UNC Women’s Lacrosse 2025-2026

aldusty

Redshirt
Jul 23, 2025
9
9
3

Where to Follow and Watch​



Where to Follow and Watch​

Thanks Airball, all set to watch.
Women's USA vs CZE Pool B - Watch The World Games Live & On Demand, Free Streaming
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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USA 5-2 after Q1; Chloe has two goals; the Czechian goalie has made some nice saves.

14-4 at the half. USA has figured the goalie out.

25-6 after 3Q; Czechia tiring. I believe Chloe has 5 goals, including a between the legs shot at the buzzer.

I believe the final was 32-7; CH with 6 goals season and at least 3 assists.

Even with a cooling break in each quarter, the game was over in an hour.
 
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Nate1972

Freshman
Aug 1, 2025
46
87
18
Chloe, McCool and Scane are tied for the team lead in goals with 12. Chloe, North and Ella Masera are tied for the team lead in points with 20. Japan beat Great Britain to take 2d place in Group A, and will be the US opponent in the semifinals at 1 am our time.
 
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Jriv23

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
691
501
93
I am so amazed with Chloe Humphrey. The things that she is doing is insane and never been seen been for. I hope that our fans will support her NIL deal by buying a shirt. I did. We are so grateful and honored to have her at UNC. She and Maria are bringing our recognition back. For the past two years, people kept saying Northwester this and Northwestern that. The same can be said about BC. I want to thank all the tarheel players who are playing on this USA team because you are making UNC great again. Go USA and Go Heels!
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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USA advances to the final of the World Games Sixes lacrosse championship by defeating Japan 24-10. Marie McCool led the USA with six goals and two assists.

Canada will meet the USA in the final after defeating Australia 21-4.

The championship game can be viewed tonight (Sunday, August 10) at 11:30 pm. China is 12 hours ahead of ET, so the game will be played Monday morning at 11:30 local time in China.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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63
Japanese national team member Negai Nakazawa, a rising senior at Louisville, entered her name in the transfer portal. During last night’s game, the commentator indicated that she was transferring to UNC. Either that or I was hallucinating.

Has anyone heard this?

If it’s true, I think she will have a hard time earning significant playing time. She is a good athlete, but she doesn’t have the stick skills and game sophistication of US women.
 
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Jriv23

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
691
501
93
very interesting to be transferring this late. We shall see whether or not if that information is true.
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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Articles from USA Lacrosse Magazine about players on the sixes team — Chloe Humphrey and Taylor Moreno — and an article about the USA’s semifinal win over Japan:



 

Kleizaster

Sophomore
Aug 2, 2025
45
132
33
Japanese national team member Negai Nakazawa, a rising senior at Louisville, entered her name in the transfer portal. During last night’s game, the commentator indicated that she was transferring to UNC. Either that or I was hallucinating.

Has anyone heard this?

If it’s true, I think she will have a hard time earning significant playing time. She is a good athlete, but she doesn’t have the stick skills and game sophistication of US women.
i havn't heard this..would be a surprise for sure. She is Louisville's best player. Had a career year last year with 61 goals and 82 points. That kind of output playing in the ACC is impressive. But there are great players on many teams who would struggle to crack the UNC starting line up. If she transfers i see more as a depth piece.
 

Kleizaster

Sophomore
Aug 2, 2025
45
132
33
Articles from USA Lacrosse Magazine about players on the sixes team — Chloe Humphrey and Taylor Moreno — and an article about the USA’s semifinal win over Japan:



It's insane the amount of lacrosse she has played. This is not even including the camps and clinics she was involved in throughout the summer. You can tell she's trying to catchup on all the lacrosse she missed having to sit out a year due to injury. After this i hope she gets some rest.
 

aldusty

Redshirt
Jul 23, 2025
9
9
3
Stayed up late and watched both the USA and Canada games. If anyone wanted to go back and watch replays they are available on the World Games Site (The World Games 2025 Schedule, Live Sports Times & Streaming). Both teams looked very good and I think tonights game will be exciting.

