Pronti Sets Duke Single-Season Assist Record; Blue Devils Fall in Regular-Season Finale

Thursday, April 16

Durham, N.C.

5 PM

Duke University

9-7, 5-5

North Carolina

13-1, 10-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
North Carolina	1	2	4	4	11
Duke	3	2	0	0	5

April 16, 2026: The Duke Blues Devils Women’s Lacrosse losses 5-11 against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics

Pronti Sets Duke Single-Season Assist Record; Blue Devils Fall in Regular-Season Finale

4/16/2026 8:02:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

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DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt junior Eva Pronti rewrote the program record books Thursday evening as she set the Duke single-season assist record, but the No. 20 Duke women's lacrosse team fell in its regular-season finale, dropping an 11-5 decision to No. 1 North Carolina at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium.

The Blue Devils (9-7, 5-5 ACC) came out strong and held a 5-3 lead at the half, but an 8-0 advantage in the second half by the Tar Heels (13-1, 10-0 ACC) propelled them to the victory.

Redshirt junior Ava Biancardi, sophomore Avery Doran and Pronti paced the Duke offensive. Biancardi and Doran each tallied braces and Pronti dished out two assists to give her 50 for the season. Junior Caitlin Barrett and sophomore Amanda Paci paced the defensive efforts with two caused turnovers and two ground balls apiece, while redshirt freshman Hope Schoudel collected eight saves between the pipes. At the draw circle, junior Ellie White tallied six draw controls.

Sophomore Chloe Humphrey scored (7) or assisted (3) on 10 of the Tar Heels' 11 goals en route to leading her team to the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Duke got off to a fast start against the Tar Heels and held a 3-1 advantage after the opening 15 minutes.
The Blue Devils struck first as Pronti connected with Doran for a strike at the 9:13 mark. Doran found the back of the cage again four minutes later to give the home team a two-goal lead.
Biancardi stretched the Duke margin to 3-0 late in the stanza, as the redshirt junior slotted one past UNC keeper Betty Nelson, with the dime coming from Doran.
After being held scoreless by the Duke defense for over 13 minutes, the Tar Heels managed to break the seal on Humphrey's goal with 1:40 remaining in the first.
Duke and North Carolina traded goals during the second period. The Blue Devil scores came off the sticks of junior Bella Goodwin and Biancardi, while Barrett and Pronti provided the assists.
The Blue Devils maintained a two-goal edge after 30 minutes, taking a 5-3 lead into the half.
North Carolina found its offensive rhythm and used a four-goal third quarter to surge ahead, 7-5. The Tar Heels controlled the 15-minute session, holding an 11-4 shot advantage while forcing six Duke turnovers on the defensive end.
Duke battled in the fourth quarter, looking to get back on track. The Blue Devils generated four quality chances on net but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.
Conversely, the UNC offense added four more goals in the final period while the defense held firm, locking down the 11-5 victory.

NOTES:

Duke drops to 9-7 overall and 5-5 in ACC play. North Carolina improves to 13-1 overall and 10-0 in league action. The Tar Heels also extend their lead in the all-time series to 31-14.
Avery Doran recorded her 14th outing of the season with three-plus points and 11th contest with at least two scores.
With her two assists, Eva Pronti set the Duke single-season record for assists, unseating her own previous mark of 49 set in 2025.
Ava Biancardi notched her 14th game this season with at least two scores.

UP NEXT:
Duke prepares for the 2026 ACC Championships, slated for Apr. 22-26 at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

For more information on Duke women's lacrosse, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeWLAX."

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