In the second-most high-profile matchup of the night between Carolina and Virginia, the No. 7 UNC men’s lacrosse team didn’t have the same luck as its men’s basketball counterparts at Dorrance Field. The Tar Heels held a lead over the No. 2 Cavaliers at halftime, but couldn’t find any offense in the second half and fell, 15-11, to the defending national champions.

The game was truly a tale of two halves. The two top-10 foes went back and forth in the first, with the Tar Heels and Cavaliers exchanging 5-0 runs across the late first and early second quarters. Virginia led 7-5 before Carolina rattled off a 5-2 run to end the half, capped off by a goal from senior attackman Jacob Kelly on a man-advantage play with 33 seconds left. The Tar Heels held a slim 10-9 advantage as the teams went to the locker rooms.

But Virginia took control after the break, outscoring Carolina 5-0 in the third quarter. By the time the Tar Heels finally broke the second-half seal in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late.

“I give Virginia a lot of credit,” said head coach Joe Breschi. “Their defense put the clamp down, and we couldn’t get good shots. We had some ill-advised turnovers as well. We had 22 turnovers which are a season-high, and 12 in the second half, so that will hurt you across the board. So, I credit them and their defense for holding us to one goal in the second half.”

Star attackman Chris Gray led UNC with four points, but only scored a season-low one goal in the game. Kelly, Nicky Solomon and Cole Herbert each had two goals.

Carolina fell to 5-2 on the season with the loss, and 0-1 in ACC play. For their next game, the Tar Heels will take their first road trip of the season to High Point on March 20. UNC will see Virginia again in Charlottesville on April 9.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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 biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
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 Men's Lacrosse Squeaks Past Jacksonville in Season Opener
Mason Szewczyk scored with 2:26 left to break a 10-10 tie at Dorrance Field and help UNC beat Jacksonville 11-10 in the 2026 season opener Saturday afternoon. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/52DJ3Zcj8d — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) February 7, 2026 Szewczyk’s goal, his second of the game, came after the Dolphins had scored four […]
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 Men's Lacrosse Announces 2026 Regular-Season Schedule
The UNC men’s lacrosse program announced its schedule for the 2026 regular season Friday morning. Ringing in the New Year with the 2026 schedule 😤 pic.twitter.com/aRqKZ8DSlP — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) January 2, 2026 UNC begins on the road with a visit to Towson on Sunday, Feb. 1 before returning to Chapel Hill for a […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Falters Late, Loses to Richmond in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Richmond outscored UNC 11-5 in the second half of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first-round matchup at Dorrance Field, leading the Spiders to a 13-10 upset win over the No. 8 overall seed Tar Heels. UNC’s season is over. Carolina led for the entire first half, jumping out to a 4-0 lead early in the second quarter […]
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 […]
Duke Throttles UNC Men's Lacrosse in ACC Tournament Semifinals
UNC fell into a huge hole early against No. 3 seed Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals Friday night and never recovered, falling to the Blue Devils 14-7 in Charlotte. Duke went ahead within the opening minute and increased that lead to 2-0 less than a minute after that, setting the stage for what would […]
3 UNC Men's Lacrosse Players Earn All-ACC Honors; Joe Breschi Named ACC Coach of the Year
UNC men’s lacrosse head coach Joe Breschi was named the ACC Coach of the Year Tuesday afternoon, and three of his players earned All-ACC nods as well. All-ACC Honors 😤 pic.twitter.com/bmuz2Kl9GR — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) April 29, 2025 This is the fourth ACC Coach of the Year win for Breschi, who also took home […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Wins at No. 10 Syracuse, Clinches Share of ACC Regular-Season Title
UNC held off a furious rally from No. 10 Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday afternoon and beat the Orange 14-12 in the regular-season finale. Carolina’s win clinches a share of the ACC regular-season title, which is the program’s first since 2021 and 14th overall. HEELS WIN #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/FcCrtY2rqV — UNC Men's […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse Falters Late, Loses to No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 9 Notre Dame closed Saturday’s game against No. 5 UNC with seven unanswered goals, turning a 6-5 deficit into a 12-6 win for the Fighting Irish at Dorrance Field. The Tar Heels started hot on the day, leading 4-0 after the first quarter and 4-1 at halftime. The Irish came on strong in the […]
›