North Carolina
Lehigh
UNC Men's Lacrosse Beats Lehigh 11-10
May 4, 2000 | Men's Lacrosse
May 4, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The 14th-ranked University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team rode the back of a career-high six goals from junior attackman Jeff Sonke to defeat Lehigh 11-10 Thursday afternoon. In the process the Tar Heels presented outgoing head coach Dave Klarmann with his 100th career coaching victory on the collegiate level.
UNC, which clinched its first winning season since 1996 by finishing 8-6 this year, almost squandered a five-goal lead. But sophomore goalkeeper Kris Blindenbacher's save on a point-blank shot by Lehigh's Doug McKerns with two seconds remaining sealed the triumph for the Tar Heels. After leading by 6-1 early in the second quarter the Tar Heels saw Lehigh storm back and twice tie the game in the fourth quarter. But Sonke's fifth goal of the game, with 7:05 to play, gave the Tar Heels the lead for good. Senior attackman Matt Crofton followed with another goal with 6:04 to play to boost the Tar Heel lead to 10-8.
After Gabe Osorio scored his second goal of the game for the Mountain Hawks with 4:40 to play in the game, Sonke finished off the scoring for the Tar Heels with 2:37 to play, assisted by Crofton. UNC regained possession and appeared to have the game salted away but the Tar Heels turned the ball over twice and Lehigh's McKerns scored with eight seconds to play to cut the lead to one. The Mountain Hawks won the ensuing faceoff and charged downfield and had a good chance to score but Blindenbacher, who made seven saves on the day, made the most important stop of the game to preserve a narrow Tar Heel win.
Klarmann, who announced 11 months ago to the day that he would resign the head coaching position at UNC effective at the end of the 2000 season, finished his UNC career with a mark of 100-52 in 10 seasons. Two Carolina seniors also reached career scoring milestones in the game. Attackman Chase Martin recorded three assists on Thursday and finished his Carolina career with 161 points. That ties him for eighth in Carolina history with Brendan Carey (1993-96). Martin also finished with 98 goals, seventh in UNC history and 63 assists, tied for ninth in UNC lacrosse lore. Crofton finished his career with 63 assists, tying Martin for ninth place on the career chart. His 149 career points are 11th in UNC history.
Sonke's seven points tied his career high for points in a game that he had set previously this year against Navy on March 4. His six goals were his career high. That total equals the second most goals in a game by any Tar Heel in any match played since April 21, 1984. Only Jason Wade, who scored eight goals on eight shots against Maryland, on March 23, 1996 has scored more than Sonke since Mac Ford had eight in a win over Adelphi on April 21, 1984. Martin equalled his career high for assists in a game with three. He did that four times in his Tar Heel career.
Lehigh was led in scoring by Anthony Lowe with three goals and Gabe Osario with two goals.
