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 Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy StadiumDorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]
UNC Women's Sports Programs Win 2024-25 Capital One CupUNC has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Capital One Cup, awarded annually to the most successful women’s athletic program of the season. The winner is determined by accumulating points in a combination of NCAA championship wins and major poll finishes. Four women’s sports programs at UNC – field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and tennis […]
Check Out the Complete Schedule for UNC's 'ACC Network Takeover' July 8The ACC Network will feature 24 hours of Tar Heel highlights from the 2024-25 athletic year Tuesday as part of its annual “ACC Network Takeover.” Programming begins at midnight and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Featured games include the women’s basketball team’s win against No. 10 NC State at Carmichael Arena back in February. Those who […]
Art's Angle: Women's WorldThis 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. […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report SaysSeveral UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
UNC Women's Soccer Picked 5th in ACC; Bella Devey Named Preseason All-ACCUNC has been picked to finish fifth in the ACC’s preseason women’s soccer poll, which was released Monday. The Tar Heels were one of five teams to receive at least one first-place vote. Notre Dame sits in first place in the poll with seven of 17 first-place votes, while No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Duke […]
UNC Women's Soccer Releases 2026 Regular Season ScheduleThe UNC women’s soccer program released its schedule for the 2026 regular season Monday, which includes matches across seven states and two countries. Mark your calendars, the 2026 schedule is here 👏 Ticket information coming soon!#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/D0FR4zWhkb — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) July 20, 2026 UNC begins with a preseason exhibition against South Carolina at […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network TakeoverThe ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
UNC Women’s Soccer Recruit Maddie DiMaria Named National Player of the YearMaddie DiMaria, who will join the UNC women’s soccer program as a true freshman this coming fall, has been named the 2025-26 Gatorade National Player of the Year in Girls’ Soccer. This is the second time DiMaria has won the honor; she also took it home for the 2023-24 season. Playing at Cor Jesu Academy […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Loses Late Lead, Falls to No. 1 Northwestern in National ChampionshipNo. 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 […]
›
