Standout Sophomores

March 26, 2015 | Men's Lacrosse

By: UNC Athletic Communications

By Lena Welch

UNC Athletic Communications Student Assistant

Every year, a team must look at the players it has lost to graduation and figure out who will replace them on the field. For Carolina men's lacrosse, the sophomores have stepped up to the challenge, helping to lead the Tar Heels to a 9-1 start.

The success of an attack unit depends on chemistry. When there are two attackmen who have been playing together for three years, it may be difficult to find someone who can keep up. Sophomore Luke Goldstock has proven that he works well with senior Jimmy Bitter and Joey Sankey, with each attackman racking up more than 40 points this season.

“Out of the season we knew there was going to be a third spot,” Goldstock said. “I don't know if it was a process, but I just put in a lot of hard work. Walker Chafee's a great attackman too, so we battled it out in the fall. Then fortunately for me, I ended up with a spot.”

As Carolina's leading goal scorer, Goldstock has proven himself an integral part of the offense. He takes advantage of the attention Bitter and Sankey draw to finish the play. And usually it is a play; only eight of Goldstock's 32 goals were unassisted.

“I think a lot of my success is due to them, because they cause so much attention that when they're sliding, I just get some open opportunities. I'm very fortunate to be able to play with them. It's kind of weird, like watching them play on TV when I was in high school, and now I'm out playing with them. I owe a lot to them because they're so fast and quick and they have good vision. They get so much attention and just hit me when I'm open.”

On a team typically praised for its offense, the defensive midfield has been making some waves. None more impactful than sophomore Tate Jozokos. Jozokos played in only three games last year for the defensive-midfield laden Tar Heels, but with the graduations of All-American Ryan Creighton, Mark McNeill and Greg McBride, Jozokos has become a contributing defensive midfielder and the seventh-leading scorer for Carolina.

“I came in freshman year knowing that I would be behind those three guys,” Jozokos said. “I kind of used that year as just getting my feet underneath me and just getting acquainted with D-Mid. I can almost guarantee you, no one in NCAA comes in from high school as a defensive midfielder . . . So my thing was taking last year, just learning from those three and taking bits and pieces from them and kind of creating my own sense of the game for defensive midfield. Then this summer, knowing that there's three spots that have to be filled, and just honing in on those skills and getting stronger, faster and just gaining confidence at the defensive side of the ball, definitely helped me get into the spot that I am right now.”

And Jozokos has proven himself on the defensive side of the ball. He earned both ACC and national Defensive Player of the Week honors for his effort against No. 1 Denver in late February, becoming the first defensive midfielder at Carolina to do so.

“I'm not going to say it was all skill, but there was some luck involved,” he said. “Some balls bounced my way, but getting myself in that position, like what we practice almost every day, face-off wing play. Knowing where to go, especially on the wings, and then being ready when the ball comes to you to scoop through it and being comfortable with the ball to make the right pass or make the right move was definitely what helped me be successful.”

Unlike Carolina's attack and defensive midfield units, the starting midfield line from 2014, comprised of Chad Tutton, Steve Pontrello and Shane Simpson, was returning for 2015. So sophomore Peyton Klawinski was just as surprised as anyone when he worked his way into the starting role by the first game. Now, Klawinski's 17 points are the fifth-most on the team.

“I stepped up just by kind of fluke,” Klawinski said. “I anticipated trying to have, not a starting role, I wouldn't say, because we had our starting midfield coming back, but I definitely wanted to contribute this year, so I made a push through the summer and prepared myself to step into a contributing role on the team. Then just as people were getting hurt, I kind of inched my way up, so it was definitely a little bit of a surprise, but I've enjoyed being a part of it.”

Klawinski is used to setting goals for himself. He has worked hard even to earn a chance on a Division I team. In fact, Klawinski credits a visit from star Naval Academy player and fellow Tennessean Ben Bailey as the moment he decided he wanted to play. Because Klawinski did not face the best competition in high school, he took it upon himself to practice, particularly shooting. When Klawinski puts his shot on cage, it usually goes in; 14 of his 17 shots on goal have been scores.

For the sophomore class, being able to step up all over the field is something they have been looking forward to. Not only do the sophomores get to play together, but they have taken up the roles that the team needed to be filled. From returning starter at close defense Austin Pifani to face-off specialist Stephen Kelly, whose 2014 was cut short by an injury, to redshirt freshman Brian Balkam, who began the year in goal in place of injured two-year starter Kieran Burke.

“We're a very close-knit group,” Klawinski said. “Everyone is always together. We were always looking forward to the day that we all contribute. Last year there was a couple of guys who contributed, and we were all behind them. But now that we have everyone contributing, it really means a lot to each of us that we can all be there for one another and that we're all playing together. It's just a really awesome experience.”

Goldstock adds that it is more than just an awesome experience: Hard work has been a big part of the sophomores' success.

“I think we have a great mentality. I don't think that most of us were really highly recruited high school players, for an ACC team, but we have a lot of hard workers. You could look at Peyton Klawinski. Last year, didn't touch the field that often, was on the scout team, just worked his butt off, and now he's on the first midfield line. It's just crazy. Hard work really does pay off, especially when you have a good mentality and unselfish guys who just give themselves up to the team.”