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: 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 Women's Lacrosse Dominates Cal to Stay Unbeaten
No. 1 Carolina scored 11 unanswered goals to open the game and pull away from Cal early in Berkeley Thursday, and the Tar Heels rode that wave to a 20-3 win. It’s UNC’s 30th consecutive win going back to the 2025 season, which is a new program record. West Coast Dubs 🐏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/9BWAHiqrPV […]
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 Women's Lacrosse Wins at No. 11 Clemson; Now 6-0 in 2026
Chloe Humphrey scored seven goals for the second consecutive game as UNC beat No. 11 Clemson 12-9 on the road Wednesday night. It’s Carolina’s sixth consecutive win to begin the season and 28th in a row overall. Dub, Tar Heels 🐏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/NhfxCT6P7P — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) March 5, 2026 Humphrey’s seven […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Romp Past Florida State, Men Split Ivy League Weekend
The top-ranked UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were both in action Friday evening, and both earned wins to continue their unbeaten starts to 2026. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels hosted Florida State at Dorrance Field in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Carolina wasted no time getting off to a hot […]
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 […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Killers
The UNC women's lacrosse team is rolling once again as it looks to defend its 2025 national championship win.
UNC Lacrosse: Women Win at No. 13 Syracuse, Men Beat High Point and Iona
Both UNC lacrosse teams were in action Friday, and both came away with wins, with the men’s team also winning Sunday. Early Friday afternoon, the No. 1 UNC women overcame an early 3-1 deficit at No. 13 Syracuse and beat the Orange 13-9. It’s Carolina’s 24th consecutive win. Heels win a good one in the […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Opens 2026 Season With Win at No. 19 James Madison
The defending national champions opened the 2026 season in style Friday afternoon, as No. 1 UNC led wire-to-wire in a 19-11 win at No. 19 James Madison. Season-opening dub 👐#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/NHwDGhaLvz — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) February 6, 2026 Reigning national player of the year Chloe Humphrey picked up right where she left […]
›