University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Denver
Balanced Scoring Attack Leads Tar Heels Back Into Win Column
March 9, 2004 | Men's Lacrosse
March 9, 2004
DENVER, COLO. - Four different North Carolina players tallied two goals and the Tar Heel defense limited its third straight opponent to single digits in goals as No. 9 Carolina got back in the men's lacrosse win column with an 11-6 triumph over previously unbeaten Denver Tuesday afternoon at Pioneer Field. Junior goalkeeper Paul Spellman limited Denver (3-1) to one first-half goal and attackmen Mike McCall, Jed Prossner, Ryan Blair and Scott Falatach each scored two goals to lead the Tar Heels on offense.
Carolina was coming off a stinging 9-8 overtime loss to Navy last Friday in Chapel Hill while the No. 10 Pioneers had opened the season with impressive victories over Vermont, defending NCAA champion Virginia and Sacred Heart. Tuesday afternoon in Denver was all business for the Tar Heels, however, as Carolina scored the first five goals of the game and eventually had as big as a seven-goal lead at 10-3 before the Pioneers scored three of the last four goals of the game.
UNC got on the board with 8:37 left in the first quarter as Scott Falatach scored off an assist by Mike McCall. Ryan Blair scored just 38 seconds later to stake the Tar Heels to a 2-0 lead at the end of the quarter.
McCall scored his first goal of the contest in the third minute of the second quarter, assisted by Blair, and then senior midfielder Dave Duffy scored his first goal since his freshman year with 6:05 left in the first half to make the score 4-0. Senior middie Johnny Seivold scored his second goal of the season with 14 seconds left in the half before Denver got on the board just five seconds after that on an unassisted goal by Scott Davidson. Seivold's goal exceeded his entire total of his junior year as he sets himself up for a solid senior campaign.
Carolina kept the pressure on the Pioneers by scoring the first two goals of the third quarter. Falatach scored an unassisted goal just 52 seconds into the quarter and then senor midfielder Dan Stringer scored the first goal of his UNC career, assisted by Prossner, with 12:39 to go in the period.
ack-to-back goals by Prossner, McCall and Blair staked Carolina to its biggest lead of the match at 10-3 with 13:20 to play before the Pioneers were able to stage a late rally. Greg Weigel's goal, assisted by Ryan Zordani, made the score 10-4 with 9:14 to play. Prossner made the score 11-4 on an unassisted goal for UNC with 2:03 to play and successive goals by Jeff Biggs and Davidson at 1:35 and 1:29 left the final margin at 11-6.
oth teams had 36 shots in the game while the Tar Heels had 38 ground balls to 34 for UD. Spellman finished with 14 saves and only six goals allowed in the goal for UNC. Denver's Brian Sanders had 13 saves. Senior Kevin Frew was a key player for UNC as he won 13 of 21 faceoffs and led Carolina with seven ground balls. On defense, seniors Matt Pessagno and Ronne Staines led the Tar Heel effort and had six and five ground balls, respectively.
Carolina will remain in Colorado to meet the No. 20 Air Force Falcons on Thursday in Colorado Spring, Colo. The Falcons are 2-1. Game time is 5 p.m. EST.
