The No. 8 UNC women’s lacrosse team (4-1, 1-0 ACC) defeated High Point (1-2), 23-3, during its return to Dorrance Field on Sunday afternoon.
Graduate attacker Ashley Humphrey combined with first-year attacker Eva Ingrilli to score the opening goal 44 seconds into the match. Within the next minute, sophomore attacker Kiley Mottice scored the Tar Heels' second goal of the game. The Tar Heels soon piled on two additional goals by Humphrey and redshirt junior Reilly Casey.
High Point attacker Jordan Miles scored the Panthers' opening goal two minutes later. UNC continued to dominate possession, scoring five unanswered goals and closing out the first quarter with a 9-1 lead.
The Tar Heels continued attacking, launching multiple shots wide in the early minutes. Fifth-year midfielder Olivia Dirks jumpstarted the attack with an unassisted goal six minutes into the second quarter. UNC continued to convert its chances, and just before the first-half buzzer, first-year midfielder GraceAnn Leonard scored her sixth goal of the season. At the end of the first half, UNC led 15-1.
After being fouled, first-year midfielder Julia O’Connor converted her free position shot, scoring her first goal of the season. O’Connor scored again four minutes later. Miles scored her second goal of the match before High Point called a timeout. Mottice scored the Tar Heels' twentieth goal of the match one minute before the end of the third quarter.
“Ball movement, IQ, handling pressure, finishing easy things, that’s being efficient,” head coach Jenny Levy said.
The Tar Heels established themselves early in the match. UNC scored goal after goal and controlled the game from the opening whistle. They prevented High Point from establishing a rhythm and capitalized on early goal-scoring opportunities.
“It’s great cutters, great finishers,” Humphrey said. “Our ability to get open off ball and finish the ball. That’s really all it is."
Humphrey scored twice and provided six assists. Humphrey is now three assists away from 150 in her collegiate career.
