North Carolina beats Boston College, 12-11, to win 2022 DI women's lacrosse national championship
North Carolina takes down BC, 12-11, to win 2022 national championship and complete perfect season
Third time’s the charm for North Carolina.
After BC knocked the Tar Heels out of the last two national tournaments, North Carolina finally got its revenge on the third try, beating the Eagles, 12-11. The Tar Heels are national champions for the third time since 2013. They also complete the undefeated season, finishing 22-0.
It just didn’t always look so certain.
Boston College took momentum back from North Carolina in the third quarter. NCAA all-time leading scorer Charlotte North, who finished the afternoon with four goals, led the Eagles back from a 7-5 deficit to get BC its first lead of the game at 8-7.
What a goal by Ally Mastroianni to tie the game up late in the 3rd!
— UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 29, 2022
Tune into the last quarter of this one on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/IJHWgk8KGp
It didn’t last long, however, as Ally Mastroianni of North Carolina scored to tie the game, 8-8, with 48 seconds left in the third, setting up a chaotic final frame.
UNC and BC both notched two goals each in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to stay tied, 10-10.
Defense ➡️ offense for the lead!
— UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 29, 2022
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/rimqStTAAv
With the national title on the line, UNC jumped into the lead, 11-10, when Sam Geiersbach potted her third of the game. Her teammate, Scottie Rose Growney, gave the Tar Heels some extra insurance when she scored with 2:23 to play, giving UNC the commanding 12-10 advantage.
Cassidy Weeks got BC back to within one with 15 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough, as UNC won a final face-off and ran out the clock.
North Carolina controlled the first half of play, ending the first quarter with a three-goal lead and the second quarter with a two-goal advantage.
Geiersbach and Mastroianni led the way offensively for the Tar Heels. Geiersbach notched three goals and Mastroianni tallied two. Both had seven shots apiece.
UNC goalie Taylor Moreno stopped 11 shots. Her best sequence came in the final five minutes of the game, as she denied BC the ability to tie the game.
Game is tied, 8-8, after three quarters
UNC entered into the third quarter with a 7-5 lead. BC fought back, earning an 8-8 tie entering the fourth.
The third quarter was all about Boston College coming back on the scoreboard and stealing back momentum. It started when Jenn Medjid cut the UNC lead to 7-6 at the 11:40 mark of the quarter.
After some terrific saves from BC goalie Rachel Hall, the Eagles went the other way and Charlotte North drew a free position shot and a woman-up situation. North scored on the shot to tie the game, 7-7.
North gave BC the 8-7 lead just over two minutes later. It was the first time the Eagles held a lead all game.
The lead didn't last long, as UNC's Ally Mastroianni made it 8-8 with 48 seconds left in the third.
UNC leads 7-5 after two quarters
North Carolina entered the second quarter leading 5-2. Come quarter's end, UNC led 7-5. For the entirety of the second 15 minutes, it was back and forth.
Less than two minutes into the quarter, BC's Cassidy Weeks brought the Eagles back to within two goals to make it 5-3. The Tar Heels responded quickly, getting a goal from Jamie Ortega to extend the UNC lead to 6-3.
BC made it 6-4 roughly two minutes later when Jenn Medjid scored her 73rd goal of the season.
Just before the two minute-mark, UNC's Caitlyn Wurzburger potted one while a woman-up to make it 7-4. Weeks scored her second of the afternoon with 19 seconds left to cut North Carolina's lead to 7-5.
UNC leads BC, 5-2, after one quarter
If the first quarter is an indication of anything, it's that this is going to be a thriller. North Carolina leads BC, 5-2, after the opening 15 minutes in the 2022 national championship.
North Carolina got the scoring started less than two minutes into the quarter when Sam Geiersbach fired one past BC goalie Rachel Hall. Geiersbach followed that up with another just a few moments later to make it 2-0 UNC. It was her 36th on the season.
BC responded to UNC's two goals by potting two of its own, both coming from the stick of Charlotte North.
North Carolina answered with three-straight tallies to end the first quarter. Andie Aldave, Ally Mastroianni and Olivia Dirks all helped put UNC up 5-2 to end the quarter.
UPDATE: The game has moved over to ESPN.
Update on how to watch
Today’s NCAA final broadcast will begin on ESPN2, then switch to ESPN at the conclusion of the race.
— UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) May 29, 2022
The national championship game will start on ESPN2 and then move over to ESPN once the Indy 500 concludes.
North Carolina and Boston College battle for national championship today
A champion will be crowned today and both sides know each other pretty well.
The national championship between ACC foes North Carolina and Boston College is at noon ET on ESPN. BC is going for its second straight championship. The Tarheels are playing for their third title ever.
North Carolina, a flawless 21-0, is the best team in the country this season. The Tar Heels won a thriller in the semifinals over Northwestern on Friday after the Wildcats led, 14-7, with just over 10 minutes to play in the game.
Then the Tar Heels showed why they're undefeated and came back to win, 15-14.
Boston College also posted a terrific campaign, going 19-3 over the course of the year and 14-2 during the regular season. To get to Sunday, the Eagles edged out No. 2 Maryland, 17-16. The Eagles posted a comeback of their own in the semifinal, scoring four straight goals in the final seven minutes to go from down 16-13 to up 17-16. The game-winner came from the stick of Cassidy Weeks with 18 seconds to play.
