The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up Top 5 wins on Saturday, with the women dominating No. 4 Syracuse in Chapel Hill 16-8 and the men holding off No. 3 Johns Hopkins on the road by a score of 13-12.

Against the Orange at Dorrance Field, the Tar Heels used a dominant first quarter to quickly distance themselves from the visitors. After Syracuse scored to cut an early UNC lead to 3-2, the Tar Heels scored five unanswered goals to end the quarter and two more to begin the second, ballooning the advantage to 10-2 in just 10:30 of game time. Syracuse wouldn’t get any closer for the remainder of the afternoon.

Junior Kiley Mottice and freshman Eliza Osburn each recorded hat tricks for Carolina. Osburn had only scored once in UNC’s first three games of the season. Sisters Chloe and Ashley Humphrey added two goals apiece, with Chloe Humphrey accounting for 12 of UNC’s 51 total shots. Overall, the Tar Heels outshot the Orange 51-27 overall and 32-17 in shots on goal. Carolina goalie Betty Nelson tied her season high with eight saves to keep the Orange at arm’s length.

The win improves UNC to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in ACC play on the season and is Carolina’s third ranked win already. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit Louisville on Friday at noon.

In Baltimore, the men’s team also got out to a quick start against the Blue Jays. Owen Duffy, Dominic Pietramala and Leif Hagerup each scored inside the game’s first minute, giving the Tar Heels a lightning-quick 3-0 lead. Duffy and Pietramala would each register hat tricks before the first half was over, but Johns Hopkins closed strong to cut UNC’s lead to 8-7 at halftime and tied the game at 10-10 entering the fourth quarter.

The Blue Jays took their first lead early in the final period, but UNC responded with three unanswered scores, including Pietramala’s sixth of the game which gave the Tar Heels the lead back at 12-11. Caden Harshbarger added critical insurance less than a minute later. Johns Hopkins cut the lead to 13-12 with 2:08 to go but could not find the equalizer. UNC goalie Michael Gianforcaro made a critical save with 1:15 to go to preserve the slim lead.

Pietramala and Duffy combined for 10 of UNC’s 13 goals, with Pietramala finding the back of the net a career-high six times. He now has 15 goals in three games.

The win improves Carolina to 3-0 on the young season and is the Tar Heels’ second already against a ranked opponent. UNC will host No. 17 Penn at Dorrance Field on Friday night at 5 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’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 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 Women's Lacrosse Releases 2026 Regular Season Schedule
The national championship-winning UNC women’s lacrosse team revealed its 2026 regular season schedule Thursday. The 2026 schedule is here 🚨 Make plans to watch the reigning National Champions! Dates and opponents available now with game times and ticket info expected to be announced in January. We can’t wait to get back out there in front […]
UNC Women's Sports Programs Win 2024-25 Capital One Cup
UNC has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Capital One Cup, awarded annually to the most successful women’s athletic program of the season. The winner is determined by accumulating points in a combination of NCAA championship wins and major poll finishes. Four women’s sports programs at UNC – field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and tennis […]
Check Out the Complete Schedule for UNC's 'ACC Network Takeover' July 8
The ACC Network will feature 24 hours of Tar Heel highlights from the 2024-25 athletic year Tuesday as part of its annual “ACC Network Takeover.” Programming begins at midnight and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Featured games include the women’s basketball team’s win against No. 10 NC State at Carmichael Arena back in February. Those who […]
UNC's Chloe Humphrey Wins Honda Sport Award for Lacrosse
UNC star freshman Chloe Humphrey has been named the 2025 winner of the Honda Sport Award for lacrosse. The Honda Sport Award honors the national players of the year in all collegiate women’s sports. Honda Humphrey 🤌 Chloe Humphrey is this year’s winner of the Honda Sport Award for Lacrosse! pic.twitter.com/VctEuZGEEB — UNC Women's Lacrosse […]
Just How Good Was UNC Women's Lacrosse in 2025? Here Are the Numbers
The UNC women’s lacrosse team finished off a perfect season by beating No. 3 Northwestern 12-8 to win its fourth national championship this past weekend. It’s UNC’s second perfect season in the last four years. The 22-0 overall record alone is impressive. But there are several other statistics which speak to just how dominant the […]
Chansky's Notebook: Tar Heel Trifecta
It was hard to leave the TV screen on a scintillating Sunday across UNC women's lacrosse, baseball and golf.
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats No. 3 Northwestern to Win 4th National Championship
Jenny Levy and the Tar Heels are back on top. No. 1 UNC completed its second undefeated season in four years with a 12-8 win against No. 3 Northwestern in the national championship game Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, MA. It’s the fourth NCAA title in program history. The Dream Is Now Reality 🏆 Your Tar […]
Huge Run Helps UNC Women's Lacrosse Crush No. 4 Florida in NCAA Semifinals
Carolina is national championship-bound. No. 1 UNC scored 18 unanswered goals across the second, third and fourth quarters against No. 4 Florida in the NCAA semifinals in Foxboro, MA Friday afternoon, and the Tar Heels overcame an early deficit to cruise to a 20-4 win. On to the ‘Ship 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Sm4Ug112z4 — UNC Women's Lacrosse […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse in the National Championship: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Time
The UNC women’s lacrosse team will continue its pursuit of a fourth national championship when it travels to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA for the NCAA Final Four this weekend. Carolina will face No. 3 Northwestern in the national title game Sunday. The Tar Heels are 21-0 and are the consensus No. 1 team in […]
›