University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Hosts #1 Fighting Irish On Senior Day
April 22, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
2016 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA MEN'S LACROSSE GAME NOTES
Game 13: North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5 overall, 2-1 ACC, Ranked #16 USILA Division I Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll, Ranked #13 Cascade/Maverik Media Poll) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1 overall, 3-0 ACC, Ranked #1 USILA Division I Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll, Ranked #1 Cascade/Maverik Media Poll)
Saturday, April 23, 2016
12:00 p.m. EDT
Kenan Stadium
Chapel Hill, N.C.
KEY LINKS FOR SATURDAY'S GAME
Live Stats: GoHeels.com
Television Information: ESPNU/WatchESPN; Anish Schroff, Play by Play; Paul Carcaterra, Analyst
Webcast Information: WatchESPN
Purchase Tickets: GoHeels.com Ticket Center
Download Complete Game Notes In PDF Format
View 2016 UNC Men's Lacrosse Media Guide
TAR HEELS MEET #1 NOTRE DAME SATURDAY AT KENAN STADIUM: The University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team, under the direction of eighth-year head coach Joe Breschi, returns to action this Saturday when its plays the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 12 p.m. EDT. The match will be played at the Kenan Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels come into the game with a 7-5 record and a 2-1 mark in the ACC after falling at Syracuse 13-7 last Saturday in the Carrier Dome. The Tar Heels are ranked 16th this week in the USILA coaches poll and 13th the Cascade/Maverik media poll.
The Fighting Irish are 9-1 so far this campaign and 3-0 in the ACC. Notre Dame is coming off an 8-7 home win in overtime against Marquetteon April 17. Notre Dame is ranked first this week in the USILA coaches poll and first in the Cascade/Maverik media poll.
This marks the second straight year that the Tar Heels have played the Fighting Irish in the regular season when Notre Dame was ranked #1 in the nation. The Fighting Irish won last year's meeting 15-14 in Notre Dame, Ind.
Saturday's game will televised nationally live on ESPNU and Watch ESPN. Anish Schroff will be the play-by-play announcer for ESPN3 while Paul Carcaterra will be the analyst.
A live stats link will be available on GoHeels, the official website of UNC Athletics.
PURCHASE UNC-NOTRE DAME GAME: Fans can purchase tickets for the UNC versus Notre Dame men's lacrosse game in advance at the GoHeels.com Ticket Center. All tickets are $5 and seating is general admission. A reminder that Carolina students, faculty and staff will be admitted free of charge by showing their UNC One Cards at the Kenan Stadium gates.
TAR HEELS AT KENAN STADIUM: North Carolina improved to 5-0 in games played at Kenan Stadium over the past four seasons after beating Virginia there 16-8 on April 10.
UNC's last loss in the Tar Heel football stadium came on April 26, 2009 when Duke defeated Carolina 15-13 in the ACC Tournament championship game.
The Tar Heels have defeated Virginia twice (2013 & 2016) and Duke (2013), Johns Hopkins (2013) and Maryland (2014) once each in its past five games at Kenan Stadium.
HONORING THE TAR HEEL SENIORS: The UNC Class of 2016 will be honored prior to Saturday's game at Kenan Stadium. This group includes five seniors as well as two redshirt juniors all of whom came into the Tar Heel program in the fall of 2012.
The Tar Heel seniors are as follows:
Evan Connell, Senior Defenseman, Lutherville, Md.
Jake Matthai, Senior Midfielder, Baltimore, Md.
Patrick Kelly, Senior Midfielder, Timonium, Md. (2016 Captain)
Steve Pontrello, Senior Attackman, Marlton, N.J.
Zach Powers, Senior Defenseman, Columbus, Ohio
Mark Rizzo, Redshirt Junior Defenseman, Hewlett, N.Y.
Michael Tagliaferri, Redshirt Junior Midfielder, Danville, Calif.
ALUMNI WEEKEND AT CAROLINA: The UNC-Notre Dame game Saturday will be held in conjunction with the Tar Heels' annual Alumni Weekend activities.
