UNC Women’s Lacrosse Stuns Rivals with Last-Second Goal to Capture NCAA Championship

NORTH CAROLINA SETS SIGHTS ON REPEAT AS TAR HEELS FACE NORTHWESTERN IN NCAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE FINAL Chapel Hill, N.C. — The undefeated and top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels women’s lacrosse team has one game left in its quest to secure back-to-back national titles. Head coach Jenny Levy’s squad meets No. 3 Northwestern on Sunday, May 25, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship Game. Tar Heels riding 21-game streak North Carolina (21-0) has not lost since last year’s ACC semifinal, piling up a +214 goal differential this spring and sweeping through the ACC Tournament and NCAA bracket. A win on Sunday would give UNC its fourth national crown in program history and the first back-to-back titles for any school since Maryland in 2014–2015. Humphrey sisters headline explosive offense Freshman phenom Chloe Humphrey torched Florida for a career-best 10 points in Friday’s semifinal, breaking the UNC single-game postseason record and pushing her season totals to 79 goals and 27 assists. Her older sister, senior transfer Ashley Humphrey, leads the nation with 81 assists, giving the Tar Heels two 100-point scorers for the first time in school history. Defense anchored by Nicholas and Trenchard While the attack garners headlines, sophomore goalie Alecia Nicholas (.623 save percentage) and graduate defender Emma Trenchard spearhead a unit allowing only 6.6 goals per contest, second-best in Division I. UNC blanked Clemson for a 22-minute stretch in the ACC quarterfinals and held Boston College to a season-low seven scores in the conference title game. Northwestern rematch carries revenge narrative The Wildcats eliminated UNC in the 2023 semifinals, but Levy’s lineup returned the favor in last year’s championship. Northwestern (19-2) enters behind Tewaaraton finalist Izzy Scane, whose 93 goals pace the country. Expect Levy to assign Trenchard the primary mark on Scane, while midfielders Belle Smith and Caitlyn Wurzburger look to control the draw circle—a category UNC has dominated at 60 percent on the year. How to watch Faceoff is set for 12 p.m. ET with national coverage on ESPN and streaming via the ESPN app. Fans can also follow live updates on USA TODAY Sports’ championship tracker. Key storylines for search-minded readers • UNC women’s lacrosse undefeated season and 2025 championship appearance • Chloe Humphrey record-breaking freshman campaign • Tar Heels vs Northwestern rivalry and rematch in NCAA final • Where to watch the 2025 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship live A win Sunday would cement UNC’s status as the new dynasty in women’s college lacrosse and deliver Levy her fourth championship ring in 30 seasons at the helm.