University of North Carolina Athletics
Gosier Looks To Elevate Tar Heels As A Senior
November 15, 2001 | Men's Lacrosse
Nov. 15, 2001
By Ryan McDonough
Student Assistant
UNC Athletic Communications
Tim Gosier is used to being the best athlete on the field. At 5-10, 202, Gosier's speed and strength complement the lacrosse skills that made him a high school All-America. As a senior, Gosier was named the Massachusetts player of the year after leading his high school team to a state championship and a perfect record. In addition to being heavily recruited for lacrosse, he was offered scholarships to play Division I soccer.
When he got to Chapel Hill, Gosier quickly realized that just being an exceptional athlete wasn't good enough. "When I was a freshman we were doing sprints in practice and I stopped," says Gosier. "Coach Klarmann yelled at me, 'Don't ever give up. Never. No matter what you do, don't ever stop.' I know now that no matter how hard it gets, you can always go harder. I never want to give up again."
Gosier's work ethic has helped him get mentally stronger in situations that others would have backed away from. In his time at Carolina, Gosier has had to deal with a coaching change and injuries to his knees, shoulders, ankles and wrists. "This is the first fall I haven't been hurt. If you play year round, you kind of have a rhythm and are on top of your game. When you're hurt for a time, it kind of sets you back," he says.
While it is important for Gosier to feel good physically, he realizes that he's just one piece of the puzzle. His confidence in Carolina's 2002 squad is what gives him such high hopes for the upcoming season. "As a team, we want to win the ACC and go to the NCAA tournament. We have so much talent. It's just a matter of putting it together for a whole season."
Gosier is committed to winning, but he wouldn't mind reaching some personal goals along the way. "I want to try to get 30 goals this year. If I'm on the field as much as I usually am, I'll get a lot of shots. It's just about putting them away. If I score that many goals, I*ll probably be an All-American."
The fact that Gosier is playing lacrosse at Carolina isn't remarkable. What is significant is how he got to Chapel Hill. Gosier grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts, which has the reputation of being one of the toughest parts of Boston. "It's like any city, there are tough parts. If you go a few blocks down from where I live you have to watch yourself, but my area was pretty residential and quiet. I grew up in a pretty sheltered environment," he says.
Gosier credits his parents for shielding him from the potential hazards of the city and helping him become the person he is today. "My dad's pretty much my biggest role model," says Gosier. "He's a great speaker and a great motivator. He's very good at getting across what he wants and what he needs from me. He lives by what he says."
Larry Gosier motivated Tim to receive an education and helped him become the man that he is today. He also exposed his son to ridicule--at least on one occasion. "My dad actually got me a girls stick the first time, because I didn't know what it was and he didn't know either. I came out and my friends were all laughing because there was no pocket," says Tim.
When he figured out which stick to use, Gosier became a scoring machine. He averaged slightly less than five points per game as a high school senior and his goal scoring has nearly doubled each year that he has been at Carolina.
One of the reasons that Gosier had such a successful high school career was because he played with Mike Harney, who is now Georgetown*s captain. "Hopefully we'll meet them in the NCAA tournament this year and we'll see what happens," says Gosier.
As a senior who has never been to the NCAA tourney, it's Gozier'a last chance to help bring Carolina back to national prominence. The pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Gosier and the other Tar Heel seniors. No matter what happens, you know he won't give up.