Members of the Tar Heels' four NCAA championship teams - 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1991 - will be honored during halftime festivities.
CAROLINA VERSUS NUMBER ONE: With Saturday's match against #1 Notre Dame, the 2016 season will mark the fifth straight year UNC has played against a team ranked #1 in the nation in the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association coaches' poll. In fact, its the second time this season the Tar Heels have played host to the #1 team in the USILA poll. Carolina played then #1 Denver on March 5 at Fetzer Field with the Tar Heels falling to the Pioneers 13-12 in overtime.
UNC is 10-20 all-time against teams ranked #1 in the USILA coaches poll.
Carolina has had wins against #1 teams in each four years from 2012-15. Those wins came against Johns Hopkins 13-9 on April 1, 2012, against Maryland 10-8 on March 23, 2013, against Maryland 11-8 on March 22, 2014 and against Denver 12-10 on February 27, 2015.
Prior to the win against Johns Hopkins in 2012, Carolina had not beaten a #1-ranked team since April 6, 1996 when UNC beat Virginia 19-18 at Fetzer Field.
UNC VERSUS #1 TEAMS ALL-TIME IN USILA POLL (10-20)
March 13, 1974 - Maryland 16, UNC 8 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
May 24, 1980 – Virginia 11, UNC 10, two overtimes (at Charlottesville, Va.)
May 30, 1981 – UNC 14, Johns Hopkins 13 (at Princeton, N.J.)
May 21, 1983 – Johns Hopkins 12, UNC 9 (at Baltimore, Md.)
April 6, 1985 – UNC 11, Johns Hopkins 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
May 28, 1985 – Syracuse 14, UNC 13, overtime (at Syracuse, N.Y.)
May 24, 1986 – UNC 10, Johns Hopkins 9, overtime (at Newark, Del.)
April 8, 1989 – Johns Hopkins 16, UNC 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
May 26, 1990 – Syracuse 21, UNC 10 (at Piscataway, N.J.)
March 9, 1991 – UNC 10, Syracuse 3 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 6, 1993 – UNC 14, Syracuse 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 3, 1994 – Syracuse 17, UNC 10 (at Syracuse, N.Y.)
April 6, 1996 – UNC 19, Virginia 18 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 12, 1997 – Princeton 10, UNC 9 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
May 8, 1999 – Loyola 10, UNC 7 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
April 19, 2002 – Virginia 10, UNC 3 (at Durham, N.C.)
March 29, 2003 – Johns Hopkins 11, UNC 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
May 22, 2004 – Johns Hopkins 15, UNC 9 (at Charlottesville, Va.)
April 2, 2005 – Johns Hopkins 7, UNC 5 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
April 8, 2006 – Virginia 21, UNC 13 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 15, 2008 – Duke 19, UNC 9 (at Durham, N.C.)
April 6 2009 – Virginia 11, UNC 10 (at East Rutherford, N.J.)
April 10, 2010 – Virginia 7, UNC 5 (at East Rutherford, N.J.)
April 1, 2012 – UNC 13, Johns Hopkins 9 (at East Rutherford, N.J.)
April 7, 2012 – Virginia 15, UNC 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 23, 2013 – UNC 10, Maryland 8 (at College Park, Md.)
March 22, 2014 – UNC 11, Maryland 8 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
February 27, 2015 – UNC 12, Denver 10 (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
April 18, 2015 – Notre Dame 15, UNC 14 (at Notre Dame, Ind.)
March 5, 2016 – Denver 13, UNC 12, Overtime (at Chapel Hill, N.C.)
TAR HEELS POST DOMINATING WIN AGAINST UVA: The 11th-ranked University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team outscored 20th-ranked Virginia 10-1 over the opening 24 minutes of the game en route to a 16-8 victory over the Cavaliers on April 10 at Kenan Stadium.
