University of North Carolina Athletics
Sunday, May 3
Charlotte, N.C.
Noon
North Carolina
12-4
6
vs
16
Virginia
10-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 16 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Photo by: DALTON T. WAINSCOTT
Men’s Lacrosse Falls To Virginia In ACC Title Game, 16-6
May 3, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse
CHAROTTE, N.C. – Fourth-seeded Virginia utilized 11-straight first half goals to defeat No. 2 North Carolina, 16-6, Sunday afternoon in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship.
How It Happened
• Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than five minutes in, with goals courtesy of James Matan and Brevin Wilson.
• The Cavaliers ended the frame on a 5-0 run, taking a three-goal lead into the second quarter.
• Virginia outscored the Tar Heels 6-0 in the second quarter, holding an 11-2 lead entering the half.
• Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala each hit the back of the net once in the third, as Carolina trailed by nine entering the final quarter.
• The Cavaliers outscored Carolina by one in the fourth, securing the 10-goal victory.
Tar Heel Performances
• Matan led Carolina with two goals, with four different Tar Heels scoring one goal.
• Cole Aasheim and Chase Cellucci combined for five caused turnovers.
• The trio of Josh Marcus, Kent Goode and Brayson Wilson made 10 saves between the pipes.
• Brady Wambach and Colin Hannigan combined for 12 faceoff wins.
Inside The Numbers
• Virginia leads the all-time series, 58-30. Sunday was their seventh neutral-site win over the Tar Heels.
• Sunday was the sixth meeting between the two programs in the ACC title game. The appearance was Carolina's first since 2017.
• Duffy has posted a point in all 43 career games as a Tar Heel.
• Pietramala is one goal from tying Chris Gray for fourth on Carolina's career goals list.
Up Next
• The 2026 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Selection Show is tonight at 9:30 PM on ESPNU.
• The opening round of the NCAA Tournament is next weekend, May 9-10, hosted on campus sites by the higher seed.
How It Happened
• Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than five minutes in, with goals courtesy of James Matan and Brevin Wilson.
• The Cavaliers ended the frame on a 5-0 run, taking a three-goal lead into the second quarter.
• Virginia outscored the Tar Heels 6-0 in the second quarter, holding an 11-2 lead entering the half.
• Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala each hit the back of the net once in the third, as Carolina trailed by nine entering the final quarter.
• The Cavaliers outscored Carolina by one in the fourth, securing the 10-goal victory.
Tar Heel Performances
• Matan led Carolina with two goals, with four different Tar Heels scoring one goal.
• Cole Aasheim and Chase Cellucci combined for five caused turnovers.
• The trio of Josh Marcus, Kent Goode and Brayson Wilson made 10 saves between the pipes.
• Brady Wambach and Colin Hannigan combined for 12 faceoff wins.
Inside The Numbers
• Virginia leads the all-time series, 58-30. Sunday was their seventh neutral-site win over the Tar Heels.
• Sunday was the sixth meeting between the two programs in the ACC title game. The appearance was Carolina's first since 2017.
• Duffy has posted a point in all 43 career games as a Tar Heel.
• Pietramala is one goal from tying Chris Gray for fourth on Carolina's career goals list.
Up Next
• The 2026 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Selection Show is tonight at 9:30 PM on ESPNU.
• The opening round of the NCAA Tournament is next weekend, May 9-10, hosted on campus sites by the higher seed.
Team Stats
VIRGINIA
NORTH CA
Shots
41
45
Turnovers
14
15
Caused Turnovers
7
8
Faceoffs Won
13
12
Extra-Man Opps
3
2
Ground Balls
41
24
Game Leaders
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
1
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
1
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
1-30
GB
0
CT
0
Players Mentioned
Defenseman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Defenseman
/ Men's LacrosseAttackman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's Lacrosse
Faceoff
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's LacrosseMidfielder
/ Men's Lacrosse
Attackman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Faceoff
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's LacrosseAttackman
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Friday, May 01
UNC Women's Lacrosse: Tar Heels Win 9th ACC Championship, Beat Stanford, 12-8
Sunday, April 26