GoHeels Exclusive: Family

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

From the moment he stepped on campus, Chris Cloutier knew.

He needed only one visit with the North Carolina men's lacrosse players and coaches to recognize their closeness, their seemingly unbreakable bond. Together, they formed a family. And he longed to become a part of it.

So he committed to Joe Breschi's program as a high school senior. With Cloutier's graduating class already full, he'd take a prep year. But UNC was worth the wait. The next year, he trekked from Kitchener, Ontario to Chapel Hill. He and his classmates joined the family.

Four years later, Cloutier stood outside the Tar Heels' locker room on Saturday at Kenan Stadium after a 10-9 win over No. 14 Notre Dame. The victory had tied Carolina with the Fighting Irish and Virginia in the ACC standings. Yet UNC lost the goals allowed tiebreaker among the three teams, preventing it from qualifying for the ACC Tournament.

The outcome still felt too sudden for Cloutier 30 minutes after the game. Tears puddled in his bloodshot eyes. And as he fought to clear his throat, he tried to put his career into words.

"It's a family here, and it's been that way through my entire four years," he said. "You can pick anyone in that locker room, and they'll take a bullet for anyone on this team. That's the way it's been. It's been an honor having this second family behind my back, especially being so far away from home.

"Going out now, I had a great career. And it's because of my teammates."

Twelve of them also ended their Carolina careers Saturday. Before their arrivals, the Tar Heels had lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the previous four seasons. They'd also failed to qualify for the ACC Tournament in 2014.

But as freshmen in 2015, some of the members of this year's senior class helped UNC to 13 wins. Many then played key roles in winning Carolina's first NCAA championship in 25 years in 2016 and the 2017 ACC championship.

Only seven other classes – including the 2019 class – have claimed both NCAA and ACC titles since the ACC champion started being determined by tournament format in 1989.

"For this senior class to go out the way they did, it's bittersweet," Breschi said. "But they had another opportunity to beat Notre Dame. They also leave with two championships, an ACC and a national championship. Not a lot of teams can say that."

Nor would many teams show the same sort of fight the Tar Heels displayed this season.

UNC started the season 6-0. But entering Saturday, it had dropped seven straight games, including three by one goal, as injuries mounted. The 2016 and 2017 Tar Heel teams had been senior laden. An already inexperienced UNC team had been decimated by bumps, bruises and broken bones during the course of the year and then late in the week as it prepared to play the Fighting Irish, #1 face-off man Charles Kelly and first team midfielder Matt Gavin were added to Saturday's list of unavailable players. At any point, Carolina could have folded. And late in the third quarter seemed just as possible as any.

After the Tar Heels entered halftime leading 5-4, neither team scored until the 5:06 mark of the third quarter. Notre Dame then tied the game. Four minutes later, it seized a 6-5 lead.

The Fighting Irish's sixth goal eliminated the chance of UNC winning the goals allowed tiebreaker and qualifying for the ACC Tournament. Carolina could still qualify by winning by eight goals or more. But that seemed unlikely given the game's pace. Still, the Tar Heels stayed aggressive. They battled for one another.

"I can't be more proud of these kids," Breschi said. "With 13 guys out for the season, they have fought tooth and nail for one another, and we've got guys stepping on the field who have never seen the light of day making plays. They did last week in a really, really tough loss (at Syracuse). And certainly you saw that today on Senior Day."

UNC scored two goals in less than a minute to enter the fourth quarter with a 7-6 lead. But with just under five minutes left, Notre Dame led 9-8. Carolina needed someone to step up offensively. And that person was appropriately Cloutier.

Time and time again during his career, Cloutier displayed a knack for clutch performances. None were more notable than those he delivered on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2016 NCAA Tournament and the MVP of the 2017 ACC Tournament.

Saturday, Cloutier came through again, scoring two goals just 38 seconds apart. His outburst handed UNC a 10-9 lead. Then Alex Bassil preserved it.

Bassil entered the season as the Tar Heels' fourth-string goalkeeper, but injuries and other issues earned him the starting job. Saturday was his fifth straight start. Last time out, he allowed a game-tying goal with 48 seconds left in regulation at Syracuse. The Orange eventually won 13-12 in overtime.

That moment came to mind, he said, as Notre Dame's Bryan Costabile started charging down the field with about 20 seconds left Saturday. But this time, Bassil made the play. He dove to his left and deflected the shot, sealing the victory for the seniors.

"They're an amazing group," said Bassil, who finished with a career-high 14 saves. "Every senior class is different, and they're all such good leaders. We have five captains, but they could all be a captain. They're all amazing. I love every one of them."

So does Breschi. So does Andy Matthews, who was brought to tears when a reporter asked him about what this year's seniors, his brothers, have meant to him. He's watched and learned from them. And this time next year, he'll follow in their footsteps as one of the team's senior leaders.

But there's still plenty of time until then. Saturday was about celebrating the current seniors – and sending them off with a victory.

"This is the second time in four years we've been able to go out with a win," Cloutier said. "If we had to end our season today, that's how you want to do it. I can leave here winning my last game with my family."

A family he knows he'll always be a part of.

Players Mentioned

Alex Bassil

Chris Cloutier

Matt Gavin

Charles Kelly

Andy Matthews

Related Videos