Six Tar Heels had a pair of goals and Timmy Kelly had a goal and three assists to lead Carolina, which got a stellar day from goalkeeper Brian Balkam who made 14 saves while allowing just seven goals in 56 minutes of action. Stephen Kelly had another outstanding game at the X for UNC as he won 17 of 25 face-offs and scooped up a game-high 10 ground balls.
UNC held a 56-33 edge in shots on the Cavaliers, including 34-12 in the first half while racing to a 10-2 lead. The Tar Heels also won the ground ball battle 31-17 and ending up with a 17-10 edge in the face-off circle.
Timmy Kelly led the Tar Heels offensively with a career-high four points on a goal and three assists. Steve Pontrello had two goals and an assist for the Heels while Chris Cloutier had a goal and an assist. Patrick Kelly, Luke Goldstock, Michael Tagliaferri, Brian Cannon and William McBride each scored two goals for UNC.
Cannon and McBride each matched their career highs for goals in a game in leading UNC on the offensive end. Goldstock recorded a point for the 28th straight game, matching Bruce Ledwith for the 14th longest point producing streak in Tar Heel history.
Balkam had a career best game in the goal for UNC with 14 saves in 56:02 of action. He allowed just seven goals. It was an impressive bounce back effort for Balkam who left Carolina's previous game against Duke after just a quarter and a half.
BALKAM SHARES ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD: Notre Dame's Sergio Perkovic has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week, while teammate John Sexton and North Carolina's Brian Balkam are this week's co-Defensive Players of the Week as named April 11 by the ACC.
Tar Heel goalie Brian Balkam made a career-high 14 saves and allowed just seven goals as North Carolina defeated Virginia, 16-8, Sunday, April 10. Seven of Balkam's saves came in the first half on nine UVA shots on goal as the Tar Heels raced to a 10-2 lead at intermission. He made another six stops in the third quarter as Carolina carried a 12-4 lead into the fourth quarter en route to the 16-8 win. Balkam's previous career high for saves in a game was 12 versus Denver and Richmond earlier this year.
TAR HEELS START ACC SEASON WITH OVERTIME WIN AT DUKE: In a game filled with ebbs and flows, 15th-ranked North Carolina prevailed over ninth-ranked Duke 17-16 in overtime in men's lacrosse action before 3,957 fans at Koskinen Stadium on Friday night, April 1. Patrick Kelly scored the game-winning goal with two minutes remaining in the first overtime period to give the Tar Heels their first extra-time win since March 30, 2013 when they beat Johns Hopkins at Kenan Stadium.
This was the fourth consecutive game in the series to be decided by one goal and the third time the Tar Heels have triumphed against the Blue Devils dating back to the 2013 ACC Tournament semifinals in Chapel Hill. Steve Pontrello had a career-high six goals to lead the Tar Heels and Luke Goldstock matched his career high for assists in a game with four. Nine different Tar Heels scored in the game with Patrick Kelly, Michael Tagliaferri and Brian Cannon each scoring twice for the Tar Heels.
UNC outshot the Blue Devils 47-40 in the game. The Blue Devils finished with a 33-27 edge in ground balls. Stephen Kelly won 20 of 35 face-offs in the game, the third time he has won 20 or more face-offs in a game in his career. It was his second straight stellar performance against Duke as he won 22 face-offs in Carolina's 16-15 regular-season win over the Blue Devils at Fetzer Field last year. Kelly had a season-high 12 ground balls in the game and it marked the third time in his career he has won 12 or more ground balls in a game.
Freshman Colin Reder came off the bench to be a hero in the goal for the Tar Heels. Reder came on in relief of Brian Balkam after 23:24 of play and made 10 saves while allowing 10 goals the rest of the way. Reder made a huge save on a shot by Myles Jones with 2:46 left in overtime to give the Tar Heels the possession that led to Patrick Kelly's game-winning goal. Freshman defenseman Jack Rowlett picked up the ground ball off the save and the Tar Heels successfully cleared the ball and then called timeout. Kelly scored 16 seconds later after scooping up a loose ball and beating his defender down the left alley to score past Duke goalkeeper Danny Fowler.
