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North Carolina Rallies Past Providence In Fourth Quarter
March 11, 2008 | Men's Lacrosse
March 11, 2008
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior attackman Bart Wagner scored the go-ahead goal with 6:55 to play as the No. 3-ranked North Carolina men's lacrosse team withstood a spirited upset effort by the home standing Providence College men's lacrosse squad Tuesday at the Friar Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The Tar Heels trailed, 5-4, heading into the fourth quarter and outscored Providence, 4-1, in the final frame to take an 8-6 victory. Wagner led the Tar Heels with his first hat trick of the season while Colin Tigh led the Friars with a trio of scores.
North Carolina improved to 5-0 with the victory while the Friars are winless in their five outings. The Heels are 5-0 to start a season for the first time since 2002 when they started 6-0. North Carolina's next test will be as rugged an assignment as there is when UNC meets No. 1 Duke Saturday at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C., at 3 p.m. UNC will be seeking its first win over the undefeated Blue Devils since 2004.
The win for UNC marked the first time since March 20, 2004 that the Tar Heels have trailed a game heading into the fourth quarter of play and rallied to win. The last time that happened came against Duke in Durham, N.C., when UNC trailed 7-6 going into the fourth quarter but rallied to win the game in overtime, 10-9.
North Carolina outshot the Friars 31-24 and also had the same statistical advantage in ground balls. The Friars had a 9-8 edge in the face-off circle. UNC junior Grant Zimmerman continued his solid play in goal as he made nine saves and allowed six goals. Robert Bryan of the Friars was credited with 12 saves while allowing the Tar Heels' eight goals.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Friars scored consecutive goals to start the second quarter. Henry Pynchon got things going 1:01 into the period with an unassisted tally. Bennett Murphy hit the back of the net with 11:01 on the clock off a feed from Bobby Labadini to give the Friars a 2-0 lead. UNC finished the quarter with two goals to tie the game, 2-2, heading into halftime. Sophomore midfielder Cryder DiPietro struck first for the Tar Heels at the 8:26 mark off an assist from sophomore midfielder Sean Delaney. Delaney then notched a goal of his own, his first of two on the day, with 2:44 remaining before halftime from Bart Wagner, who had three goals and an assist.
In the third quarter, UNC took a 4-2 lead after Delaney and Wagner notched goals at 8:51 and 5:57 of the period. Delaney's was an unassisted tally while Wagner received a feed from sophomore midfielder Sean Burke. The Friars answered with back-to-back goals from Colin Tigh at 5:06 and 2:34 to tie the score at 4-4. Labadini then converted for the Friars with one second left on the clock in the period to give the Friars a 5-4 advantage heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
Faced with its first deficit of the year going into the fourth quarter, North Carolina scored two early goals at 11:45 and 10:44 to pull ahead at 6-5. The first goal came off the stick of Wagner, assisted by sophomore attackman Gavin Petracca. Then 1:01 later, senior midfielder Rob Driscoll put the Heels back in front off an assist by junior midfielder Bent Hunt, this week's Inside Lacrosse/Nike National Player of the Week.
Tigh knotted the game for the Friars one last time at 6-6 with his third goal of the afternoon at the 7:08 mark of the fourth quarter. Robert Lamontagne was credited with the assist.
It proved to be the final goal of the afternoon for Providence as UNC closed out the game with two unanswered goals from Wagner and Michael B. Burns. Wagner put the Heels ahead for good just 13 seconds after the goal by Tigh. Senior Fletcher Gregory, who led the Heels with five ground balls, claimed the grounder on the ensuing face-off and fed Wagner for the game-winning tally. The assist was Gregory's second career point.
The Tar Heels then clinched the win as senior attackman Michael B. Burns chipped in an unassisted goal with 1:25 to play in the game.
Freshman Michael J. Burns filled in at the face-off spot for the second straight game, winning eight of his 17 tries.
