chathamnc

Richmond shocks No. 8 UNC 13-10 in NCAA lacrosse first-round upset

Chapel Hill, NC – On Saturday night at Dorrance Field, the No. 8-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels men’s lacrosse team saw their NCAA Tournament dreams crumble, falling 13-10 to the unranked Richmond Spiders in a first-round stunner. The loss, a second-half collapse that saw Richmond outscore UNC 11-5 after trailing 5-2 at halftime, marked the end of a promising 2025 campaign for the Tar Heels and handed the Spiders their first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

photo by Gene Galin

For UNC (10-5, 3-1 ACC), who shared the ACC regular-season title and entered as a top-eight seed for the fifth time in program history, the defeat was a bitter pill. The Tar Heels, making their 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, dominated early but faltered when it mattered most, their offense stalling and defense unraveling against a relentless Richmond squad. The Spiders (14-3, 5-0 A10), Atlantic 10 champions, advance to the quarterfinals to face No. 1 Cornell.

A Tale of Two Halves

The game began with UNC asserting control. Sophomore attack Owen Duffy and graduate student Dominic Pietramala, the Tar Heels’ offensive cornerstones, powered a 3-0 first-quarter lead, with goals from Pietramala, James Matan, and Ryan Levy. Duffy struck twice in the second, including a spinning dodge past Richmond’s Max Minder, giving – giving UNC a 5-1 lead with 2:55 left in the second. Richmond’s Gavin Creo answered with a late goal, narrowing the gap to 5-2 at halftime.

Richmond, which had lost both prior NCAA Tournament games by a single goal, unleashed an 8-3 third-quarter barrage, tying the game at 5-5 within the first three minutes. Lance Madonna, Dalton Young, and Henry Gottwals fueled the surge, exploiting UNC’s suddenly porous defense. The Tar Heels’ 22% shooting efficiency (10-of-45) and nine second-half turnovers fueled the collapse, as Richmond’s Jake Kapp and Nate Garber disrupted UNC’s rhythm with four combined caused turnovers.

Duffy and Pietramala Shine, But Not Enough

Duffy and Pietramala carried UNC’s offense, each tallying hat tricks. Duffy added two assists for five points, while Pietramala’s 48 goals this season tied for third-most in a single season in program history. But the supporting cast struggled, with only four other Tar Heels—Levy, Matan, Ty English, and Logan McGovern—scoring one goal each. Graduate goalkeeper Michael Gianforcaro made 10 saves, including a sprawling stop on Young in the third, but Richmond’s 13-of-25 shooting in the second half overwhelmed UNC’s defense.

Faceoff specialist Brady Wambach was a bright spot, winning 16-of-25 faceoffs and securing 10 ground balls, giving UNC a 14-11 edge at the X. His 225 faceoff wins this season rank fourth in program history, but even his heroics couldn’t stem Richmond’s momentum. The Spiders’ 40-35 ground ball advantage and 19-14 clear success rate underscored their hustle, particularly in the decisive fourth quarter.

Richmond’s Historic Breakthrough

Richmond’s Lance Madonna led with four goals, while Dalton Young (three goals, one assist) and Henry Gottwals (two goals) powered the comeback. Goalkeeper Zach Vigue made 12 saves, thwarting UNC’s late pushes, including a point-blank denial of Pietramala in the fourth. Coach Dan Chemotti’s squad, which upset then-No. 12 Richmond 12-11 in February, proved its mettle, with Gottwals’ goal with 6:40 left sparking a 4-0 run that sealed UNC’s fate.

A Season of What-Ifs for UNC

UNC’s 10-5 season, highlighted by a share of the ACC title and wins over then-No. 7 Duke (8-7) and No. 14 Michigan (15-6), ends with a postseason disappointment. The Tar Heels, who fell 14-7 to Duke in the ACC semifinals, are now 35-29 all-time in NCAA Tournament play but haven’t reached a Final Four since 1993.

For seniors like Pietramala, Gianforcaro, and Levy, the loss marks the end of storied careers. Pietramala, a transfer from Johns Hopkins, leaves as one of UNC’s all-time greats, while Duffy, a sophomore, will be the cornerstone of 2026’s squad.

Richmond, in its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, now faces top-seeded Cornell in the quarterfinals on May 17.