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
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 newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Lacrosse in the 2026 National Championship: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start TimeThe 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 […]
'My Favorite Game': UNC Women's Lacrosse Looking Forward to Rekindling Maryland Rivalry at Final FourFriday afternoon's national semifinal game will rekindle the dormant UNC-Maryland women's lacrosse rivalry.
UNC Women's Lacrosse Throttles Clemson, Advances to NCAA QuarterfinalsTewaaraton 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 […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse No. 2 Overall Seed, Men No. 3 in NCAA TournamentThe 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 No. 3 Northwestern to Win 4th National ChampionshipJenny Levy and the Tar Heels are back on top. No. 1 UNC completed its second undefeated season in four years with a 12-8 win against No. 3 Northwestern in the national championship game Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, MA. It’s the fourth NCAA title in program history. The Dream Is Now Reality 🏆 Your Tar […]
Huge Run Helps UNC Women's Lacrosse Crush No. 4 Florida in NCAA SemifinalsCarolina is national championship-bound. No. 1 UNC scored 18 unanswered goals across the second, third and fourth quarters against No. 4 Florida in the NCAA semifinals in Foxboro, MA Friday afternoon, and the Tar Heels overcame an early deficit to cruise to a 20-4 win. On to the ‘Ship 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Sm4Ug112z4 — UNC Women's Lacrosse […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse in the National Championship: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start TimeThe UNC women’s lacrosse team will continue its pursuit of a fourth national championship when it travels to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA for the NCAA Final Four this weekend. Carolina will face No. 3 Northwestern in the national title game Sunday. The Tar Heels are 21-0 and are the consensus No. 1 team in […]
Chloe Humphrey Sets Record as UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Clemson in NCAA TournamentChloe 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 Women's Lacrosse to Face Florida in 1st Round of NCAA TournamentCarolina earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday night, marking the 19th straight appearance in the field for the Tar Heels. LET'S DANCE!! For the 19th straight season, we've punched our ticket to the NCAA Tournament. #WeGetTo 🐏🥍 pic.twitter.com/v81UxrLHSf — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 6, 2024 UNC will face […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Jenny Levy Signs 4-Year Contract ExtensionUNC women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy has agreed to a four-year contract extension which will keep her in Chapel Hill through the end of the 2027 season. She’s ours, and she’s here to stay. Jenny Levy has agreed to terms for a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season! 📰 » https://t.co/lkFHe0txsc pic.twitter.com/TZXtGSBUjo — […]
›
