No. 2 North Carolina women’s lacrosse (7-0, 3-0 ACC) defeated No. 14 Virginia (4-3, 1-2 ACC), 20-8, Saturday afternoon in a conference clash at Dorrance Field. The Humphrey sisters led the way for UNC with a combined 15 points. Redshirt first-year attack Chloe Humphrey netted five goals while graduate attack Ashley Humphrey recorded six assists on the day.
The Tar Heels got to work early, with Chloe Humphrey finding Ashley Humphrey with a feed from behind the net to open the scoring in the opening minute. The Cavaliers took the following draw control and responded just seconds later to tie the game.
Senior attack Olivia Vergano cashed in on a free position midway through the first quarter to cap off an opening quarter hattrick and extend the UNC lead to 4-2. The senior had a great chance to net her fourth late in the quarter, but an impressive foot save by Virginia’s Mel Josephson stopped the hot hand.
Chloe Humphrey opened the second quarter with a free position goal and was inches away from a second as her follow up free position shot rang off the crossbar. Vergano picked up where she left off in the first and netted her fourth on a free position midway through the second quarter.
First-year midfielder Eliza Osburn joined the mix, finishing a tic-tac-toe feed from Ashley Humphrey to extend North Carolina’s lead to five, forcing a Virginia timeout.
Chloe Humphrey added two straight goals to finish out her hattrick, but a Virginia man-up goal ended a six-goal UNC run. The Cavaliers then went on a run of their own, dominating draw controls and adding three more goals late in the second quarter to cut the Tar Heels’ lead from seven to three, prompting a North Carolina timeout.
In the final minute of the half, Ashley Humphrey spotted Chloe flashing to the front of the net and snapped the Tar Heels’ scoring drought, but Virginia took the draw control straight down the field for a last second goal, with UNC headed to the locker room up 10-7.
Osburn joined the hattrick club, opening the second half with two free position goals. First-year goalie Lexi Zenk entered in net for North Carolina, and an early save from Zenk led to a UNC transition followed by an array of shots that couldn’t find the back of the net.
Sophomore attack Marissa White ended the scoreless lull with five minutes left in the third, flashing to the front of the cage and finishing a feed from Ashley Humphrey. The Humphrey sisters connected yet again late in the quarter, and the Tar Heels’ lead was back to seven entering the final quarter.