CRUCIAL OVERTIME WIN: Patrick Kelly's goal two minutes into overtime on April 1 gave the Tar Heels their first overtime win since March 30, 2013 when it beat Johns Hopkins 11-10 at Kenan Stadium. Carolina had lost its last three overtime games since that win over Hopkins before beating the Blue Devils nine days ago.
In that win over the Blue Jays, R.G. Keenan won the opening face-off of overtime and then scored six seconds later.
Prior to Kelly's game-winner against Duke, the last time UNC won an overtime game during the run of play came on May 6, 2011 when the Tar Heels defeated Notre Dame 9-8 at Fetzer Field. Freshman Pat Foster scored the game-winning goal in that game 1:03 into the overtime period.
PONTRELLO WINS ACC & NATIONAL PLAYER OF WEEK AWARDS: North Carolina's Steve Pontrello was named the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA.com Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week on April 4, 2016.
The Tar Heel attackman scored a career-high six goals as No. 15 North Carolina won at No. 9 Duke 17-16 in overtime on Friday, April 1. It was Carolina's first win at Duke in six years. Pontrello scored his six goals in just seven shots on goal, and five of his goals were unassisted. He helped rally UNC from a three-goal deficit late in the third quarter by tying the game at 11-11 with 2:24 left in the quarter. Pontrello went on to score two more unassisted goals in the fourth quarter. The Marlton, N.J. native earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the second time this year.
TAR HEELS POST IMPRESSIVE NON-CONFERENCE WIN OVER RICHMOND: Chris Cloutier had a career high seven points, Brian Balkam matched his career high with 12 saves and Stephen Kelly continued his exceptional play in the face-off circle as the 17th-ranked University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team defeated 19th-ranked Richmond 15-6 on March 19 under the lights at Fetzer Field.
UNC won its second game in a row to improve to 5-3 on the season while Richmond saw its three-game winning streak end and it is now 6-2 on the campaign. It was Richmond's second trip to the Triangle region this season after it had beaten Duke 12-10 in Durham on March 7.
After yielding the game's first goal, the Tar Heels ran off five scores in a row and were never headed. The closest the Spiders were able to draw to UNC in the second half was four goals after Carolina took a 7-2 lead into intermission.
Cloutier was brilliant on the offensive end for UNC as he scored four goals and had a career high three assists leading to a personal best seven points in the game. Steve Pontrello and Patrick Kelly each had a hat trick for Carolina. Pontrello has recorded a hat trick in three straight games and now has six hat tricks in eight games this season. Patrick Kelly also had his second hat trick of the season. He also had one versus Denver. Both Michael Tagliaferri and Luke Goldstock had a goal and two assists for the Tar Heels.
UNC outshot the Spiders 42-31 in the match. Mitch Goldberg scored two goals to lead the Spiders' offense.
After giving up a goal on Richmond's first possession, Brian Balkam turned in the best performance of his career. The redshirt sophomore goalkeeper played 56 minutes, 46 seconds. He made 12 saves and allowed just six goals while also scooping up three ground balls. His 12 saves matched his career high set previously against Denver on March 5.
Carolina had challenges hanging onto the ball, making 17 turnovers and going just 12 of 17 clearing, but Stephen Kelly's performance at the X more than made up for it as he dominated the circle for the third straight game. He won 17 of 23 draws on Saturday night and scooped up a game-high seven ground balls. Over the past three games against Massachusetts, Manhattan and Richmond, Kelly has won 50 of 64 face-offs while also recording 25 ground balls. For the season he has won 64.1 percent of his face-offs, going 107 of 167. He has won 395 career face-offs, the fifth most in school history.
KELLY SHARES ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD: North Carolina's Stephen Kelly was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week in the Atlantic Coast Conference on March 21, 2016.
