University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Denver
Tar Heels Fall To #1 Denver In Overtime 13-12
March 5, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Connor Cannizzaro scored 1:02 into overtime to lift top-ranked Denver to a 13-12 victory over ninth-ranked North Carolina before 3,201 fans at Fetzer Field Saturday afternoon.
The Tar Heels were looking to beat a #1-ranked team for the fifth straight season but fell just short in a game which had multiple momentum swings, the last belonging to the undefeated Pioneers (5-0). The Tar Heels fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss.
Patrick Kelly had the second hat trick of his career and Michael Tagliaferri had his fourth three-goal game to lead the Tar Heels offensively. Luke Goldstock had two goals and two assists as he ran his goal-scoring streak to 22 straight games. Chris Cloutier had two goals and an assist while Steve Pontrello had a goal and two assists. Shane Simpson had a career-high three assists for the second straight game.
Zach Miller had four goals and an assist while both Cannizzaro and Jack Bobzien had three goals and two assists for the defending NCAA champion Pioneers. Tyler Pace had a pair of goals and a team-leading three assists for Denver.
The Pioneers outshot the Tar Heels 35-30 in the game but Carolina stayed in the game until the end because Brian Balkam outperformed Alex Ready between the pipes. Balkam finished with 12 saves, including nine in the second half when the Pioneers outshot the Tar Heels 21-13 He also equaled his career high for ground balls in a game with five. Ready finished with six saves for Denver.
The Tar Heels needed Balkam's performance to overcome Denver's advantage in the ground ball game and in the face-off circle. Trevor Baptiste went 21 for 28 in the face-off circle against a trio of Tar Heels and had a game-high eight ground balls. Baptiste won 14 of the 17 face-offs in the second half. Denver also had a decided edge in ground balls 35-21.
After Denver scored the opening goal of the game, the Tar Heels went on a three-goal run with tallies by Chris Cloutier, Luke Goldstock and Patrick Kelly putting UNC up 3-1 with 5:02 left in the first quarter.
After Denver scored the final two goals of the first quarter, Carolina ran off another three-goal run to start the second quarter as Tagliaferri, Klawinski and Kelly scored goals to put UNC ahead 6-3.
Carolina held on to the lead until midway through the third quarter when Denver began a scoring run which saw it tally six of seven goals. Zach Miller's goal with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter gave the Pioneers an 11-8 lead and it appeared they would be able to salt away the win.
The Tar Heels rallied, however, and eventually pulled ahead with 1:06 to play on a goal by Steve Pontrello. Tagliaferri scored back-to-back goals at 5:32 and 3:35 to pull the Tar Heels within a goal and then Patrick Kelly tied the game off an assist by Luke Goldstock with 2:12 to play. UNC won the ensuing face-off with Jack Rowlett at the face-off X and Steve Pontrello put the Heels ahead with 1:02 to play.
Denver then executed like the veteran team it is and with nine seconds to play got the tying goal from Miller, assisted by Austin French. The Pioneers had a chance to win the game in regulation but Balkam stopped Cannizzaro's shot with two seconds to play.
Baptiste won the overtime draw for the Pioneers and after a successful clear, Denver called timeout with 3:18 left. Twenty seconds later, Cannizzaro took a feed from Bobzien and scored from 12 yards out for the winning tally.
UNC will be back in action with two games next weekend. The Tar Heels will head to Amherst, Mass., to play the Massachusetts Minutemen next Saturday and then will face off against Manhattan on Monday, March 14.
