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

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 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 […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Defeats No. 3 Maryland, Advances to National Championship
UNC’s quest for back-to-back titles continued on Saturday at the NCAA Final Four in Illinois, as the No. 2 overall seed Tar Heels outscored No. 3 Maryland 8-2 in the second half en route to a 16-6 win. See ya Sunday 😃 The Heels down the Terps to advance to their second consecutive national title […]
'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 Women's Lacrosse Dispatches Stanford to Advance to NCAA Semifinals
Hat tricks from Chloe Humphrey and Addison Pattillo helped lead UNC to a 14-11 win against Stanford in the NCAA quarterfinals at Dorrance Field Thursday night. The Tar Heels will now advance to the Final Four for the second consecutive season and 15th time overall. On to the Semis 🚀 For the 15th time in […]
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 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 Beats Stanford to Win 2nd Consecutive ACC Championship
UNC used a strong run in the first quarter to seize momentum against Stanford Sunday in Charlotte and held firm to win 12-8, clinching the Tar Heels’ second consecutive ACC Tournament title and ninth in program history. Stackin’ Trophies 🏆 For the ninth time, the Tar Heels are ACC Champions!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/uoKw6zUvZx — UNC […]
›