Kelly played an integral role for the Tar Heels in wins over Manhattan and No. 19 Richmond. He won 33 of 39 face-offs in the two games and scooped up 16 ground balls, allowing the Tar Heels to dominate possession in both victories. Against Manhattan, Kelly set the school record for face-off winning percentage in a game by winning all 16 of his face-offs. He came back with a tremendous performance against the Spiders, winning 17 of 23 draws and collecting a game-high seven ground balls as the Tar Heels took charge early and pulled away for a 15-6 win.
BOUNCE BACK WIN VERSUS JASPERS: Steve Pontrello scored a career-high five goals to lead the #17 North Carolina men's lacrosse team to an 18-2 victory over Manhattan at Gaelic Park on Monday, March 14. Twelve different Tar Heels scored goals in the game as the Tar Heels broke a two-game losing streak and improved to 4-3 on the season. The Jaspers fell to 1-7 with the loss. Pontrello led the Tar Heels with five goals and an assist, notching career highs for both goals and points in a game. His previous high for goals was four against Michigan in the season opener on February 6. Luke Goldstock had two goals and two assists in the game and Patrick Kelly had two goals and one assist. Goldstock has now scored a goal in 24 successive games for the Tar Heels, a figure tied for the fourth longest scoring streak in Carolina history.
In addition to 12 different goal scorers, UNC had 10 different players record assists. Jesse Cuccia, Patrick McCormick, Andy Matthews and Cole Haverty scored their first goals in Tar Heel uniforms. Ryan Macri and Alex McGovern each had their first career assists. Stephen Kelly set a school record for face-off winning percentage in a game as he won all 16 draws he took and had a game-high nine ground balls, the fourth time this season he has scooped up nine ground balls in a game. Freshman Charles Kelly went 4-for-4 at the X as the Tar Heels won 20 of 22 face-offs overall.
UNC outshot the Jaspers 56-14, including 35-7 in the first half en route to taking a 14-1 lead at intermission. The Tar Heels also won the ground ball battle 35-16. Brian Balkam, Colin Reder and Eddie Gilman shared goalkeeping duties for the Tar Heels in the victory. Michael Zingaro made the start for Manhattan and made 17 saves while allowing 14 goals in 46:52 of action.
The Tar Heels got out of the gate quickly, scoring five goals in the opening 8:40 of the game to take the lead. Pontrello scored the first and third goals and assisted on the second, a tally by Chris Cloutier. Goldstock and McCormick also scored for the Tar Heels in the 5-0 scoring run. Pontrello scored his third goal of the quarter, an unassisted tally, with three seconds left in the first period, making it 6-1 Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels outscored the Jaspers 8-0 in the second period of action with Stephen Kelly notching his first goal of the season off the opening face-off of the quarter. At 8:07, Andy Matthews scored his first career goal off an assist by Ryan Macri as the Tar Heels hit double digits.
Carolina went on another scoring run later in the first quarter as Shane Simpson, Timmy Kelly, Luke Goldstock and Steve Pontrello scored in a span of 2:17 to make it 14-1 Tar Heels with 1:42 left in the first half. Pontrello notched his fifth goal just 30 seconds into the second half to finish off his six-point performance. Patrick Kelly got his second goal of the game off Luke Goldstock's second assist at 6:40 of the period. After a goal later in the quarter by Manhattan, UNC finished off the scoring with two goals in the fourth period. Jesse Cuccia scored an unassisted goal 50 seconds into the period and then a pair of Tar Heel freshmen combined to scored at 4:33 with Cole Haverty scoring off an assist by Alex McGovern.
CAROLINA OPENS WITH BIG WIN OVER MICHIGAN: The 2016 version of the University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team opened its season in impressive style February 6, defeating Michigan 20-10 before a crowd of 2,006 fans at Fetzer Field on a sunny and chilly afternoon.
UNC's restyled starting attack got five points each from senior Steve Pontrello, junior Luke Goldstock and sophomore Chris Cloutier as the Tar Heels led 10-6 at halftime and then broke the game open by scoring the first seven goals of the second half. Cloutier, stepping in at attack with the Tar Heels' minus Joey Sankey and Jimmy Bitter lost to graduation, had a tremendous first career start with five goals on seven shots. Pontrello had four goals and an assist, topping his career bests for both goals and points in a game. Luke Goldstock, picked up where he left off from last year, when he scored 50 goals, as he had two goals and three assists.
