The Carolina women’s lacrosse team came up short in its bid for back-to-back national championships on Sunday, losing 14-11 to top-seeded Northwestern after having two goals taken off the board.
The second-seeded Tar Heels went down 3-0 in the first four minutes of the game, then clawed back to even the score at 6-6 going into halftime. They started the third quarter strong, but their momentum was stifled when the officials overturned a goal by freshman Reese King–which would have given Carolina a 10-7
lead with 8:11 left in the period–after the Wildcats challenged for a crease violation. Despite the replay review seemingly showing that King stepped into the crease after her shot went in and the play was dead, the goal was waved off. Northwestern cut the margin to 9-8 less than 30 seconds later.
UNC started the fourth quarter leading 11-9, but the offense went quiet as the Wildcats scored three in a row. With 6:37 to go, senior Caroline Godine tied the game at 12-12 before Northwestern challenged for a dangerous follow-through. A lengthy replay review found that Godine’s stick made slight contact with a defender after her shot, resulting in the goal being negated and Godine being sent to the penalty box. The Wildcats converted on the ensuing power play and held Carolina scoreless the rest of the game.
The controversial rulings marred a thrilling matchup but weren’t solely to blame for UNC’s defeat. The Tar Heels committed 20 turnovers, their most in a game since 2018, while Northwestern committed 16. Carolina had the edge in every other category: 36-28 in shots, 22-21 in shots on goal, 14-13 in draw controls, and 17-16 in ground balls.
Sophomore Addison Pattillo led the Tar Heels with three goals. Classmate Chloe Humphrey scored two, tying the NCAA record for goals in a season with 109. The record was first set last year by Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, who tallied the game’s final goal on Sunday to finish her senior season with 97 (she also had six assists, tied for the most in an NCAA title game). Wildcats freshman Gabriella McCollester led all scorers with four goals after scoring a total of six in her first 15 games this season.
It’s worth noting that this wasn’t a neutral site game, as Northwestern’s Martin Stadium was selected to host the Final Four. The Wildcats improved to 40-0 at home in the NCAA tournament since the program’s revival in 2002 and won their ninth national championship, the second-most in Division I. UNC sits in third with four titles.
Carolina graduates 12 players from this year’s team, including all-Americans Kaleigh Harden, Sam Forrest, and Brooklyn Walker-Welch. Harden has one more season of eligibility, so she could return in 2027.
