University of North Carolina Athletics
Sunday, May 24
Evanston, Ill.
Noon
North Carolina
11
at
14
Northwestern (NCAA Final)
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Late Rally Lifts Northwestern Past Women's Lacrosse, 14-11, In NCAA Final
May 24, 2026 | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, ILL.—Northwestern outscored North Carolina, 5-0, in the fourth quarter to beat the Tar Heels, 14-11, and win the 2026 NCAA championship on Sunday afternoon at Martin Stadium.
Defending NCAA champion Carolina (20-2) entered the fourth quarter with an 11-9 lead, but the Wildcats (19-3) controlled the final period and beat the Tar Heels for the second time this season, avenging a loss to UNC in last year's NCAA final to win their ninth NCAA title.
Northwestern won its 14th consecutive game and snapped Carolina's 10-game winning streak. UNC is 41-2 over the last two seasons with both losses coming to the Wildcats this spring.
Chloe Humphrey tallied two goals and two assists for UNC, scoring her two goals on 11 shots. She tied the NCAA single-season goal record of 109 set by Northwestern's Madison Taylor last year. Addison Pattillo posted her 17th career hat trick and her sixth consecutive game with at least three goals. Eliza Osburn scored twice.
Taylor had a goal and six assists as the Wildcats' primary playmaker on Sunday. Gabriella McCollester scored four times for Northwestern with Aditi Foster and Taylor Lapointe both adding three goals.
How It Happened
First Quarter
• Lapointe gave the Wildcats an early lead with back-to-back goals in the first two minutes. She got the Wildcats on the scoreboard first when she took a pass from Madison Taylor and scored just 58 seconds into the game. Lapointe scored unassisted a minute later.
• After a UNC failed clear, Northwestern's Foster scored off a pass from Taylor to make the score 3-0 and force a Tar Heel timeout.
• Humphrey got Carolina on the board with a woman-up goal at the 8:07 mark, making the score 3-1.
• Abby LoCascio scored off a pass from Foster less than two minutes later for a 4-1 Wildcat advantage.
• Osburn scored back-to-back unassisted goals in a 40-second span to cut the UNC deficit to a goal at 4-3 at the end of the first period.
Second Quarter
• Foster curled around the cage for the first goal of the second period, making the score 5-3 with 11:01 left before intermission, but Carolina's Darcy Felter responded minutes later to make it 5-4.
• Pattillo took a pass from Humphrey and tied the score with a transition goal with 6:50 on the clock.
• Northwestern retook the lead on a woman-up goal with 5:47 left by LoCascio, but Pattillo converted a free position try to make it 6-6 with under 4:00 on the clock.
Third Quarter
• Carolina took its first lead at 7-6 less than three minutes into the second half when Humphrey fed Eva Ingrilli for a score. Taylor dished to McCollester just 18 seconds later off the ensuing draw to tie it back up at 7-all.
• Pattillo's third goal of the day off a pass from Caroline Godine at the 10:44 mark made the score 8-7 Tar Heels. Kate Levy followed with a free position goal with 8:50 on the clock, making the score 9-7.
• After a Tar Heel goal was overturned by a video replay, the Wildcats countered with a goal by Maddie Epke to make the score 9-8 UNC at the third-period media timeout.
• Ingrilli tallied her second goal of the game after the timeout, and Carolina led by a 10-8 score with 6:36 on the clock in the third period, only to see McCollester score again two minutes later to make the score 10-9.
• Humphrey scored her second of the game, this one off a pass from Levy with 2:24 on the clock, and UNC led, 11-9, after what would be its final goal of the game.
Fourth Quarter
• Lapointe's third goal of the game came 1:07 into the fourth quarter on Taylor's fifth assist of the day, and UNC led, 11-10. McCollester scored her third goal of the game, tying things at 11-11 just over a minute into the fourth. Foster made it a 3-0 Wildcat run with her goal with 7:36 remaining, making the score 12-11 for Northwestern's first lead since the first half.
• McCollester's fourth score made it a 4-0 run and gave the Wildcats a 13-11 lead with 6:03 to go.
• Taylor scored unassisted with 1:18 to play, increasing the Wildcat run to 5-0 in the fourth quarter and making it 14-11 Northwestern.
Tar Heel Tidbits
• UNC is 4-3 in seven appearances in the NCAA championship game.
• Carolina is 49-23 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 11-12 at neutral sites.