I didn't hear the comment about the player transfering, but would be interesting to see how it plays out.
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
311
63
USA vs. Canada World Games Sixes Championship - 11:30 ET tonight

USA has been the higher scoring team, while Canada has played better defense
Score differential USA +71 (113 - 42) Canada +61 (80-19)
But against common opponents — Australia and Japan — USA +26 (49-23) Canada +32 (41-9)
USA 25-13 AUS, 24-10 JPN
CAN 21-4 AUS, 20-5 JPN

My impressions - the USA has played more run-and-gun while Canada has been more workmanlike. The US has had some sloppy defensive lapses; presumably they will tighten up against the Canadians?

Most recent matches:
2022 Women’s World Cup: USA. 11-8
2024 World Box Lacrosse: USA 10-7

Sixes competitions:
2022 World Games; Canada 14-12 (Birmingham AL)
2023 Super Sixes Competition: USA 8-7 (Oshawa, Canada)

As the scores reflect, tonight’s championship should be a war; the box lacrosse championship was much closer than the final score. The USA is more talented, but they will have to earn a victory.
 
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Jriv23

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
691
501
93
For those who were wondering about Negai Nakazawa transferring. That is true. Her name is in the portal like airball has stated. Here it is. That do not indicate where she is going but her name is definitely in the portal.
Louisville

  • Hanna John, G, Jr. | Commitment: Charlotte
  • Negai Nakazawa, M, Sr. | Career Stats: 50G, 26A, 52GB, 38CT, 92DC
    2023 All-Conference Freshman Team
    2019, 2022 Japan U19 Team
 

Jriv23

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
691
501
93
If she wants to come to UNC, I would love to have her. That would just add to a depth for the upcoming season. You do not want to turn away talent if they want to come IMO.
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
311
63
USA - Canada Sixes Championship Game Score

After Q1 USA 7-3

At the half USA 10-4

After Q3 USA 14-5

FINAL USA 16-8

(Taylor Moreno was stellar in the second half.)

The commentators offered some explanations for why Canada lost. In actuality, the USA was simply better and it wasn’t very close.
 
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Princemyshkin

Redshirt
Jul 28, 2025
19
43
13
The closest equivalent sport in Ireland is hurling (camogie for women.) It is totally nuts. Think full contact Lacrosse, mixed with rugby, but with a boat paddle instead of a crosse. And no pads. My guess is that their approach to lacrosse comes from this insanity.
Was a in Ireland last May and was around a Hurling club, definitely a unique sport. Kids of all ages were very involved. Check it out if you get the chance. Hate Wide World of Sports is long gone.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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airball

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Jul 20, 2025
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3397char

All-Conference
Moderator
Jun 30, 2025
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All tournament team — Marie McCool, MVP:

I love the fact that the just crowned MVP of world lacrosse is an assistant coach at UNC. "Become a Tar Heel and learn from THE best."
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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And it’s not a coincidence that UNC’s recruiting has gone through the roof since MM has been on the coaching staff.
 
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Nate1972

Freshman
Aug 1, 2025
46
87
18
Stayed up late and watched both the USA and Canada games. If anyone wanted to go back and watch replays they are available on the World Games Site (The World Games 2025 Schedule, Live Sports Times & Streaming). Both teams looked very good and I think tonights game will be exciting.

I didn't hear the comment about the player transfering, but would be interesting to see how it plays out.
There are lots of interesting streams and replays available for sports I've never seen. I watched some korfball, floorball, fistball, and beach handball, plus an Ultimate match between the US and Japan.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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HC in waiting?
I am reasonably sure that HC will be available if she wants it. My guess is that it will be an outside offer before Coach Levy is ready to retire. I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.
 

unc80

Senior
Nov 1, 2009
406
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I am reasonably sure that HC will be available if she wants it. My guess is that it will be an outside offer before Coach Levy is ready to retire. I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.
Jenny has been here so long, it's easy to forget that she's still pretty young for a HC.
 
