams earned home wins at Dorrance Field Saturday. The men’s team bounced back from its first loss of the season with a comfortable 18-7 win vs. Hofstra, while the women’s team stayed undefeated by beating No. 14 Virginia 20-8. On the men’s side, Carolina raced out of the […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Trounce Louisville, Men Split Ivy League Weekend
Both UNC lacrosse teams cruised to wins Friday, with the No. 2 women’s team dominating on the road at Louisville by a score of 20-4 and the No. 4 men’s team rolling past No. 13 Penn 16-8 in Chapel Hill. Against the Cardinals, Carolina seized control early by taking a 6-0 lead after less than […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men Beat Stony Brook, Women Win at No. 5 Florida
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each won again during the weekend, with the men fending off Stony Brook 9-4 and the women earning a 14-9 road win at No. 5 Florida. On Friday night at Dorrance Field, Carolina found itself in an early hole against the underdog Seawolves. Stony Brook held a 2-0 […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men Beat No. 15 Michigan, Women Throttle Liberty
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 […]
›