Carolina wins 4th women’s lacrosse national title

Chloe Humphrey exploded for four goals and an assist and her sister, Ashley Humphrey, dished out four assists as Carolina topped Northwestern, 12-8, to win the 2025 NCAA women’s lacrosse championship Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The national title is the fourth for the Tar Heels, all coming since 2013.

A record-setting 14,423 spectators watched the Tar Heel win, the most ever at an NCAA women’s lacrosse championship.

Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, the nation’s scoring leader with 109 goals, finished without a score because of a stellar performance by Tar Heel All-American Sam Forrest and the rest of the Carolina defense. Carolina held Taylor scoreless for the first time in 45 games, although she did record four assists.

Eliza Osburn scored two goals in a nine-second span during a key stretch of the fourth quarter, and Olivia Vergano added two goals and an assist for Carolina. Kaleigh Harden (six) and Sophie Student (five) combined for 11 draw controls as Carolina dominated that key stat, 17-7, and controlled possession for most of the game.

“Our team has been tough all year,” Carolina coach Jenny Levy said. “Nothing has fazed them. They were poised. We were a little nervous early and settled down, and a total team effort. What Sophie (Student) did on the draw with Eliza Osburn and (Kaleigh) Harden was amazing, and just the opportunity to win a national championship doesn’t happen for everybody. For these guys, it’s a lifelong experience that they will always remember, and you will always be national champs, so congrats.”

Carolina’s four national championships are the third most in the history of the sport behind Maryland’s 14 and Northwestern’s eight. Levy’s four titles are the fourth most in NCAA history. The victory also was the 443rd of Levy’s head coaching career, tying Princeton’s Chris Sailer for second in NCAA Division I.

Carolina finished the season with a perfect 22-0 record, matching the school record for wins in a season set by the 2022 squad that also won the national title. Northwestern (19-3) saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end with a second loss this season to Carolina, which beat the Wildcats, 15-12, in Evanston, Illinois, on March 27.

The Tar Heels are 37-12 in the last 17 NCAA Tournaments with four championships, six title game appearances and 11 semifinal trips in that span (since 2009). UNC is 97-12 in its last 109 games (89% winning percentage) and has scored double-figure goals in 111 of its last 119 outings.

“At the end of the day, this team, I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by these people, winning a national championship,” Chloe Humphrey said after completing one of the best debut seasons in NCAA history. “I always wondered who I’d be alongside, because I knew the goal one day would happen. I’m grateful that I have these people surrounding me. I’m just feeling grateful for everything that I have.”

Northwestern scored first and forced four turnovers in the opening 15 minutes before Carolina scored five straight goals to take a 5-1 lead. To close the first quarter, Chloe Humphrey, Kate Levy and Caroline Godine ripped off three goals in a row as Carolina led, 3-1. The Tar Heel defense, the nation’s best, held the Wildcats scoreless in the final 8:44 of the first quarter and won four of the last five draw controls.

Carolina eventually held Northwestern scoreless for nearly 17 minutes as it took a 5-1 lead midway through the second period. Wildcat goalie Delaney Sweitzer helped keep Northwestern in the game with nine first-half saves, but Carolina led, 5-2, at the half.

Chloe Humphrey scored her third goal of the game less than five minutes into the second half to give the Tar Heels a 6-2 lead. The Tar Heels led, 7-4, and forced 13 Wildcat turnovers through three quarters.

After a scoreless stretch of 12:35, Osburn exploded for two goals in nine seconds to make the score 9-4 Carolina with 8:16 to play. Carolina scored three goals in 46 seconds to lead, 10-4, with 7:45 left and put itself in a position to win.

Despite being face-guarded for much of the game, Ashley Humphrey was able to create offense with her play-making. She broke the record for most assists in an NCAA Tournament with 20 in four games this month.

Sweitzer finished with a season-high 17 saves for Northwestern. Betty Nelson, the national leader in goals allowed per game, made eight saves and improved to 20-0 in her redshirt first-year season in the cage for the Tar Heels.

After the Carolina women’s soccer team won the NCAA title last fall, this marks the 13th time Carolina has won multiple NCAA championships in the same academic year and the first time since 2022-23.

Inside the Box Score
• A crowd of 14,423, the largest in NCAA championship game history, was in attendance.

Read more about the win at GoHeels.com.