No. 9 Clemson Falls to No. 2 North Carolina in Tough Road Matchup

Clemson Seeks Redemption After Two-Game Slide

The No. 9 Clemson Tigers women’s lacrosse team traveled to Chapel Hill, NC, looking to bounce back after consecutive losses to Duke and Mercer. However, they faced a formidable challenge in the undefeated No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels (7-0), who proved to be a dominant force throughout the contest.

Fast Start for North Carolina

North Carolina wasted no time setting the tone, striking first at the 12:28 mark in the opening quarter when Chloe Humphrey netted her 30th goal of the season. The Tar Heels extended their lead when Kate Levy capitalized on a free position shot at 9:04, her sixth goal of the year.

Less than a minute later, Olivia Vergano, a Virginia Tech transfer, added to the tally with another free position goal at 8:05, making it 3-0. The Tigers struggled to find offensive opportunities as the Tar Heels’ aggressive defense smothered their attempts. Brooklyn Walker-Welch converted yet another free position goal at the 3:04 mark, her third of the season, extending the lead to 4-0.

North Carolina continued its dominance in draw controls, and with 2:24 left in the first quarter, Humphrey struck again for her second goal of the day, pushing the Tar Heel lead to 5-0.

Clemson Struggles to Gain Momentum

Things didn’t improve for the Tigers early in the second quarter, as Humphrey secured a hat trick on a free position goal at the 12:45 mark, increasing the lead to 6-0.

Clemson finally broke through after a forced turnover by Jasmine Stanton led to a goal by Kayla MacLeod at 11:17, her 24th of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-1. However, the Tar Heels quickly regained control. Humphrey netted her fourth goal of the day at 6:27, extending the lead to 7-1.

At 4:59, Clemson’s Natalie Shurtleff had an opportunity to score on a free position shot but failed to convert. North Carolina responded swiftly, as Eliza Osburn tallied her 12th goal of the season with 3:15 remaining in the half, making it 8-1.

Late First-Half Goals Extend Tar Heel Lead

With 2:21 left in the half, Clemson’s Lexi Edmonds scored her 19th goal of the year off an assist from Katie Castiello, trimming the score to 8-2. However, the Tar Heels responded with Marissa White’s 14th goal of the season at 1:25, followed by a behind-the-back highlight-reel goal with 35 seconds left, pushing the lead to 10-2 at halftime.

North Carolina Maintains Control in the Second Half

The second half mirrored the first, as Kiley Mottice scored off an Ashley Humphrey assist at the 14:20 mark to give North Carolina an 11-2 lead. Clemson continued to struggle offensively against the Tar Heels’ suffocating defense. Edmonds found the net again at 4:45, marking her 20th goal of the season and making the score 11-3.

North Carolina responded swiftly, with Olivia Vergano scoring at 3:55, followed 30 seconds later by Humphrey’s fifth goal, extending the lead to 13-3. Edmonds continued to fight for Clemson, scoring again at 1:17, but North Carolina’s Addison Pattillo added another for the Tar Heels with 37 seconds left, closing the third quarter at 14-4.

Tar Heels Seal the Victory

Chloe Humphrey remained unstoppable, scoring again with 13:33 left in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 15-4. Olivia Vergano added another free position goal at 11:14, making it 16-4. Addison Pattillo scored her 15th of the season at 6:01, and North Carolina led 17-4.

Clemson’s Natalie Shurtleff scored her 18th goal of the season at 3:20, briefly cutting into the deficit, but North Carolina’s Nicole Humphrey closed out the scoring with her second goal of the year, sealing the final score at 18-5.

Key Stats and Takeaways

The numbers painted a clear picture of North Carolina’s dominance:

• Draw Controls: North Carolina controlled the draw by a wide margin, 18-7.

• Fouls: Clemson committed 26 fouls, giving North Carolina numerous free position opportunities.

The Tigers must regroup quickly as their schedule doesn’t get any easier. Next up, they host the No. 10 Florida Gators on Thursday at 12 p.m., hoping to turn the tide and end their three-game skid.