SOUTH BEND, Ind. — For the second-straight week, the Fighting Irish have knocked off the No. 1 team in the country, dismantling top-ranked UNC by a score of 10-5 in front of an electric, soldout Arlotta Stadium crowd.
Notre Dame becomes the first team in NCAA history to knock off the No. 1 team in back-to-back games.
Tyler Spano continued his dominant run at the faceoff dot, winning 10-of-17 draws against the top FOGO entering Saturday, Brady Wambach. Spano also scooped up six ground balls.
Thomas Ricciardelli was masterful in goal, making a season-high 15 saves while allowing just five past him in the victory. The senior improved to 8-1 on the season.
On the offensive end Luke Miller and Teddy Lally each notched hat tricks, scoring three goals apiece to pace the Irish attack. Graduate student Josh Yago played the role of distributor, tallying a season-high three assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame found itself trailing after the opening 15 minutes of play for just the second time this season, as the Tar Heels converted two man-up opportunities to take a 2-0 lead into the second quarter.
The Irish offense came to life almost immediately, scoring twice in the first two minutes of the second stanza off goals from Miller and Brock Behrman to level the score at 2-2.
Notre Dame continued its run, putting two more past the UNC goalie, courtesy of scores from Will Angrick and Lally to take a two-goal lead of its own at 4-2 with 6 minutes left in the first half.
The Tar Heels pulled one back before the half to make it a one-goal game at 4-3 heading into the break.
UNC managed to tie the game at 4-4 just 12 seconds into the second half but the Irish quickly jumped back in front. Yago found Jalen Seymour in space on an extra-man opportunity and Seymour rifled his shot into the net and then 2 minutes later Matt Jeffery got into the action with his first of the day to make it 6-4.
The Irish and Tar Heels each added one more goal in the third period to move the score to 7-5 heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Notre Dame suffocated the Tar Heel offense in the fourth, shutting the Tar Heels out while adding three more goals to the ledger to completely break the game open. Lally scored twice and Miller added one to put the exclamation mark on the 10-5 statement win.
STAT OF THE GAME
Notre Dame turned in arguably the best defensive performance in the entire college lacrosse season, holding UNC to just five goals. The Tar Heels had scored double-digit goals in all 11 of their games coming into the matchup. The Fighting Irish defense held two of the country’s top attackmen, Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy, to one goal apiece.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- The Irish improved to 15-11 against UNC in the all-time series and has won each of the last six matchups.
- In the six-straight wins over the Tar Heels the Irish have held them to single-digits in all six meetings.
- Notre Dame is now 7-5 when playing the No. 1 team in the USILA poll at the time of the matchup, including a mark of 7-1 in its last eight games against the nation’s top-ranked team.
- The Irish have now won 53 straight games when holding their opponent to less than 10 goals in a game, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season.
- With three assists, Yago has scored three or more points in eight of nine games this season.
- Miller recorded his fourth hat trick of the 2026 campaign, finishing with three goals.
- Lally scored a career-high three goals, marking his first hat trick of his career.
- Will Donovan scooped up five ground balls, marking the third time this season the senior has recorded at least five in a game.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame plays its final road game of the regular season next weekend, taking on No. 11/12 Duke in Durham in an ACC clash at noon ET on Saturday, April 18 at Koskinen Stadium. The game will air on ESPNU.
— ND —