Top-ranked UNC used a hot start at No. 8 Duke Thursday night to beat the Blue Devils 18-6 and complete a 15-0 regular season. The win helped the Tar Heels clinch the outright ACC regular-season crown, and is also UNC’s 16th straight against Duke.

Olivia Vergano scored for UNC inside the first minute of action, and the avalanche was underway. Chloe Humphrey, Eliza Osburn, Caroline Godine and Kaleigh Harden would each also find the back of the net before the first quarter was over, and the Tar Heels led 6-0 before the Blue Devils finally scored in the quarter’s final minute.

Carolina then used a 9-0 run across the second, third and fourth quarters to truly put the game on ice, shutting Duke out completely in the third quarter before finally letting up midway through the final period.

Humphrey ended the night with six goals, equaling Duke’s total output as a team. The star redshirt freshman scored three consecutive goals across the late second and early third quarters; they were her 62nd, 63rd and 64th of the season. Vergano finished with a hat trick, as did Addison Patillo. Ashley Humphrey assisted on five of UNC’s 18 goals, extending her team lead. She entered the night leading the nation in assists per game.

UNC ends the season with a 15-0 overall record and a 9-0 mark in ACC play. It’s the third time in the last five seasons the Tar Heels have ended the regular season without a loss. Carolina will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Charlotte. The Tar Heels will face No. 8 seed Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals at 11 a.m. UNC beat the Hokies 21-9 in Blacksburg in the two teams’ regular-season meeting.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Lacrosse on Twitter

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