The defending national champions opened the 2026 season in style Friday afternoon, as No. 1 UNC led wire-to-wire in a 19-11 win at No. 19 James Madison.
Reigning national player of the year Chloe Humphrey picked up right where she left off in 2025, scoring UNC’s first goal of the year just 70 seconds into the game to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead. Humphrey would rack up seven points with three goals and four assists by the time the game ended. Addison Pattillo and Kaleigh Harden each also finished with hat tricks, but they were both outdone by Darcy Felter, who scored five goals for the second time in her career.
Felter, Harden and Pattillo all scored in the first quarter, which ended with UNC leading 5-1. The Tar Heels scored three unanswered goals to end the second quarter, then four more to begin the third to push their lead to 16-5, capped off by two more goals from Felter. A 5-0 run from James Madison cut that deficit to 16-10, but Harden scored two goals as part of a 3-0 spurt by the Tar Heels to quell any hopes of a comeback.
UNC’s win is its 23rd in a row, and the 2026 season is the second in a row in which the Tar Heels have opened with a win against the Dukes. Up next, UNC will make an early start to ACC play when it visits No. 11 Syracuse Friday, Feb. 13 at 2:30 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Ryan Hunt
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
‹
Five Tar Heels Nominated for Top Individual Lacrosse AwardAs the regular season is wrapping up for college lacrosse, five UNC players made the initial cut for a prestigious end-of-year award. The foundation behind the Tewaaraton Award, which goes to the best individual men’s and women’s lacrosse players in the U.S. each season, announced its lists of 25 nominees for the honor. After strong […]
Women's Lacrosse: Taylor Moreno, Jamie Ortega Among Nominees for Tewaaraton AwardA pair of UNC sophomores–goalkeeper Taylor Moreno and attacker Jamie Ortega–were revealed Thursday as two of the 25 nominees for this year’s Tewaaraton Award, the honor given annually to the top men’s and women’s player in college lacrosse. With 90 points already this season, Ortega has set a new school record for single-season scoring. Moreno, […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men, Women Both Dominate in Home WinsThe UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up comfortable home wins Saturday, with the top-ranked women defeating Pitt 19-3 and the No. 5 men defeating Brown 19-7. The women were up first Saturday, and they quickly took control with two goals in the opening two minutes. The first half was all Tar Heels, […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Wins at No. 11 Clemson; Now 6-0 in 2026Chloe Humphrey scored seven goals for the second consecutive game as UNC beat No. 11 Clemson 12-9 on the road Wednesday night. It’s Carolina’s sixth consecutive win to begin the season and 28th in a row overall. Dub, Tar Heels 🐏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/NhfxCT6P7P — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) March 5, 2026 Humphrey’s seven […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Romp Past Florida State, Men Split Ivy League WeekendThe top-ranked UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were both in action Friday evening, and both earned wins to continue their unbeaten starts to 2026. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels hosted Florida State at Dorrance Field in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Carolina wasted no time getting off to a hot […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men's and Women's Teams Both Ranked No. 1 in Latest PollsAs of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world. The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday. 𝗡𝗼. 𝟭 𝗨!@UNCMensLacrosse joins @uncwlax at the top spot in the Week 3️⃣ @kanefootwear Media Polls. pic.twitter.com/ckKe35KDZT — […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Thump Ohio State and Louisville, Men Beat No. 13 Johns HopkinsThe UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both picked up decisive home wins Friday at Dorrance Field, with the top-ranked women beating Ohio State 22-9 and the third-ranked men defeating No. 13 Johns Hopkins 17-9. The women’s team followed up its win against the Buckeyes with another blowout victory against Louisville Sunday. In the first […]
Chansky's Notebook: The KillersThe UNC women's lacrosse team is rolling once again as it looks to defend its 2025 national championship win.
UNC Lacrosse: Women Win at No. 13 Syracuse, Men Beat High Point and IonaBoth UNC lacrosse teams were in action Friday, and both came away with wins, with the men’s team also winning Sunday. Early Friday afternoon, the No. 1 UNC women overcame an early 3-1 deficit at No. 13 Syracuse and beat the Orange 13-9. It’s Carolina’s 24th consecutive win. Heels win a good one in the […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Opens 2026 Season With Win at No. 19 James MadisonThe defending national champions opened the 2026 season in style Friday afternoon, as No. 1 UNC led wire-to-wire in a 19-11 win at No. 19 James Madison. Season-opening dub 👐#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/NHwDGhaLvz — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) February 6, 2026 Reigning national player of the year Chloe Humphrey picked up right where she left […]
›
