Duke Leads Wire-To-Wire In 16-12 Victory Over MLAX

Saturday, April 25

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Noon

North Carolina

11-3, 2-2

Duke

9-4, 1-3

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Duke	4	7	4	1	16
North Carolina	2	1	5	4	12

Brady Wambach
University of North Carolina Men’s Lacrosse v Duke
Dorrance Field
Chapel Hill, NC
Saturday, April 25, 2026

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

April 25, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 17 Duke led wire-to-wire over third-ranked North Carolina Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse action, securing a 16-12 victory in the regular season finale.

Carolina finishes the regular season with an 11-3 overall mark, 2-2 in the ACC.

How It Happened
• Duke opened the game with four-straight goals, leading 4-0 with 6:35 left in the opening frame.
• The Tar Heels closed the quarter with back-to-back goals, courtesy of Anthony Raio and a man-up goal from Dominic Pietramala. The visiting Blue Devils held a two-goal lead after one, 4-2.
• Duke opened the second scoring, followed by Raio's second goal of the contest with 9:55 remaining in the half.
• The Blue Devils rattled off six-straight goals to close the opening 30 minutes, leading 11-3 at the break.
• Brevin Wilson's buzzer beater to end the third gave Carolina a one-goal advantage in the third, as Duke led by seven entering the fourth, 15-8.
• Carolina outscored Duke 4-1 in the fourth, as the Blue Devils held on for the four-goal victory.

Tar Heel Performances
• Pietramala and Gary Merrill paced the Tar Heels with four points apiece.
• Duffy and Raio each posted two goals and an assist. Brady Wambach rounded out the multi-goal efforts with two scores.
• Wambach won the faceoff battle with 18 faceoff wins and 13 ground balls.
• Longstick midfielder Peter Thomann recorded four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Josh Marcus made 10 saves between the pipes.

Inside The Numbers
• Carolina leads the all-time series, 45-39, including a 23-14 mark in Chapel Hill. Saturday was the first win for Duke over the Tar Heels in the regular season since 2023.
• Duffy has posted a point in all 41 career games. His 61 points this season has tied his career best, set in 2025.
• The four-goal effort was Pietramala's 25th career hat trick, and 14th game with four-or-more goals.
• In the contest, Pietramala passed Luke Goldstock (2014-17) on Carolina's career goals list. The Lutherville, Md. native is tied for fifth with Marcus Holman (2010-13) with 121 career goals.
• Entering next week's ACC Tournament, Pietramala is seven goals away from tying the program record for career goals (128 by Bert Fett from 1972-75).
• The freshmen midfield trio of Luke Bair, Merrill and Raio combined for eight points. Merrill's four assists were a career best.
• Wambach has now won 10-plus faceoffs in 35 career games. The Tar Heels won the faceoff battle in 12 of 13 regular season games this season.
• Saturday was Thomann's fifth game this season with four-or-more ground balls.

Up Next
• Carolina will be the No. 2 seed in next week's ACC Men's Lacrosse Championship, meeting third-seeded Syracuse in the semifinal.
• Opening faceoff between the Tar Heels and Orange is set for 8 PM from American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, televised on ACC Network.