University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Providence
McElduff's Career Day Powers Carolina By Providence
April 23, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
April 23, 2006
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The North Carolina men's lacrosse team got the benefit of a career-high four goals from senior midfielder Andrew McElduff and defeated Providence College 11-7 Sunday afternoon in the Tar Heels' final game of the regular season. UNC won its second match in a row after a nine-match losing streak and will carry a 4-9 overall record into the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Carolina led most of the game by a healthy margin with freshman midfielder Ben Hunt giving the Tar Heels the lead for good at 3-2 with 10:09 left in the second quarter. UNC's lead grew to as great as 8-2 on a six-goal run that culminated with a tally by Bart Wagner with 6:25 left in the third quarter. Providence then went on a 4-1 scoring run to pull within 9-6 with 6:33 left in the game on Michael Farley's fourth of five goals.
McElduff then scored with 5:36 to play in the game to restore the Tar Heels to a four-goal lead and he added his last goal with 2:34 to play to make the score 11-6.
Attackmen Bart Wagner and Drew Habeck and midfielder Ben Hunt added two goals each for Carolina and attackman Sean Link had the other UNC goal. Wagner led the Tar Heels with two assists and Link, Habeck and Nick Tintle also added assists for UNC.
Michael Farley represented over 70 percent of the Providence offense as he scored five goals. Tom Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Friars, who fell to 6-6 on the season as a crowd of 936 looked on with overcast skies and temperatures in the 50s. Farley did not start the game for PC but scored his five goals on 11 shots.
Carolina had an edge in shots 38-27 and ground balls 38-31. Providence led in face-offs 12-10 and in saves 10-6. UNC forced the Friars into six failed clears to help keep control of possession most of the match.
Carolina had a balanced output in ground balls with freshman face-off man Shane Walterhoefer claiming six while senior defenseman Billy Staines and senior attackman Drew Habeck each scooped up five. Bart Wagner and defenseman Tim Kaiser each had four ground balls.
McElduff's career high game came with four goals on seven shots. The senior had scored only two goals this season and 15 in his career before Sunday. His previous career high in a game was two against Duke on March 20, 2004.
Carolina will seek a positive end to an otherwise frustrating campaign when it plays in the 2006 ACC Tournament next Friday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. No. 2 seed Maryland will play No. 3 seed Carolina at 8 p.m. The winner of the semifinal game will play No. 1 seed Virginia Sunday at 3:30 p.m. for the title. UNC is seeking its first ACC championship since the 1996 season.
