University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Rutgers (Scrimmage)
Blair & Wagner Propel Tar Heels Past No. 24 Rutgers 11-3
February 11, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
Feb. 11, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Led by four goals each by senior attackman Ryan Blair and freshman attackman Bart Wagner powered the No.14-rated North Carolina men's lacrosse team to an 11-3 exhibition win over No. 24 Rutgers Saturday afternoon at Henry Stadium. The North Carolina defense was dominant in the match, allowing the Scarlet Knights to score only one goal in the first 49:55 of the game.
Coach John Haus' Tar Heels, looking to atone for a 5-8 season a year ago, jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first quarter and the Heels led 7-0 by halftime.
Offensively, Blair, Carolina's leading scorer with 51 points in 2005, was brilliant with four goals and two assists. Wagner a freshman from St. Paul's School, had four goals and an assist.
Blair started the UNC scoring with a goal 2:07 into the match and just 1:26 after that Blair assisted on the first of two back-to-back goals by Wagner. Senior midfielder Andrew McElduff extended the lead to 4-0 with 1:08 left in the first quarter off a pass by Blair, his second assist of the quarter. Freshman attackman Michael Burns made the score 5-0 with one second left in the opening 15 minutes.
Wagner's third goal and Blair's second goal, assisted by Wagner, stretched the lead to 7-0 at halftime.
After Ted Stanwick got the Scarlet Knights on the board with 8:18 left in the third quarter Blair answered with the next two goals to make the score 9-1. The teams traded the last four goals with Austin Rodgers and Devon Britts scoring for Rutgers and Wagner notching his fourth goal and senior attackman tallying off an assist by senior close defenseman and team co-captain Hayward Howard to close the scoring with 3:26 left.
Trey Sheain and Grant Zimmerman split time in goal for Carolina, each playing 30 minutes. Sheain made four saves and did not allow a goal in the first half and Zimmerman made four saves in the second half. Senior Dave Werry won seven of 10 faceoffs and freshman Shane Walterhoefer was four of six at the faceoff X. Senior long-stick midfielder Billy Staines led UNC with six ground balls as UNC won that battle from Rutgers 39-20.
North Carolina outshot the Knights 42-20 while winning 12 of 17 faceoffs.
Carolina opens the regular season next Saturday against No. 21-ranked Ohio State at 1:30 p.m. at Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore, Md.
