The UNC women’s lacrosse team overpowered #20 Notre Dame on the road on Sunday, securing a weather-affected victory 14-3. Bad weather interrupted the game after the third quarter, but the Heels dominated the Fighting Irish well before the storms arrived — they were ahead 9-3 at halftime and closed the game on an 8-0 streak. Chloe Humphrey recorded six goals for the Heels; she has now achieved a hat trick (three or more goals in a game) in ten of Carolina’s eleven games.
The victory elevates Carolina’s season record to 11-0 — the Tar Heels are presently ranked second nationally and have a 6-0 record in ACC games. Last season, UNC women’s lacrosse experienced a disappointing year compared to their high expectations. The Heels ended with a 10-6 record and just qualified for the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection — a solid RPI rating helped Carolina slip in (wow, this feels familiar). The Heels quickly fell to an unranked Florida team in their opening match, 17-6. It marked the first occasion since 2004 that a UNC women’s lacrosse team did not win an NCAA tournament game, which is also the last year the Heels were absent from the tournament (not counting 2020 for obvious reasons).
Putting recent history behind them, Carolina women’s lacrosse seems to have returned. The Heels have defeated seven ranked top-25 teams this season, with victories over #3 Northwestern (15-12), #4 Syracuse (16-8), and #5 Florida (14-9). The team has attracted some notice for featuring three sisters — Chloe Humphrey, a redshirt freshman, is the top scorer for the team, while Ashley Humphrey leads in assists. The third sister, Nicole Humphrey, came back to UNC for her last eligible season to play alongside her sisters while working on a graduate degree. The Notre Dame match was the second occasion where all three sisters scored.
Carolina’s next opponent will be the only other unbeaten women’s lacrosse team in the nation: Boston College. The Eagles hold a 13-0 record and are ranked first in the nation. They will serve as a solid challenge for a UNC squad that has primarily dominated their rivals. The starting time is scheduled for 11am on Saturday, April 5th in Chapel Hill.