This early season game ended up being a shooter's day for both teams as the Tar Heels scored 20 goals on 43 shots and Michigan tallied 10 times on 25 shots. UNC led in ground balls 44-24 with eight Tar Heels claiming three or more grounders led by senior Jake Matthai's five. Carolina had a 20-14 edge in the face-off circle with junior Stephen Kelly winning 12 of 21 and freshman Charles Kelly going 7 for 12. The other thing that stood out on the stat sheet was Carolina's man-down defensive unit which limited Michigan to one goal on six attempts.
For the Tar Heels, William McBride had two goals and an assist and freshman Timmy Kelly notched his first two career goals. Patrick Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Tar Heels. William McBride's two goals in the game were a career high for the sophomore midfielder. Luke Goldstock scored a goal and recorded a point for the 18th straight game against the Wolverines.
TAR HEELS SWEEP ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS: No. 6 North Carolina swept the season's first set of weekly ACC honors, as senior attackman Steve Pontrello was tapped as the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week, and teammate senior short-stick defensive midfielder Jake Matthai was the ACC Men's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week. The awards were announced on Monday, February 8, 2016.
A three-year starter in the midfield, Pontrello opened his senior year with his first-ever starting assignment on attack and excelled with four goals and one assist for five points in the Tar Heels' 20-10 victory over Michigan. Pontrello scored four times on six shots. His four goals were a career high (previous was three) and his five points were also a career high (previous was four).
Matthai led the Tar Heels defensively in the season-opening victory over the Wolverines. He helped limit the Michigan midfield corps to just three goals in the game, led Carolina in a 13-for-14 clearing effort, and had a team high five ground balls as the Tar Heels dominated the ground ball game 44-24. He also scored his first goal of the season in the fourth quarter to finish off a strong offensive effort by Carolina.
CAROLINA'S BIG FIRST HALF LEADS HEELS PAST PALADINS: Five Tar Heel players combined for 12 goals and UNC dominated the face-off circle in the final three quarters to emerge with a 14-6 victory over Furman in men's lacrosse action at Fetzer Field February 13. A crowd of 602 fans braved a 30 degree temperature at sun-soaked Fetzer Field to take in the action.
Luke Goldstock scored in his 19th straight game to lead the Tar Heel offense with three goals and an assist. Steve Pontrello had three goals, Patrick Kelly had two goals and an assist and Michael Tagliaferri added a pair of goals. Peyton Klawinski and Jordan Prysko also scored for the Heels. Jake Matthai recorded a pair of assists. UNC's starting attack combined for eight goals and an assist while the first midfield unit had four goals and two assists.
UNC outshot the Paladins in every quarter and finished with a 50-23 edge. UNC also won the ground ball battle 40-25 with junior midfielder Stephen Kelly leading the way with nine ground balls. After the Paladins won six of nine face-offs in the first quarter, UNC won 12 of the last 14 face-offs in the match, including all eight draws in the second half. Kelly finished 14 of 22 at the X for the Heels. Brian Balkam started in goal for the Tar Heels and played 58 minutes, making nine saves and allowing just five goals. He also had three ground balls and one caused turnover.
TAR HEELS BOUNCE BACK WITH WIN AT #8 HOPKINS: The 10th-ranked North Carolina men's lacrosse team outscored No. 8 Johns Hopkins 5-0 over the last 8:16 of the game to earn a 15-11 victory over the Blue Jays before a crowd of 3,605 at Homewood Field and a national television audience on ESPNU on February 28.
Chris Cloutier had a four-goal game for the Tar Heels, just one shy of his career high for goals in a game, to lead the Tar Heels. Steve Pontrello had three goals for the Heels as he recorded his third hat trick of the 2016 season. Michael Tagliaferri matched his career high for goals in a game with his hat trick. Shane Simpson had two goals and a career high three assists while Patrick Kelly had two goals and an assist and Luke Goldstock scored a goal in his 21st successive game. That's the fifth longest active goal scoring streak in the nation.
