Carolina ended a bumpy regular season in the best possible fashion on Saturday, upsetting No. 2 Duke 15-12 at Dorrance Field. It’s Carolina’s first ACC win at home since April of 2022.

Dominic Pietramala led all scorers with four goals, and Logan McGovern added three and four assists for a game-high seven points. Both men were cooking in a high-scoring first quarter, scoring twice apiece to help the Tar Heels lead 5-4 after 15 minutes. Pietramala earned his hat trick with 4:59 left in the second quarter to increase the lead to 6-4, but Carolina wasn’t done yet. The Tar Heels scored three goals in the final 20 seconds of the second quarter, including a strike from Danny Striano with just one second left on the clock. UNC led 9-4 at halftime.

That lead increased to as large as 15-6 after Carolina controlled the third quarter and the early part of the fourth. Pietramala found the back of the net for the fourth time midway through the third, and it was all part of a 10-2 extended run stretching back to the beginning of the second.

Duke wouldn’t go quietly, scoring the final six goals of the game, but ultimately ran out of time. It’s Carolina’s first win against Duke since May 2, 2021, which was also the last time the Tar Heels beat a team ranked No. 3 or higher. UNC still leads the all-time series between the two rivals, 44-37.

At 7-7 overall and 1-3 in ACC play, Carolina will not qualify for the conference tournament. The Tar Heels’ season is over.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Clarabella R. Couch

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 Men's Lacrosse Trounces No. 3 Harvard; ACC Play Next
No. 4 UNC used an 8-1 run across the second and third quarters to blow open Sunday’s matchup with No. 3 Harvard in Maryland and roll to a 17-7 win. It was the first loss of the season for the Crimson, who had received a first-place vote in this week’s national poll. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels […]
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 Men's Lacrosse Beats No. 9 Penn State in Crown Lacrosse Classic
UNC used clutch goals from Dominic Pietramala, Brevin Wilson and Owen Duffy to secure a 10-8 win against No. 9 Penn State at The Crown Lacrosse Classic in Charlotte Saturday night. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/0bUNOCDofZ — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) March 15, 2026 Though the three fourth-quarter goals from Pietramala, Duffy and Wilson […]
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 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 […]
›