Two of BC's three losses this season came from North Carolina. UNC snuck away with a 16-15 win over BC on March 20. When the two teams met again, it was earlier this month in the ACC championship. The Tar Heels escaped victorious again, snagging a 16-9 win for their sixth straight ACC title.
While it may seem as though BC has struggled against North Carolina this season, no team has given the Tar Heels fits more than the Eagles in recent years. In UNC's past 58 games, the Tar Heels have only lost twice — both came at the hands of the Eagles. They came in the 2019 and 2021 semifinals.
North Carolina put together an in-depth preview of the matchup that you can read by clicking or tapping here. NCAA.com's Mike Lopresti also put together eight things to know about this UNC team, which you can click or tap here to read.
This page will have live updates throughout the contest.
North Carolina, Boston College use late comebacks to advance to title game
In one of the most exciting days of semifinals in recent history, both North Carolina and Boston College used late fourth-quarter comebacks to advance to the national championship game.
Below are results of the semifinals:
After being down 14-7 to Northwestern in the fourth quarter, the undefeated Tar Heels went on an incredible eight-goal run to win 15-14 and keep its hopes of a third title alive.
Defending champion Boston College was down 16-13 with 7 minutes left before ripping off 4 straight goals to stun Maryland 17-16, with Cassidy Weeks scoring the game-winner with 18 seconds left.
The title game will take place Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN. North Carolina and Boston College have met twice already this season, with the Tar Heels taking both matchups, the first a narrow 16-15 win and the second a 16-9 victory in the ACC championship.
Top four seeds advance to the DI women's lacrosse semifinals
The DI women's lacrosse championship continues Friday, May 27 with the national semifinals as all four of the top seeds will advance to Baltimore to compete for a national title.
To start Thursday's quarterfinals, No. 2 Maryland cruised past No. 7 Florida to win 18-5. The higher seeds also had an easy time in the following two games as No. 3 Boston College beat No. 6 Loyola (MD) 20-13 and No. 4 Northwestern clobbered No. 5 Syracuse 15-4.
No. 1 North Carolina had the toughest time of the top four seeds on Thursday night when the Tar Heels faced No. 8 Stony Brook. The Seawolves had a 4-3 lead heading into halftime, but UNC came out firing in the second half outscoring Stony Brook 4-1 to claim the 8-5 victory.
Below are the full results from Thursday's quarterfinals:
- No. 2 Maryland 18, No. 7 Florida 5
- No. 3 Boston College 20, No. 6 Loyola (MD) 13
- No. 4 Northwestern 15, No. 5 Syracuse 4
- No. 1 North Carolina 8, No. 8 Stony Brook 5
Click or tap here to see the interactive bracket.
The national semifinals begin on May 27. All games can be watched on ESPNU and streamed via WatchESPN. Below are the matchups:
DI women's lacrosse championship history
Boston College won its first DI women's lacrosse championship last season with a 16-10 win over Syracuse. Maryland still leads the sport with 14 national titles. The Terrapins' most recent title was in 2019 over Boston College.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Boston College | Acacia Walker-Weinstein | 16-10 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 12-10 | Boston College | Baltimore, Md. |
| 2018 | James Madison | Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe | 16-15 | Boston College | Stony Brook, N.Y. |
| 2017 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 16-13 | Boston College | Foxborough, Mass. |
| 2016 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-7 | Maryland | Chester, Pa. |
| 2015 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 9-8 | North Carolina | Chester, Pa. |
| 2014 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 15-12 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2013 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-12 (3OT) | Maryland | Villanova |
| 2012 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-6 | Syracuse | Stony Brook |
| 2011 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-7 | Maryland | Stony Brook |
| 2010 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 13-11 | Northwestern | Towson |
| 2009 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 21-7 | North Carolina | Towson |
| 2008 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 10-6 | Penn | Towson |
| 2007 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 15-13 | Virginia | Penn |
| 2006 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 7-4 | Dartmouth | Boston University |
| 2005 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 13-10 | Virginia | Navy |
| 2004 | Virginia | Julie Myres | 10-4 | Princeton | Princeton |
| 2003 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 8-7 (OT) | Virginia | Syracuse |
| 2002 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 12-7 | Georgetown | Loyola (Md.) |
| 2001 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 14-13 (OT) | Georgetown | Johns Hopkins |
| 2000 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-8 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1999 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-6 | Virginia | Johns Hopkins |
| 1998 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-5 | Virginia | UMBC |
| 1997 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 8-7 | Loyola (Md.) | Lehigh |
| 1996 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 10-5 | Virginia | Lehigh |
| 1995 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 13-5 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1994 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 10-7 | Maryland | Maryland |
| 1993 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 (OT) | Princeton | Maryland |
| 1992 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-10 (OT) | Havard | Lehigh |
| 1991 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 | Maryland | TCNJ |
| 1990 | Harvard | Carole Kleinfelder | 8-7 | Maryland | Princeton |
| 1989 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Harvard | West Chester |
| 1988 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 15-7 | Penn State | Haverford |
| 1987 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Temple | Maryland |
| 1986 | Maryland | Sue Tyler | 11-10 | Penn State | Maryland |
| 1985 | New Hampshire | Marisa Didio | 6-5 | Maryland | Penn |
| 1984 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 6-4 | Maryland | Boston University |
| 1983 | Delaware | Janet Smith | 10-7 | Temple | Penn |
| 1982 | Massachusetts | Pamela Hixon | 9-6 | TCNJ | TCNJ |
Note: Before 2001, this championship was a national collegiate championship.