UNC outshot the Blue Jays 40-37 and had a 36-29 edge in ground balls. Stephen Kelly had a tremendous day in the face-off circle for UNC as he won a season-high 17 of 25 draws, scooped up a game-high nine ground balls and also assisted on a goal. The Tar Heels won the game by coming from behind in the last nine minutes of play. Carolina tied the game with 8:16 to play as Cloutier scored off a Blue Jay turnover to tie the game at 11-11. Stephen Kelly would go on to win the next two face-offs and the Tar Heels scored on both possessions. Tagliaferri gave the Tar Heels the lead 12-11 off an assist by Shane Simpson with 6:57 to play. Simpson then notched an unassisted goal 38 seconds later to up the UNC lead to 13-11. Pontrello scored his third goal of the second half to give the Tar Heels separation at 2:04 and Cloutier finished off the scoring off an assist by Patrick Kelly with 22 seconds to play to give the Tar Heels a 15-11 victory.
The Johns Hopkins-North Carolina series continues to be one of streaks by both teams. Hopkins leads the all-time series 24-20 but UNC has now won five in a row versus the Blue Jays as well as nine of the last 10 meetings. UNC has also won four in a row over the Blue Jays at Homewood Field. The 15 goals scored by Carolina were the most by a UNC team against Hopkins since May 29, 1993 when the Tar Heels won 16-10 in the NCAA semifinals in College Park, Md.
KELLY NAMED NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: University of North Carolina junior midfielder Stephen Kelly (Lutherville, Md.) was named March 1 as the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Lids Team Sports Division I Defensive Player of the Week.
Kelly, who was named the previous day as the ACC Defensive Player of the Week, earned the national award after a brilliant performance in 11th-ranked North Carolina's 15-11 win at #8 Johns Hopkins on February 28.
Kelly won 17 of 25 face-offs in the match, including six of eight in the fourth quarter when the Tar Heels outscored the Blue Jays 6-2. After the Tar Heels tied the game on a Chris Cloutier goal with 8:16 to play, Kelly won back-to-back face-offs leading to goals by Michael Tagliaferri and Shane Simpson as the Tar Heels pulled away for the win.
Kelly's 17 face-off wins were a season high and his nine ground balls equaled his season high.
TAR HEELS SWEEP ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS: North Carolina received both Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse weekly awards following the Tar Heels' win at No. 8 Johns Hopkins on February 28. Junior midfielder Shane Simpson was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week, while junior midfielder Stephen Kelly earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Simpson registered a career-high five points on two goals and three assists while making several key plays during a fourth-quarter UNC rally. He assisted on Michael Tagliaferri's goal with 13:14 to play to put the Tar Heels ahead, 10-9, and found him again for the game -winning goal with 6:57 remaining. He then gave the Tar Heels a two-goal cushion, 13-11, 38 seconds later en route to the 15-11 victory.
Kelly won 68 percent of his face-offs against Johns Hopkins, including six of eight in the fourth quarter as the Tar Heels outscored the Blue Jays 6-2 in the final frame. With the game tied 9-9 going into the fourth, Kelly helped the Tar Heels dominate possession as they scored five unanswered goals to end the game. His 17 face-off wins were a season high and marked the eighth time in his career he has won as many as 15 in a game. He had a game-high nine ground balls, matching his season high.
UNC DEPTH CHART: Heading into the game versus Notre Dame, the Tar Heel depth chart shapes up as follows.
Starting Attack-Luke Goldstock, Jr.; Steve Pontrello, Sr,; Chris Cloutier, So.
First Midfield-Patrick Kelly, Sr.; Michael Tagliaferri, RS Jr.; Shane Simpson, Jr.;
Second Midfield-Timmy Kelly, Fr.; William McBride, So.; Brian Cannon, So.
