The No. 2 North Carolina women’s lacrosse team (5-0, ACC 2-0) cruised past Louisville (3-3, ACC 1-1) in a dominant 20-4 victory on Saturday afternoon at the UofL Lacrosse Stadium. From the opening draw the Tar Heels dictated the pace and controlled the Cardinals with a high-powered offensive attack.
UNC wasted no time asserting its dominance, striking first off a goal from sophomore attacker Marissa White just over two minutes in. First-year midfielder Eliza Osburn followed up just mere moments later with a score of her own before graduate attacker Ashley Humphrey assisted sophomore midfielder Avery Roberts to push UNC’s lead to 3-0.
Redshirt first-year attacker Chloe Humphrey continued to lead the way with an early two-goal performance, while Ashley Humphrey capitalized on her second goal with multiple assists. UNC’s offensive efficiency and midfield dominance proved too much for Louisville, as the Tar Heels jumped out to a commanding 8-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.
North Carolina continued its offensive onslaught in the second quarter, with redshirt sophomore midfielder Kaleigh Harden opening the period with a goal, and senior attacker Olivia Vergano found the back of the net late in the quarter to put UNC ahead 9-1.
Despite a late Louisville goal, UNC entered halftime firmly in control with a 10-1 lead.
UNC’s midfield and defense were relentless, with sophomore goalie Betty Nelson making key stops and defenders Brooklyn Walker-Welch and Sam Forrest forcing turnovers to keep the Cardinals from gaining any sort of momentum. Louisville struggled to convert on free position attempts, while UNC continued to control draw battles, and the tempo remained in North Carolina's hands.
By the third quarter, it felt like the game was out of reach for the Cardinals, as the Tar Heels rattled off six straight goals to widen the margin to 16-2. Junior attacker Caroline Godine tallied two goals, while junior attacker Kiley Mottice and first-year attacker Addison Pattillo added to the offensive explosion.
Louisville managed a goal midway through the quarter, but it wasn’t enough to slow down UNC’s enduring attacks. Ashley Humphrey and White continued to facilitate the offense, setting up scoring opportunities for their teammates.
With a 16-3 lead heading into the fourth, UNC began rotating in depth players, but the offensive pressure didn’t stop. Junior midfielder Darcy Felter, first-year midfielder Kate Levy and White all found the back of the net as UNC closed out the game in dominant fashion.
