North Carolina and Boston College to Meet Again for ACC Championship

It will be two familiar foes in the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Lacrosse championship game, but it was hardly a business-as-usual path to Boston College and North Carolina meeting for the league championship for the fourth time in the last five championships.

Third-seeded North Carolina stunned second-seeded Syracuse by scoring the game’s first eight goals on the way to a 15-9 victory. It was the second loss in the last three games for a Syracuse team that opened the season winning its first 15 games.

The Tar Heels will meet Boston College, a 9-4 winner over Notre Dame, in a rematch of both last year’s ACC and NCAA championship games. The Tar Heels won both of those games a year ago, but Boston College is one of the hottest teams in the country.

BC freshman goalie Shea Dolce made 11 saves to outduel Notre Dame’s Lilly Callahan (10 saves), leading the Eagles (15-3) to their ninth straight victory.

Dolce made eight of her saves in the first half, limiting Notre Dame (13-5) to just two goals in the first 30 minutes and the BC defense never let the Irish get going. Two of Notre Dame’s goals, both by Kasey Choma, came on free position shots and other than leading 1-0 after Madison Ahern opened the scoring, Notre Dame played from behind.

“They (BC’s defense) were 110 percent on every effort, running through every single 1v1 to try to get a stick on every shot,” said Boston College head coach Acacia Walker. “We must have deflected five or six shots, which is really hard to do because of how fast they are."

Jenn Medjid led BC with a hat track, including two in the first half as the Eagles jumped out to a a 5-2 lead. Kayla Martello and Cassidy Weeks each scored twice.

A young North Carolina squad is suddenly playing its best lacrosse of the season. After dominating Clemson 16-6 in the quarterfinals, the Tar Heels blitzed Syracuse from the opening whistle.

Freshman Caroline Godine set career-highs with six goals and seven points and classmate Marissa White added a hat trick. Caitlyn Wurzburger added a goal and four assists for the Tar Heels.

White had all three of her goals during the opening 8-0 run and Wurzburger assisted half of those goals. Godine and Melissa Sconone each scored twice during the fast start.

Syracuse scored four straight goals in the third quarter to try and get back into the game, but UNC sophomore goalie Alecia Nicholas made 11 saves, the most she’s made against an ACC opponent this season, to keep the Orange at bay.

Meaghan Tyrrell and Emma Ward led Syracuse with two goals. North Carolina converted four of 10 free position shots in the game while the Orange had no attempts.

North Carolina is looking to win an ACC record seventh straight league championship while Boston College is looking for its first ever ACC title. The Eagles fell to North Carolina in the ACC championship game in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

Sunday's game will begin at 12 p.m. (Eastern) and will be broadcast nationally on the ACC Network.

Around the Country

• Kait Devir made eight saves while allowing just six goals as USC beat Arizona State 11-6 to wrap up the Pac-12 regular season title.

• Jillian Wilson scored five goals and had 11 draw controls, becoming Loyola's all-time leader in draw controls in the process, as the Greyhounds beat Navy 15-7 to finish the year unbeaten in Patriot League play.

• Ellie Masera had five goals and Kailyn Hart scored four times as Stony Brook won the battle of Long Island with an 18-6 victory over Hofstra.