It had to be Madison Taylor.
No. 13 Northwestern handed No. 1 North Carolina its first defeat in 684 days, avenging its 2025 NCAA championship game loss with a 17-16 victory over the Tar Heels in overtime Wednesday.
Taylor pulled up behind the goal then turned on the afterburners, beating defender Sam Forrest underneath and depositing the game-winning goal.
The Wildcats (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) snapped the Tar Heels' (9-1, 7-0 ACC) 31-game winning streak with the victory. Goalie Jenika Cuocco came up with a clutch free position stop on Kiley Mottice on the possession preceding Taylor’s game winner.
Neither team led by more than three goals in a game that had championship weekend vibes at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill. There was star power aplenty. Reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Chloe Humphrey scored six goals for the Tar Heels. All-American draw specialist Maddie Epke pulled down 15 draw controls for the Wildcats, while Olivia Adamson paced the offense with three goals and two assists.
But the biggest moment belonged to Taylor, the two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist who last season set the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse single-season record with 109 goals. She’s up to 48 this season.
North Carolina last lost in the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels went 22-0 last year, defeating Northwestern 12-8 in the final to claim their fourth national championship, and won their first nine games this season before Wednesday’s setback.
The Wildcats won’t have much time to celebrate. They resume Big Ten play Saturday against No. 8 Johns Hopkins at home in Evanston.