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3397char

All-Conference
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Jun 30, 2025
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HC in waiting?
No info, but my guess is that McCool is very comfortable having an Asst Coach job that pays a modest salary yet allows her to devote ample focus to playing lacrosse herself. But once she hangs up the cleats for good, she will become much more focused on only coaching and will be ready for a HC position. And i think McCool will retire from playing well before Levy retires from coaching. So she will eventually be a HC somewhere else.
 

Jriv23

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
691
501
93
I am so happy for MM. She really deserves this award since she denied the best player award in college when she played. We are knew that she should have won the T-award at least once when she played at UNC. I am also glad that BWW made the World Team too. We had 2 UNC players to make this team. One former player and assistant coach and the other who will be playing for us again this upcoming season. On a side note. I just cannot get enough of how dominant and good CH is. This stat is insane. She is the youngest player on the USA team and she has 3 more years of college which is just insane. She had tranform the lacrosse world. She is must see tv, and I love watching her pay. She is a generational talent and I just have not seen a player like her before. I thought MM, CN, JO, TS were dominant when they played but this statement says it all.

North had three points in the gold medal game, and had a 10-point outburst in the pool play finale against Czechia, the second-best single-game point total in the competition behind Chloe Humphrey’s line in the same game. That is just crazy. North is one of the greats to play Lacrosse and she was second to Chloe in the same game. Chloe just finished her first year in playing Lacrosse.
 

airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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I went back to the USA-Japan game to look for mention of Negai Nakazawa transferring to UNC for the 2026 season. I wasn’t hallucinating — at the 6:40 mark of Q3 the female commentator says something to the effect that Nakazawa has played three years at Louisville but will be transferring to UNC where she will be coached by her opponent in today’s game, Maria McCool, who is an assistant coach at North Carolina.

Furthermore, Nakazawa is missing from the 2026 Louisville roster. However, I am skeptical of how much she will contribute. But she will at least experience how the other half lives.

It would be interesting to get Alice Ripper’s impressions of her 2025 season at UNC.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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Recruiting for 2027s begins in 2 1/2 weeks (Sep 1). I have no idea who are UNC targets. I have not seen any players in person. But I thought I would provide thumbnail sketches of some players I find interesting. I will be regurgitating information from two sources — Inside Lacrosse and Best-in-Class (“BIC”). Inside Lacrosse provides grades on a scales of roughly 75 - 95 (it’s theoretically 1-100, but scores generally run 75-95). I believe that IL ratings require $$, therefore not every player has an IL score. This season, BIC has provided ”Impact Scores” of either 4 or 5. Here is the BIC explanation:

“Our BIC Impact Score is our internal way of evaluating players that attend our events. These metrics are not perfect, but are meant to capture the "impact" that these players had on their teams and training sessions from our staff's perspective over the two day event. They are garnered from multiple sources and discussed; however, they are based on a very limited sample. They are not comprehensive rankings beyond these two days.“

Obviously there are many variables that can influence a grade for an event of only two days duration. Only players who are adjudged to be a 4 or 5 get a grade. Many of the players who receive grades also receive a BIC write-up, but not all. (BIC indicates that 190 player attended their two-day camp; 26 were graded as 5s; 57 player received grades of 4. So 83 of 190 were graded.) The BIC camp was attended by numerous coaching staffs who undoubtedly formed different opinions.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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The #1 2027 Club team is M&D Black. Their strong representation at BIC and other events where they were scored make it apparent why they are ranked as the #1 team. I will only discuss players who are of interest to me; frequently interest is based on connections that players have with UNC.

Current UNC players who played for M&D are Caroline Godine, Kate Levy and incoming freshman Payton Magday.

