Pirates Fall at No. 1 North Carolina, 23-3

Saturday, March 28

Chapel Hill, NC

12:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

4-5

North Carolina

9-1

East Carolina

North Carolina

March 28, 2026 | Lacrosse

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The East Carolina lacrosse team was defeated by No. 1 North Carolina, 23-3, on Saturday afternoon at Dorrance Field.

North Carolina (10-1, 7-0 ACC) started the game looking like the No. 1 team in the nation with a pair of goals in the first 27 seconds of the game. UNC made it 7-0 just after the 11-minute mark of the first quarter, forcing a goalkeeper change for the Pirates (4-5, 1-1 American) with Maeve Meehan entering for Jaime Behar. Behar would enter the

The Tar Heels pushed it to a running clock at the 8:30 mark of the first quarter, leading 10-0.

ECU finally got on the board on a Riley Matthiesen score nearly eight minutes into the game, assisted by Rachel Chessock and briefly cutting the margin to nine.

Maya Koebke got the Pirates on the board again on a player-up goal assisted by Katelyn Sclafani with just over a minute remaining in the first. UNC led 12-2 after one.

With the clock running the rest of the way, the scoring slowed dramatically, though not entirely. Jaime Behar three saves in the second quarter to limit the North Carolina attack at least occasionally. The Tar Heels only added four more goals in the second quarter; however, ECU was held scoreless in the period on six total shots.

UNC got another trio of goals in what was a largely uneventful third quarter. Chloe Humphrey had a goal and an assist in the period to get herself to five of each on the game to finish her abbreviated day with 10 points.

The Tar Heels hit the 20-goal mark around a minute into the fourth quarter on a Sophie Stoltz goal.

Kate Matthiessen scored one last goal late for the Pirates which was her first career goal. Just moments before that, freshman Lacey Scherholz recorded her first career minutes and stat with a draw control.

In cage for the Tar Heels, Betty Nelson got the start, playing the full first half and making five saves before Lexi Zenk entered the game for the second half to make three saves. Behar wound up with six saves made on the day for ECU.

Up Next
The Pirates travel north to take on Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. on Tuesday at 1 p.m.