By R.L. Bynum

North Carolina is back atop the women’s college lacrosse world, thanks to another big day from Chloe Humphey.

The No. 1 Tar Heels finished off their second undefeated national championship season in four seasons and fourth NCAA title with a 12–8 victory Sunday over No. 3 Northwestern at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

“Our team has been tough all year,” UNC 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. For these guys, it’s a lifelong experience that they will always remember, and you will always be national champs, so congrats.

UNC (22–0), which scored three third-period goals in 46 seconds to pull away from the Wildcats (19–3), got four goals from Chloe Humphrey to extend her single-season UNC record and NCAA freshman scoring record to 90.

“I’m still in shock,” Humphrey said. “The emotions haven’t hit me yet. I have so much respect for Northwestern and the effort they gave us. But at the end of the day, this team, I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by these people, winning a national championship. 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 surrounded by me. I’m just feeling grateful for everything that I have.”

Carolina’s four titles (2013, 2016, 2021, 2025) have all come in the last 12 NCAA tournaments and it is 4–2 in NCAA championship games.

Abby LaCoscio gave Northwestern an early 1–0 lead, but Carolina quickly took control with five consecutive goals — two from Chloe Humphrey, with scores also from Kate Levy, Caroline Godine and Marissa White, with Ashley Humphrey notching three assists.

Northwestern’s Taylor Lapointe scored with 6:54 left in the first half to cut Carolina’s halftime lead to 5–2.

Like in the first half, Northwestern scored first in the second half, this time on a goal by Sam Smith. The Tar Heels responded with scores from Chloe Humphey and Oliva Vergano before Northwestern’s Lucy Munro cut UNC’s lead down to three.

There was no scoring for 13 minutes before Eliza Osburn scored twice in nine seconds and Vergano added a goal 39 seconds later to give UNC a 10–4 lead. Another Chloe Humphey goal after Munro scored again for Northwestern made it 11–5.

The teams traded goals in the last six minutes, with Northwestern’s Jane Hanson and Smith scoring and UNC getting a Kiley Mottice score. The Wildcats scored on a Smith goal with 1:53 left and an Aditi Foster score with 55 seconds left to trim UNC’s lead to four.

NOTES — UNC coach Jenny Levy tied Princeton’s Chris Sailer for the second-most all-time wins at 433. … Carolina’s four titles are the third most behind Maryland’s 14 and Northwestern’s eight. Levy’s four titles are the fourth-most by a coach. … Carolina, 46–22 in 25 NCAA tournaments, was 22–0 in winning the 2022 title. … Two of Northwestern’s three losses came against UNC, which beat the Wildcats 15–12 in Evanston, Ill., on March 27.