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North Carolina women's lacrosse completed a dominant undefeated season with a 12-8 win over No. 2 Northwestern in Sunday's national championship at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The top-seeded Tar Heels finished 22-0, becoming the 12th team in NCAA history to post an unbeaten national title run.

The win marked a historic milestone for coach Jenny Levy, who earned her fourth national championship -- all at UNC -- and tied Princeton's Chris Sailer for the second most in Division I history. It also marked a special moment for Levy and freshman midfielder Kate Levy, who became the first mother-daughter duo to win an NCAA women's lacrosse title.

"It's awesome. I'm so fired up for her. She's been in the stands for the other three," Jenny Levy said on the ESPN broadcast. "Just for her and to be here with her teammates, I know she's my daughter, but even more fired up that she's with her team doing the things that she loves to do."

UNC also won national championships in women's lacrosse in 2013, 2016 and 2022. The Tar Heels improved to 4-2 all-time in the national title game. UNC ranks third with four national championships behind Maryland (14) and Northwestern (8). 

The Tar Heels matched a school record for most wins in a single season (22), matching the mark initially set by the 2022 team which also won a national championship.

Northwestern struck first, but UNC responded with five unanswered goals to seize control. The Tar Heels led 3-1 after the first, sparked by back-to-back-to-back scores from Chloe Humphrey, Kate Levy and Caroline Godine. UNC's top-ranked defense held the Wildcats scoreless for the final 8:44 of the first and won four of the last five draw controls.

By halftime, Carolina led 5-2 and extended the margin to 6-2 early in the third on Humphrey's third goal. A quick three-goal burst in just 46 seconds midway through the fourth made it 10-4, all but sealing the Tar Heels' undefeated championship run.