Fourth quarter scoring run lifts No. 1 seed UNC women's lacrosse to ACC championship

CHARLOTTE — It was a back-and-forth affair the whole game. There had been four lead changes and seven ties by the start of the fourth quarter of the ACC women’s lacrosse title game.

Then, top-seeded North Carolina faced a two-goal deficit against No. 2 seed Boston College. 

BC’s Rachel Clark had just scored after a set play from behind the cage following a UNC foul. 

Boston College's slim advantage was its largest of the day with 10:35 remaining in the championship game. 

But there was one final lead change coming. 

North Carolina strung together a 5-1 scoring run on Sunday to close in on the ACC championship, 14-12, and clinch the conference title for the eighth time in program history and first time since 2022. Nine different Tar Heels found the back of the net in the 14-goal effort, including five scorers in the final quarter in which UNC outscored BC, 6-3, at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte. 

“This team has heart, and you’ll see it from end to end,” first-year attacker Chloe Humphrey said. “We go down, but it doesn’t intimidate us. We know that we can just bounce right back.”

Boston College — the now-No. 3 defense in the nation — did its scout ahead of the matchup. 

The Eagles placed a full-fledged face guard on graduate attacker Ashley Humphrey — the NCAA’s leader in assists and assists per game this season, sixth in total points — to deny her the ball the entire 60 minutes of play. BC’s Michaela O’Connor kept Humphrey effectively out of the game, so it was a 6-on-6 every time UNC was on offense. 

But on Sunday, the needle-threader registered her first game this season without an assist. 

Her sister, Chloe, who is tied with her in total points, also ranks third nationally in goals this year (73). 

And like Ashley, the first-year attacker faced a stifling defense. Her hands were rarely free for the ball.

Humphrey still managed to pop in three goals. 

While the offensive situation may have seemed in trouble on paper, North Carolina’s depth was more than capable of compensating for its most dangerous weapons becoming near non-factors. 

“By us stepping out, I think it only encouraged our attackers to just keep the foot on the pedal,” Chloe Humphrey said. “And that’s exactly what they did.”

After Clark’s goal put BC up by two, UNC went on a tear.

First it was junior attacker Caroline Godine’s roll around the crease and little bounce shot that trickled past Shea Dolce in the cage. 

Then came junior defender Ellie Traggio and her ground ball after the Eagles dropped a pass. She got it to Godine behind the goal, then to Chloe Humphrey on the elbow of the 8-meter line and to first-year attacker Addison Pattillo in front of the goal for the left-handed finish. 

Tie game, 11-11. 

Junior attacker Kiley Mottice down low found redshirt sophomore attacker Marissa White cutting. With her signature fast release, White threw the ball into the mesh and her stick into the air afterwards. 

UNC, 12-11. 

And finally, first-year midfielder Kate Levy back-checked the ball out of Mia Mascone’s stick and flew down the field by her lonesome. Levy, falling down just outside the crease, wound up a lefty sidearm shot that bounced between Dolce’s legs.

UNC, 13-11. 

BC’s Driscoll notched in one more goal with 1:13 left on the clock. But after that, North Carolina’s game of keepaway did just that — until ACC Tournament MVP Chloe Humphrey delivered the final blow with four seconds remaining. 

“Everyone was really able to step up,” White said. “And if that continues happening I think we’ll continue to be really scary.”

Head coach Jenny Levy praised her players who battle and test each other each day in practice. She trusts her squad, no matter the group of 12 that’s out on the turf.

“Not everybody starts at the same starting line,” Levy said. “Some are better than others. Some are raw. Some have been in different coaching situations in high school. Different places. Lots of different types of teams. I would say that the depth that we have is not only recruited, but it’s developed.”

The sound of the erupting sea of neon green fans from the North died down. Their volume was replaced with “We are the Champions” by Queen and “Gold Diggin’” by MC Nas-D. 

The Tar Heels know who they are. They’re the only unbeaten team in the country. They toppled the No. 1 offense in the nation twice this season. 

And with the NCAA tournament loading, they know that no task is too tall. 

“Going down by a goal doesn’t intimidate us,” Chloe Humphrey said. “We know that we can do what needs to be done, which leads us to this.”

@meganosmithh

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