The No. 1 UNC women’s lacrosse team took on another top-5 opponent on the road Saturday afternoon, and once again prevailed in thrilling fashion. The Tar Heels and No. 4 Syracuse went back and forth all game in the Carrier Dome, but it was a late goal from star attacker Jamie Ortega which sealed the Carolina victory, ensuring the nation’s top team would stay unbeaten just a little longer.

The Jamie Ortega Show played all afternoon for Carolina, as her final goal in the fourth quarter marked her fifth of the game to lead all scorers. It was Ortega’s 31st career game with at least five goals, and moved her closer to the all-time ACC record of 445 career points. Ortega currently sits at 424.

A nip-and-tuck first half ended with the Tar Heels and Orange tied at 7-7 off a goal from Ortega with just 24 seconds to go in the second quarter. Neither team led by more than a goal during the first half.

Syracuse opened the third quarter with a goal less than a minute in, but Carolina responded with a game-changing 4-0 run in a little more than four minutes, with Ortega scoring the final two to give UNC its biggest lead of the game at 11-8. Scottie Rose Growney found the net for the second time in the game during the run, as did junior defender Emily Nalls, whose goal was her first all season.

The Orange responded with two straight scores to slice the lead down to 11-10, but Caitlyn Wurzbuger gave the Tar Heels a lift entering the fourth, scoring with just one second remaining on the third quarter clock off a free position play, ensuring Carolina would enter the final 15 minutes with a two-goal lead.

The final quarter was the lowest-scoring period of the game. Andie Aldave restored UNC’s three-goal lead just 56 seconds in, but Carolina’s offense fell silent for the majority of the quarter as the Orange got back to within a goal with three minutes to go. With the pressure on, the ball found Ortega again, who bled the shot clock down to single digits before delivering the dagger with 1:36 to go. The Orange wouldn’t score again.

The 14-12 victory is UNC’s 39th straight regular season win, 17th straight road win and 40th overall in its last 41 games. The No. 1 Tar Heels are now 13-0 on the season, having defeated an eighth ranked opponent. Yet another one awaits on Thursday, as Carolina will travel to No. 16 Virginia for a midweek showdown at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.

 

Featured image via Syracuse Athletic Communications

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 Rolls Past Princeton, Advances to NCAA Semifinals
UNC scored eight unanswered goals across the first and second quarters on its way to a 19-10 win against Princeton in the NCAA quarterfinals Thursday night at Dorrance Field. Carolina is now Final Four-bound for the third time in the last five seasons and 14th time overall. To The Final Four We Go 🚀 pic.twitter.com/meYJk0nP1s […]
Art's Angle: Women's World
This past weekend was about the young women who make Carolina great in so many ways, particularly on the fields and courts. On Friday, the tennis Tar Heels defeated N.C. State for the third time this season, and this one was tougher than beating the Wolfpack in the regular season and the ACC tournament semifinals. […]
Chloe Humphrey Sets Record as UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Clemson in NCAA Tournament
Chloe Humphrey scored four goals to become the highest-scoring freshman in NCAA history Sunday afternoon, and No. 1 UNC cruised past Clemson into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament with an 18-9 win. The Heels are on to the quarterfinals!!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/7mmHtAAPJo — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 11, 2025 Humphrey’s four goals gave […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Earn No. 1 Overall Seed, Men No. 8 Seed in NCAA Tournament
It’s tournament time for the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. The NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed Sunday night, with the women earning the No. 1 overall seed in the field and the men earning the No. 8 overall seed. The women are the No. 1 overall seed for the third time in the last […]
UNC's Jenny Levy Named ACC Coach of the Year, Eliza Osburn Freshman of the Year
UNC women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy was named the ACC Coach of the Year for a league-record eighth time Wednesday afternoon, while Eliza Osburn also took home Freshman of the Year honors. Congratulations to the 2025 ACC Women's Lacrosse award winners! 🔗 https://t.co/SfyV8T7LBp pic.twitter.com/psYPkancfq — The ACC (@theACC) April 30, 2025 Levy most recently […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Boston College, Wins 8th ACC Championship
No. 1 UNC outscored No. 2 Boston College 6-3 in the fourth quarter of the ACC Championship in Charlotte Sunday afternoon, and the Tar Heels beat the Eagles 14-12 to secure the program’s eighth ACC Tournament title. CHAMPS x2 🏆 🏆 The Heels are your ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champions 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zcbHmPpjAy — UNC […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Clemson, Advances to ACC Championship
Three Tar Heels each scored hat tricks to help No. 1 UNC beat Clemson 17-7 in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlotte Friday and advance to Sunday’s championship game. To the final 💥 #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/PjVgHPEagw — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) April 25, 2025 Goals from Chloe Humphrey, Marissa White and others staked UNC […]
'We Have a Lot of Receipts': The Spring Re-Awakening of UNC Women's Lacrosse
After a disappointing 2024 campaign, the UNC women's lacrosse team is back at the top of the heap entering the 2025 postseason.
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats No. 8 Duke, Completes Unbeaten Regular Season
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. The Heels beat Duke for the 16th straight time to clinch […]
6 UNC Lacrosse Players Named Tewaaraton Award Nominees
Six UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse players have been named as nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the national player of the year. On the men’s side, Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala both earned nods, while Sam Forrest, Brooklyn Walker-Welch, Chloe Humphrey and Ashley Humphrey are nominated on the women’s side. 🗣️ Tewaaraton […]
›