Ryan Rodgers (M&D 2027 Black) [SEE EDIT, BELOW]

The BIC write-up on Ryan Rodgers was an eye-opener. Prior to BIC, she had received a grade of 86 by Inside Lacrosse (”IL”) grading, which is good but not extraordinary. She obviously exceeded that performance at BIC and was graded a 5:

“Rodgers vaulted herself into discussion to be a Top 5 player in the class. She's a 3 sport athlete and her hockey background shows. She's an attacker who is killer on the draw circle. In a 15 minute half, she gathered 5 DC's. She had an incredible clear to a feed on the money for a goal. She's a ground ball machine with high IQ, knowing when to push and when to settle her team. Rodgers is tough, plays team ball and has an elite on field motor.”

Ryan Rodgers is a left-handed midfielder, is athletic and has a strong lacrosse IQ. One thing that caught my eye is her hockey — two of my favorite Tar Heels, Kayleigh Harden and Ellie Traggio, have a hockey background that is reflected in their grIttiness. Rodgers is from Colorado, home to current Tar Heels Charlotte Corkins, Betty Nelson and Eliza. (BIC indicates Ryan Rodger’s played for M&D but information from IL suggests she also played for a Colorado club, Team 180, where Eliza Osburn played.)

EDIT:
USA Lacrosse Magazine’s article on the class of 2027 included Ryan Rodger as one of the players featured in the article (see my post on the following page). Here are those comments:

Rodgers is a dangerous lefty who is a phenomenal creator on the offensive end. Like a Kenzie Kent, the Colorado native has an ice hockey background (she also plays club soccer). She’s quick and can be crafty in traffic but is also strong enough to just muscle through it. She is a ballhawk on the draw circle. She will be a huge pick-up for Deerfield after being All-Conference in the IAAM B for St. Timothy’s (Md.) last spring.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
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To reiterate, I am profiling players that are of interest to me, not necessarily those who I think are the best players or who I think UNC is targetIng.

Chloe Cassidy (M&D 2027 Black)

Here’s the BIC write-up on Chloe Cassidy (graded a 5):

Cassidy is a great finisher. She has a quick release and is very good around the crease on the right wing. Very versatile dodger with explosive speed. A key trait of her game is how she allows the game to come to her in terms of attacking and dodging rather than going every time she touches the ball. Her four goal outing on Day 2 allowed her to finish the event strong. Chloe shows great upside.

To be candid, I was not familiar with Chloe Cassidy before I saw this write-up. BIC also measures speed and she was one of the 2-3 fastest players at that camp. To my knowledge, she does not have an IL score. But she attends Stone Ridge School and had 72 goals as a sophomore. Among her teammates at Stone Ridge this past season was Sophia Stoltz, who will be a freshman at UNC this season. In addition to lacrosse, Chloe also plays soccer.

A multi-sport athlete with excellent speed are attributes that UNC has historically valued.
 
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airball

Junior
Jul 20, 2025
158
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Kayla Cellucci (NXT 2027)

Taking a break from M&D Black, Kayla Cellucci is the next 2027 prospect of interest. Here is what BIC said about her camp performance:

“Like her older brother Chase, who starts at UNC, Kayla is a lockdown 1v1 defender. She showcased advanced decision-making on when to press out or when to double team, and had a bunch of CTs as a result. Her footwork and technique are super polished. Kayla is super present in the clear and handles the ball well, even scoring a goal as a defender. Kayla projects as a top D1 player with her athleticism, size and high IQ.“

Her brother Chase is a rising sophomore who started every game as a 2025 UNC freshman.

UNC’s class of 2026 was unusual in that two of it recruits were defenders. Historically, UNC has recruited midfielders and converted them into to defenders. Kayla Cellucci mirrors the attributes of the 2025 defender recruits (Gaelle Jones, Aston Kilfoil) — tall, fast, athletic players. She plays at Villa Maria Academy outside Philadelphia. Her club team is NXT, which is sending two 2025 recruits to UNC this fall — Mairyn Dwyer and Audrey Hurleman.

Graded a 5 by BIC, Inside Lacrosse evaluated Kayla a strong 89, stating:

“Cellucci is a fundamentally sound defender that has unbelievable footwork. Her on ball an off ball plays make her a key contributor in any situation. Transitionally she shows off her straight away speed, unafraid to take the ball to cage.”
 
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