The North Carolina men’s lacrosse program has plenty to be excited about heading into the 2026 season - and the rest of the country is taking notice. Four Tar Heels landed on the USILA Preseason All-America teams, with Owen Duffy and Brady Wambach earning First Team honors, while Dominic Pietramala and Peter Thomann were named to the Second and Third Teams, respectively.
Let’s start with Duffy, who’s coming off a breakout 2025 campaign that firmly established him as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country. The East Quogue, N.Y. native was a stat sheet staple last spring, finishing second on the team with 34 goals while leading Carolina in both assists (27) and total points (61).
He was a model of consistency, recording at least three goals in eight games and notching five or more points in another eight. In the ACC - a conference loaded with elite offensive talent - Duffy still managed to rank second in assists per game (2.0) and third in points per game (4.25).
That kind of production, paired with his vision and ability to create under pressure, makes him a clear centerpiece for the Tar Heels’ offense in 2026.
Right alongside him on the First Team is Brady Wambach, who’s quietly become one of the most dominant faceoff specialists in the nation. Last year, he finished fourth in the country in faceoff win percentage at an eye-popping .643 clip - and that’s not just a flashy number.
Wambach consistently gave UNC extra possessions, racking up double-digit faceoff wins in 14 games and collecting 10 or more ground balls in five of those. His 225 faceoff wins in 2025 were the third-most in a single season in Tar Heel history, and he became the first UNC faceoff man to earn First Team All-America recognition since R.G.
Keenan back in 2012. In a sport where possession is everything, Wambach’s role can’t be overstated.
Then there’s Dominic Pietramala, who earned a spot on the Second Team after a goal-scoring tear that turned heads across the college lacrosse landscape. The Lutherville, Md. product led both UNC and the ACC with 48 goals in 2025 - a number that puts him third all-time in single-season goals for the Tar Heels.
He found the back of the net with staggering consistency, recording 10 hat tricks and exploding for six-goal performances against top-10 opponents in Johns Hopkins and Syracuse. Pietramala’s scoring touch, especially in big moments, gives Carolina a go-to option when the lights are brightest.
Finally, Peter Thomann rounds out the group with a Third Team nod, marking a return to the national spotlight after a tough setback. Thomann missed all of 2025 due to a preseason injury, but he’s back and ready to anchor the Carolina defense.
As a true freshman in 2024, he started all 14 games and led the team with 21 caused turnovers, while also scooping up 28 ground balls. His instincts and physicality made him a standout from day one, and his return could be a major boost for a Tar Heel defense looking to reestablish its edge.
With four players earning preseason All-America honors - including two on the First Team - North Carolina is heading into 2026 with both talent and momentum. If this core group plays to its potential, the Tar Heels could be poised for a serious run this spring.