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 thanks to goals from Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala. Richmond cut the deficit to 5-2 before halftime, then scored three times in the opening three minutes of the third quarter to tie the game.

Duffy and Pietramala each found the back of the net a second time later in the quarter to restore UNC’s lead, but it did nothing to halt Richmond’s momentum. A Spiders goal with two seconds to go on the third-quarter clock tied the game at 9-9 entering the fourth.

Pietramala scored one more time at the 10:08 mark of the fourth quarter, but it would be the final goal of UNC’s season. Richmond tied the game again at 10-10 less than a minute later, then scored three more times in the final minutes to win going away. Duffy and Pietramala each finished with hat tricks, but no other Tar Heel scored more than once.

UNC dropped three of its final four games of the season after a 9-2 start. The Tar Heels haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2021.

 

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 newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Pietramala's Record-Breaking Day Helps UNC Men's Lacrosse Beat Albany in NCAA Tournament
UNC junior attackman Dominic Pietramala rewrote several record books in a 24-6 Tar Heel win against Albany in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday in Chapel Hill. The win was the Tar Heels’ first in the NCAA Tournament since 2021. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2tGpLXLAB1 — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) May 9, […]
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 Women's Lacrosse Loses Late Lead, Falls to No. 1 Northwestern in National Championship
No. 1 Northwestern scored five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to overcome an 11-9 UNC lead and beat the Tar Heels 14-11 in the national championship game in Illinois Sunday. The Wildcats, playing on their home campus, jumped out to a 3-0 lead inside the game’s first four minutes, but UNC had rallied to […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse in the 2026 National Championship: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Time
The UNC women’s lacrosse team will vie for its second consecutive national championship when it faces No. 1 overall seed Northwestern in the title game Sunday. The Wildcats dealt the Tar Heels their only loss of the 2026 season. If you aren’t traveling with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: TV […]
'My Favorite Game': UNC Women's Lacrosse Looking Forward to Rekindling Maryland Rivalry at Final Four
Friday afternoon's national semifinal game will rekindle the dormant UNC-Maryland women's lacrosse rivalry.
UNC Men's Lacrosse's Season Ends vs. Syracuse in NCAA Quarterfinals
Despite leading 6-2 in the second quarter, UNC fell to No. 6 overall seed Syracuse 13-11 in the NCAA quarterfinals Saturday in Hempstead, N.Y. The Tar Heels’ season is over. Carolina, the No. 3 overall seed in the field, had taken its early lead thanks to three goals in rapid succession from Brady Wambach, Anthony […]
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. The No. 3 seeded men’s team earned a blowout, first round victory against Albany on Saturday, before the No. 2 seeded women’s team handled Clemson on Sunday after having a bye in the first round. Check out […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Throttles Clemson, Advances to NCAA Quarterfinals
Tewaaraton Award finalist Chloe Humphrey racked up 11 total points to lead UNC past Clemson 17-6 in the NCAA Tournament’s second round Sunday at Dorrance Field. Acknowledge the Heels 🐏 Carolina advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals on Thursday at Dorrance Field!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/QYb4s0rsRc — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 10, 2026 Humphrey’s dominance helped […]
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 Men's Lacrosse Falls to Virginia in ACC Championship Game
Virginia scored 11 unanswered goals to end the first half to blow open the ACC Championship game early and beat UNC 16-6 in Charlotte Sunday. Carolina is still searching for its first conference tournament title since 2017. The Tar Heels had opened on the front foot, scoring two goals in the first five minutes to […]
›