UNC women’s lacrosse stymies Northwestern, a perfect ending to a perfect season
The University of North Carolina women’s lacrosse team punctuated a perfect season perfectly Sunday, taking control of the national championship game against Northwestern in the first quarter and never looking back.
Freshman Chloe Humphrey scored four times and sister Ashley Humphrey meted out four assists as the Tar Heels completed a perfect season with a 12-8 win over the Huskies at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Perhaps equally impressive for UNC (22-0) was its defense, which held the leading scorer in the country, Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, without a goal. Taylor had 109 goals this season, but came up empty in the title game against the Tar Heels’ defense.
“Our team has been tough all year,” UNC head coach Jenny Levy said after the game. “Nothing has fazed them. They were poised. We were a little nervous early, and settled down, and a total team effort.”
Betty Nelson made eight saves in goal behind a Tar Heels defense that flexed its muscles frequently against Northwestern. Sam Forest, an All-America defender for UNC, led the defensive unit.
Also important for the Tar Heels Sunday was ball possession. Kaleigh Harden and Sophie Student combined to post 11 draw controls to lead UNC’s 17-7 advantage in that category, helping to keep the ball away from the Northwestern offense for much of the game.
Speaking of possession, Ashley Humphrey maintained her composure throughout the game Sunday as the Wildcats tried to take away her time and space with a dedicated set of defenders assigned to face-guard her. It didn’t matter. The grad student attack, who had 90 assists this season, continued to set up her teammates, and particularly her sister, Chloe, who finished the 2025 campaign with 90 goals — a fitting statistical bookend to her final season playing alongside siblings Ashley and Nicole.
“At the end of the day, this team, I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by these people, winning a national championship,” Chloe Humphrey said. “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.”
UNC reached the final on the heels of an incredible semifinal performance against Florida which saw North Carolina fall behind the Gators, 4-2, in the opening quarter before reeling off 18 consecutive goals in the final three frames to post a 20-4 win.
Chloe Humphrey had seven goals in that semifinal effort, Ashley Humphrey had four helpers, and Nicole Humphrey added a score. Nelson stopped six of the 10 shots she faced, including every shot on goals in the final three quarters.
Chloe Humphrey finished her redshirt freshman season with 118 points, scoring her 90 goals on 136 shots on goal for a 73.5% shooting percentage. Ashley Humphrey had 121 points, with 31 goals to go with her 90 assists. Nicole Humphrey had 16 points in a reserve role this season for the Tar Heels, but her career numbers in Chapel Hill (51 goals, 64 points) underscore her impact on the program.
North Carolina has now won four women’s lacrosse national titles (2013, 2016, 2022, 2025), all coming in the past 12 tournaments, giving the Tar Heels the third-most team titles in history behind Maryland (14) and Northwestern (8).
The win also marks Levy’s fourth national title as a head coach, and the win was her 443rd overall, tied for second among women’s college lacrosse coaches all time.
This story was originally published May 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM with the headline "UNC women’s lacrosse stymies Northwestern, a perfect ending to a perfect season."