University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, April 18
Charlottesville, Va.
Noon
North Carolina
11-2, 2-1
16
at
15
Virginia
7-6, 2-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| Virginia | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Matan's Overtime Goal Lifts MLAX Over No. 11 Virginia, 16-15
April 18, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – James Matan's overtime game-winning goal lifted third-ranked North Carolina over No. 11 Virginia, 16-15, Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Coast Conference action.
With the win, the Tar Heels improve to 11-2 and 2-1 in the ACC, while Virginia fell to 7-6 and 2-2 in league play.
How It Happened
• Virginia scored the game's first three goals, leading 3-0 with 8:19 remaining in the opening quarter.
• Carolina responded with six-straight goals to end the first, ahead 6-3 after 15 minutes.
• In the 6-0 run, Dominic Pietramala and Brady Wambach scored back-to-back full-strength goals, followed by a pair of man-up goals from Nate Sage and extra-man opportunities from Pietramala and Luke Bair.
• The Tar Heels scored three of the first four goals in the second quarter, with a tally each from Owen Duffy, Pietramala and Luke Macaluso, leading 9-4 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the second.
• Carolina entered the half leading by four, 11-7.
• The host Cavaliers outscored Carolina 3-1 in the third, but the Tar Heels held a two-goal advantage entering the fourth. Duffy hit the back of the net for the lone Carolina score in the quarter.
• UVA outscored the Tar Heels 5-3 in the fourth, tying the game with one second remaining to push the game to overtime.
• In the extra period, Matan collected a ground ball following a shot from Pietramala, scoring the game-winning goal with 2:43 remaining in the first overtime period.
Tar Heel Performances
• Duffy led all players with eight points, on three goals and five assists.
• Pietramala scored a first-half hat trick, followed by two goals each from Bair and Sage.
• Six different Tar Heels scored once, highlighted by Matan's overtime goal.
• Wambach posted 23 faceoff wins and 11 ground balls.
• Josh Marcus made three saves between the pipes.
Inside The Numbers
• Saturday was Carolina's 30th win in the series versus UVA. Dating back to 1964, the programs have played every season except for 2020.
• The Tar Heels have won back-to-back games over the Cavaliers for the first time since 2016-17.
• The matchup was the eighth overtime contest played between the two programs.
• Duffy matched his career-high with five assists, all of which came in the first half. His eight points was one shy of his career best. The junior attackman has now recorded a point in all 40 career games.
• In the first quarter, Sage's two man-up goals were the first of his career.
• The Tar Heel defense held Virginia scoreless for 12:06 in the first half.
• Saturday was Carolina's fourth game this season scoring 10-or-more goals in the first half.
• Wambach's 23 faceoff wins and 33 attempts were a career high in both categories. Saturday was the fifth game this season with 20-or-more faceoff wins.
• Saturday was the first overtime game for Carolina since the 2021 NCAA Quarterfinal win over Rutgers.
Up Next
• The Tar Heels close the regular season next Saturday, hosting No. 16 Duke on Senior Day.
• Opening faceoff between Carolina and the Blue Devils is set for Noon, televised on ESPNU.
• With a win next week, the Tar Heels can clinch a share of the ACC regular season title for the second-straight season.
With the win, the Tar Heels improve to 11-2 and 2-1 in the ACC, while Virginia fell to 7-6 and 2-2 in league play.
How It Happened
• Virginia scored the game's first three goals, leading 3-0 with 8:19 remaining in the opening quarter.
• Carolina responded with six-straight goals to end the first, ahead 6-3 after 15 minutes.
• In the 6-0 run, Dominic Pietramala and Brady Wambach scored back-to-back full-strength goals, followed by a pair of man-up goals from Nate Sage and extra-man opportunities from Pietramala and Luke Bair.
• The Tar Heels scored three of the first four goals in the second quarter, with a tally each from Owen Duffy, Pietramala and Luke Macaluso, leading 9-4 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the second.
• Carolina entered the half leading by four, 11-7.
• The host Cavaliers outscored Carolina 3-1 in the third, but the Tar Heels held a two-goal advantage entering the fourth. Duffy hit the back of the net for the lone Carolina score in the quarter.
• UVA outscored the Tar Heels 5-3 in the fourth, tying the game with one second remaining to push the game to overtime.
• In the extra period, Matan collected a ground ball following a shot from Pietramala, scoring the game-winning goal with 2:43 remaining in the first overtime period.
Tar Heel Performances
• Duffy led all players with eight points, on three goals and five assists.
• Pietramala scored a first-half hat trick, followed by two goals each from Bair and Sage.
• Six different Tar Heels scored once, highlighted by Matan's overtime goal.
• Wambach posted 23 faceoff wins and 11 ground balls.
• Josh Marcus made three saves between the pipes.
Inside The Numbers
• Saturday was Carolina's 30th win in the series versus UVA. Dating back to 1964, the programs have played every season except for 2020.
• The Tar Heels have won back-to-back games over the Cavaliers for the first time since 2016-17.
• The matchup was the eighth overtime contest played between the two programs.
• Duffy matched his career-high with five assists, all of which came in the first half. His eight points was one shy of his career best. The junior attackman has now recorded a point in all 40 career games.
• In the first quarter, Sage's two man-up goals were the first of his career.
• The Tar Heel defense held Virginia scoreless for 12:06 in the first half.
• Saturday was Carolina's fourth game this season scoring 10-or-more goals in the first half.
• Wambach's 23 faceoff wins and 33 attempts were a career high in both categories. Saturday was the fifth game this season with 20-or-more faceoff wins.
• Saturday was the first overtime game for Carolina since the 2021 NCAA Quarterfinal win over Rutgers.
Up Next
• The Tar Heels close the regular season next Saturday, hosting No. 16 Duke on Senior Day.
• Opening faceoff between Carolina and the Blue Devils is set for Noon, televised on ESPNU.
• With a win next week, the Tar Heels can clinch a share of the ACC regular season title for the second-straight season.
Team Stats
NORTH CA
VIRGINIA
Shots
52
40
Turnovers
11
13
Caused Turnovers
5
8
Faceoffs Won
23
10
Extra-Man Opps
6
4
Ground Balls
31
38
Game Leaders
G
3
A
5
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
1
G
3
A
1
FO
-
Pen
1-60
GB
0
CT
1
Players Mentioned
Attackman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfielder
/ Men's Lacrosse
Goalkeeper
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfielder
/ Men's LacrosseAttackman
/ Men's Lacrosse
Faceoff
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