The Virginia women's lacrosse team ended its lengthy losing streak to North Carolina in thrilling fashion on Wednesday in the ACC Tournament.

The Cavaliers (14-3, 6-3 ACC) withstood a late rally from the Tar Heels to earn a 13-12 victory and advance to Friday's ACC semifinals. The win was Virginia's first over North Carolina (10-6, 6-3 ACC) since 2014, snapping a 14-game losing streak in the series.

"It was truly exciting game with two great teams," Virginia coach Sonia LaMonica said. "There were some exceptional moments."

Jenna Dinardo, Kate Galica and Mackenzie Hoeg all finished with a hat trick for the Cavaliers. Kate Miller (two goals, two assists) chipped in four points, while Kiki Shaw (one goal, one assist), Katia Carnevale (one goal) and Morgan Schwab (one assist) all made the score sheet.

Defensively, goalkeeper Mel Josephson delivered in key moments for the Cavaliers, racking up 11 total saves while posting a save percentage of .478. In addition to her three goals, Galica also played a crucial role for the Cavaliers between the restraining lines, pulling down a total of seven draw controls.

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After trailing 8-7 at the halftime break, Virginia outscored North Carolina 5-1 in the third quarter to take a 12-9 lead into the final stanza. The Tar Heels scored a pair of goals early in the fourth quarter to pull within one goal before Dinardo scored with an acrobatic finish to give Virginia a two-goal cushion.

A North Carolina goal with 48 seconds to play made for a nail-biting finish. The Tar Heels controlled the final draw of the game and managed a quality scoring chance from the crease, but Josephson smothered the ball to preserve a 13-12 victory.

"The team really pulled together," LaMonica said. "Particularly down the stretch defensively I thought we locked in and offensively had some really strong plays down the stretch to hold on for great win."

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