Even before the first practice of the season, members of the women’s lacrosse team knew they would be good.
Returning nine starters from last year’s team that made the semifinals of the state tournament gave head coach David Gilner confidence that this group could go far.
“I realized that this team would be special last year when we lost in the Final Four of the state championship,” Coach Gilner said.
This year’s team was led by four captains: seniors Ashton Beale and Emily Breschi and juniors Scarlet Gilner and Alli McNeill.
Beale, Breschi and Gilner are all committed to play at the college level. Beale will play at UNC Charlotte, Breschi at Rollins College and Gilner at Elon University.
Although Gilner has helped develop many college-level players during his time with the program, he insists there’s no secret formula.
“I don’t believe there are any secrets to developing talent,” he said. “The lacrosse team sets goals and works each week to get better, practicing rain or shine.”
The Tigers opened their season on March 6 with a dominant 17-4 win over Middle Creek High School—just the beginning of one of the best seasons in team history.
On March 10, they traveled to Cuthbertson and came away with a commanding 19-6 victory. Two days later, they defeated Seaforth 20-7 on the road. Back at home on March 14, the Tigers earned a 19-9 win over Socastee.
The winning streak continued: an 18-0 shutout of Jordan on March 17, followed by a 16-0 shutout of Northwood on March 19. On March 21, they beat Union Pines 20-6, then blanked Carrboro 17-0 on March 24.
They earned a forfeit win against Riverside on March 26, officially recorded as 1-0. Two days later, they faced one of their toughest opponents, Weddington, and came out on top with a hard-fought 14-10 victory.
Both players and coaches pointed to the Weddington game as a defining moment of the season.
“I would say a highlight of the season was our win against Weddington,” Gilner said. “We lost to them last year at their place, so it was kinda like our get back. It felt so nice to beat them.”
After spring break, Chapel Hill faced crosstown rival East Chapel Hill in one of the most anticipated games in the state. With the second- and third-ranked teams in North Carolina going head-to-head, the matchup was named TopLaxRecruits’ Game of the Week.
The Tigers won 10-6 in what many called their best performance of the year. The win marked the team’s fifth straight victory over East.
The game also saw junior captain Scarlett Gilner score her 300th career goal—a remarkable milestone to reach midway through her junior year.
“It was exhilarating,” Gilner said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team, so I’m very grateful for all of them that helped me along the way.”
On April 11, the Tigers were awarded another forfeit win over Riverside. On April 14, they beat Seaforth again, this time 18-9 at home.
Their undefeated run came to an end the next day, April 15, in a narrow 11-10 home loss to Upper Dublin, the 17th-ranked team in Pennsylvania.
Though the Tigers were disappointed, they respected the caliber of their opponent and took pride in keeping it close.
On April 16, they bounced back with a dominant 16-2 win over Jordan. On April 21, they defeated Northwood 19-0 on the road.
By then, it was clear the Tigers were operating at a different level. Their only loss had come to an elite out-of-state opponent, and they were winning most games by double digits.
To close the regular season, Chapel Hill won their final six games by a combined score of 109-36. That stretch included a 17-11 win over East Chapel Hill on May 5, which clinched the conference title—their third straight.
That victory fulfilled Coach Gilner’s first goal: “to win our third consecutive conference championship.” With that accomplished, all that “was left to do [was] win the state championship,” Gilner said.
The Tigers entered the playoffs with a first-round bye. In their playoff opener, they dominated Apex Friendship 16-3. Gilner and Beale combined for 17 of the team’s 26 total points (goals and assists).
In the third round, they faced Apex High, the 14th ranked team in the state, and pulled off a gritty 13-10 win.
That set up a showdown with powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons, last year’s state champions. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their season came to an end, falling 21-8.
Though the playoff exit was tough, the Tigers still had a remarkable year. They finished 23-2, earned a conference title and showed they belonged among the state’s elite.
It was a season to remember—and a sign of even bigger things to come.