• Sunday was the ninth NCAA Tournament meeting in the UNC-Northwestern series. The Wildcats won the first four meetings (2006-09-10-11) and Carolina won the next four (2013-2018-2022-2025) prior to Sunday's game.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Defending NCAA champion Carolina (20-2) entered the fourth quarter with an 11-9 lead, but the Wildcats (19-3) controlled the final period and beat the Tar Heels for the second time this season, avenging a loss to UNC in last year's NCAA final to win their ninth NCAA title.
Northwestern won its 14th consecutive game and snapped Carolina's 10-game winning streak. UNC is 41-2 over the last two seasons with both losses coming to the Wildcats this spring.
Chloe Humphrey tallied two goals and two assists for UNC, scoring her two goals on 11 shots. She tied the NCAA single-season goal record of 109 set by Northwestern's Madison Taylor last year. Addison Pattillo posted her 17th career hat trick and her sixth consecutive game with at least three goals. Eliza Osburn scored twice.
Taylor had a goal and six assists as the Wildcats' primary playmaker on Sunday. Gabriella McCollester scored four times for Northwestern with Aditi Foster and Taylor Lapointe both adding three goals.
How It Happened
First Quarter
• Lapointe gave the Wildcats an early lead with back-to-back goals in the first two minutes. She got the Wildcats on the scoreboard first when she took a pass from Madison Taylor and scored just 58 seconds into the game. Lapointe scored unassisted a minute later.
• After a UNC failed clear, Northwestern's Foster scored off a pass from Taylor to make the score 3-0 and force a Tar Heel timeout.
• Humphrey got Carolina on the board with a woman-up goal at the 8:07 mark, making the score 3-1.
• Abby LoCascio scored off a pass from Foster less than two minutes later for a 4-1 Wildcat advantage.
• Osburn scored back-to-back unassisted goals in a 40-second span to cut the UNC deficit to a goal at 4-3 at the end of the first period.
Second Quarter
• Foster curled around the cage for the first goal of the second period, making the score 5-3 with 11:01 left before intermission, but Carolina's Darcy Felter responded minutes later to make it 5-4.
• Pattillo took a pass from Humphrey and tied the score with a transition goal with 6:50 on the clock.
• Northwestern retook the lead on a woman-up goal with 5:47 left by LoCascio, but Pattillo converted a free position try to make it 6-6 with under 4:00 on the clock.
Third Quarter
• Carolina took its first lead at 7-6 less than three minutes into the second half when Humphrey fed Eva Ingrilli for a score. Taylor dished to McCollester just 18 seconds later off the ensuing draw to tie it back up at 7-all.
• Pattillo's third goal of the day off a pass from Caroline Godine at the 10:44 mark made the score 8-7 Tar Heels. Kate Levy followed with a free position goal with 8:50 on the clock, making the score 9-7.
• After a Tar Heel goal was overturned by a video replay, the Wildcats countered with a goal by Maddie Epke to make the score 9-8 UNC at the third-period media timeout.
• Ingrilli tallied her second goal of the game after the timeout, and Carolina led by a 10-8 score with 6:36 on the clock in the third period, only to see McCollester score again two minutes later to make the score 10-9.
• Humphrey scored her second of the game, this one off a pass from Levy with 2:24 on the clock, and UNC led, 11-9, after what would be its final goal of the game.
Fourth Quarter
• Lapointe's third goal of the game came 1:07 into the fourth quarter on Taylor's fifth assist of the day, and UNC led, 11-10. McCollester scored her third goal of the game, tying things at 11-11 just over a minute into the fourth. Foster made it a 3-0 Wildcat run with her goal with 7:36 remaining, making the score 12-11 for Northwestern's first lead since the first half.
• McCollester's fourth score made it a 4-0 run and gave the Wildcats a 13-11 lead with 6:03 to go.
• Taylor scored unassisted with 1:18 to play, increasing the Wildcat run to 5-0 in the fourth quarter and making it 14-11 Northwestern.
Tar Heel Tidbits
• UNC is 4-3 in seven appearances in the NCAA championship game.
• Carolina is 49-23 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 11-12 at neutral sites.
• Sunday was the ninth NCAA Tournament meeting in the UNC-Northwestern series. The Wildcats won the first four meetings (2006-09-10-11) and Carolina won the next four (2013-2018-2022-2025) prior to Sunday's game.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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/ Women's Lacrosse
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