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 tie the game at 6-6 at halftime and then take an 11-9 lead at the end of the fourth quarter. But that momentum dried up in the game’s final 15 minutes, as the Wildcats tied the game at 11-11 with 10:48 remaining, then took the lead with 7:36 on the clock.

Critically, UNC had two second-half goals overturned on video review. The first would have given the Tar Heels a 10-7 lead, their largest of the game. After the overturn brought the score back to 9-7, Northwestern scored to cut the deficit to 9-8. Carolina believed it had scored again to tie the game at 12-12 in the fourth quarter, but again the goal was overturned. The Wildcats scored shortly afterward to take a two-goal lead. Officially, UNC managed only two shots on goal in the game’s final quarter.

Wildcat goalie Jenika Cuocco made 11 saves on the day to keep the Tar Heel offense at bay. The Northwestern defense limited Chloe Humphrey to just two goals, which ties a career low for the redshirt sophomore. The two goals were not for a lack of trying; Humphrey fired 11 total shots. Addison Pattillo finished as Carolina’s leading scorer with three goals. Overall, UNC outshot Northwestern 36-28, though shots on goal were a more even 22-21 in favor of the Tar Heels.

The 2026 championship is Northwestern’s ninth in program history and avenges a defeat to the Tar Heels in the 2025 title game. UNC was vying to win back-to-back championships for the first time ever. Carolina finishes the 2026 season with a 19-2 overall record, with both losses coming to Northwestern.

Featured image via NCAA Lacrosse on Twitter

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