Head coach Regy Thorpe’s inaugural ACC Tournament run with 4-seed Syracuse women’s lacrosse (13-4, 7-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference) ended in the semifinals after a 19-9 loss to top-seeded North Carolina (15-1, 10-0 in ACC). The Orange suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Tar Heels with their only double-digit loss of the year.
The Tar Heels’ offense took control from the jump. UNC won the first quarter 8-3 with a six-goal run in just over three minutes, eventually outshooting the ‘Cuse 10-5. SU goaltender Daniella Guyette made just two saves in that opening frame, leading to the flood gates opening early in Charlotte.
45 Minutes Left to Battle. pic.twitter.com/ObPJcVJbFA
— Syracuse Women's Lacrosse (@CuseWLAX) April 24, 2026
“I mean, they blitzed us in that first period, in that first half. I mean, they played unbelievable–won every draw, just about, and then just cashed in.” Thorpe said postgame on North Carolina’s fast start. “[We] couldn't get any stops defensively, but that was a really really good half for them.”
That red-hot first quarter rolled into the second frame. It was a similar story in the second quarter as North Carolina outscored Syracuse 4-1 and forced seven turnovers. While Guyette stepped up with her game-high four saves, UNC continued to craft an insurmountable lead. Tar Heels star attacker Chloe Humphrey, the current favorite for The Tewaaraton Award with an average of 5.53 goals per game, had a hat trick in the first half in addition to an assist. UNC attacker Addison Pattillo provided the final blow of the first half, scoring with just four seconds left on the clock to put an exclamation point on one of its most dominant 30 minutes.
“They hit their marks. I mean they literally came after us and they had a good game plan," Thorpe said. "Defensively, our D's been living the game plan to a T and they just were a little off today. But again, I think that a lot of what Carolina was doing with the movement and getting it in there–they played a great game today.”
Thorpe’s next chance to grab a championship comes in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange did not capture an auto-bid but sit sixth in Inside Lacrosse’s latest poll. But navigating tourney bracketology is never easy; SU seems in a comfortable position but needs to be aware of potential bid stealers. Even still, Thorpe made sure to finish his press conference by presenting a convincing pitch to put any doubts about the Orange to rest.
“I think just our strength of schedule, I think we got some good solid RPI wins–a lot of them–but we're battling with those other teams to get a top eight seed. And we're fortunate that with some common opponents, we have a little bit of an advantage, but it’s been a challenging schedule all year. Hopefully in playing one of the best teams in the country today and number one seed in the ACC tournament. So, our kids don't back down, but again, hopefully they take that in consideration.”
Syracuse’s matchup and location is up to the selection committee of the NCAA Tournament, which reveals the bracket on Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m. Make sure to follow @WAERSports on X for Orange postseason updates.