A neck-and-neck matchup ultimately went the way of the No. 1 team in the country Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, as top-ranked Syracuse edged past UNC women’s lacrosse 14-12. It’s Carolina’s first loss at home in more than four years.
Carolina fell behind by as many as four goals in the second quarter but rallied to even the game up early in the third. The two teams traded punches after that, with UNC tying the game multiple times but never grabbing the lead. Reilly Casey scored with 4:10 remaining to knot the score at 12-12, but the Orange answered just 19 seconds later and delivered the game-sealing score with 1:12 remaining.
Nicole Humphrey finished with a hat trick off the bench, while Caroline Godine, Alyssa Long and Casey each scored twice.
The loss drops UNC to 11-3 overall and 6-2 in ACC play. It’s the first time Carolina has lost multiple regular-season conference games since the 2019 season. The Tar Heels’ three losses this season are already more than in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons combined, when Carolina dropped just a single game.
Up next for UNC is the regular-season finale at Duke on Thursday. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPNU.
Meanwhile, the men’s lacrosse team also took a loss to Syracuse, though this game was played at a neutral site in Olney, Maryland. The Orange avenged an earlier defeat to the Tar Heels this season with a 15-14 win that was decided in the final minutes.
UNC led 6-3 early before a 5-1 Syracuse run turned the tide in favor of the Orange midway through the third quarter. The Tar Heels then used a 4-1 run of their own to take the lead back, but Syracuse rallied to go ahead 14-12 with 6:17 remaining on two goals in 10 seconds. Carolina fought back to tie the game, but Syracuse scored with 12 seconds remaining on the clock to seal the win.
The men’s team is now 7-5 on the season but has lost two consecutive games. Its final two games are both against Notre Dame, with the first coming in South Bend on April 22.
Featured image via UNC Women’s Lacrosse on Twitter
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