Both UNC lacrosse teams picked up big home conference wins Saturday at Dorrance Field, with the No. 2 women winning a clash of the titans against No. 1 Boston College 12-11 and the No. 8 men beating Virginia for the first time since 2021 by an 18-9 score.
In the first game of the day, the Tar Heel women found themselves in a 4-0 hole inside the game’s first five minutes. But UNC answered the Eagles’ opening salvo with a 5-1 run across the next 15 minutes of game time, with Kiley Mottice tying the score at 5-5 midway through the second quarter. Boston College would take the lead shortly after, and the two sides would exchange goals all the way into the fourth quarter. The score would be tied at 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10, with the Eagles breaking the tie with a go-ahead goal each time.
The Tar Heels finally nosed in front thanks to Eliza Oburn’s second goal of the game at the 6:24 mark of the fourth quarter. After the UNC defense forced a BC turnover and went a player up on an Eagle penalty, Caroline Godine put home an insurance goal to give the Tar Heels as 12-10 lead with 4:09 to go. Boston College cut the deficit back to one at 12-11 less than a minute later, but could not find the equalizer before time ran out.
Godine finished with a hat trick, while Osburn and Chloe Humphrey each scored twice. Reserve goalie Lexi Zenk entered the game for starter Betty Nelson at halftime and made four saves in the second half to preserve the Carolina victory.
UNC’s 12 goals are the most allowed by Boston College all season. For the Tar Heels, the win is their fourth against a team ranked in the nation’s top 5 this season. Carolina is now 12-0 overall and 7-0 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will assume the No. 1 ranking in next week’s poll before they visit East Carolina in Greenville Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.
In the men’s game later that afternoon, it was the Tar Heels who jumped in front early with four quick goals. Virginia fought back to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the second quarter, but it was all UNC after that. Carolina would outscore the Cavaliers 11-2 over the game’s final 38 minutes, pulling away to earn a win in the ACC opener.
Dominic Pietramala scored four goals in the first half alone, while Owen Duffy and Ryan Levy (son of UNC women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy) each finished with hat tricks. Duffy added two assists to tie him with Spencer Wirtheim for the team lead in points.
UNC is now 8-2 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, having won its first conference game for the first time since the 2021 season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit No. 12 Duke next Saturday at 4 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Women’s Lacrosse on Twitter
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