Close Defense–Jack Rowlett, Fr.; Ryan Macri, RS So.; Ryan Pifani, Jr.
Goalkeeper-Brian Balkam, RS So.,
Short Stick Defensive Midfielders–Brett Bedard, Jr.; Jake Matthai, Sr.; Timmy Gehlbach, So.; Tate Jozokos, Jr.
Long Stick Defensive Midfielder–Jack Lambert, RS So.; Evan Connell, Sr.; Kyle Mathie, So.
Face-Offs–Stephen Kelly, Jr.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICAS: The Tar Heels have three All-America players returning from the 2015 team, having lost five to graduation.
Close defenseman Austin Pifani was named second-team USILA All-America last year while short-stick defensive midfielder Tate Jozokos was a third-team selection. Attackman Luke Goldstock, who scored a school record 50 goals last season, was an honorable mention choice last year.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA & ALL-ACC: Tate Jozokos, Austin Pifani and Luke Goldstock were all named to the preseason All-ACC Team chosen by the conference's five head coaches and sponsored by Face-Off Yearbook and Inside Lacrosse.
Face-Off Yearbook named Jozokos and Pifani as preseason first-team All-Americas going into 2016 while junior midfielder Peyton Klawinski was a third-team choice and Goldstock earned honorable mention status.
CAROLINA VS. NOTRE DAME SERIES NOTES: Notre Dame leads the all-time series against North Carolina 7-6. The Fighting Irish are currently on a three-game winning streak against the Tar Heels. Each of the last three games have been decided by a single goal. Notre Dame won 10-9 in triple overtime in South Bend in 2013. The Fighting Irish prevailed against the Tar Heels 11-10 at Fetzer Field in 2014 and won last year in South Bend 15-14.
UNC is seeking its first win in the series since the regular-season finale in 2011 when the Tar Heels defeated the Fighting Irish 9-8 in overtime at Fetzer Field.
UNC HEAD COACH JOE BRESCHI: Joe Breschi, UNC Class of 1990, leads the Tar Heels in his eighth season at Carolina. Breschi is 89-39 in his eight years at Carolina, a winning percentage of 69.5 percent. He also coached 11 years at Ohio State and is 181-102 overall in 19 seasons as a head coach. His overall winning percentage at Ohio State and UNC combined is 63.9 percent. On April 3, 2015, UNC head coach Joe Breschi won his 80th game at Carolina. His 80th win came in Carolina's 10-6 triumph at Virginia. His 180th overall victory came in a 17-16 overtime victory against Duke on April 1, 2016 at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Breschi Coaching Facts:
• 89-39 in 8 seasons at UNC (69.5)
• 181-102 in 19 seasons overall (63.9)
• 18-16 in one-goal games at UNC
• 47-34 versus ranked teams at UNC; 42-5 versus unranked teams at UNC
• 70-16 versus non-conference teams at UNC
• 57-10 in home games at UNC
ANOTHER DOUBLE DIGIT WIN SEASON UNDER COACH BRESCHI: Despite playing against one of the nation's toughest schedule in 2015, the Tar Heels reached a double digit win total for the seventh successive year under the tutelage of head coach Joe Breschi, who was hired in June 2008.
Breschi is the first head coach in UNC history to post double digit win totals in each of his first seven years mentoring the Tar Heels. Other than Breschi, Dave Klarmann (1991-94) is the only other coach to win 10 or more games in each of his first four seasons. Under Breschi's leadership, UNC went 12-6 in 2009, 13-3 in 2010, 10-6 in 2011, 11-6 in 2012, 13-4 in 2013, 10-5 in 2014 and 13-4 in 2015.
The 2009-15 streak marks the first time UNC has won 10 or more games in a season in seven straight years. UNC won 10 or more games in six straight seasons from 1989-94.
GOLDSTOCK SCORING STREAKS: UNC junior attackman Luke Goldstock had scored a goal in 25 straight games before being held off the scoreboard in UNC's 11-8 loss at Maryland on March 26. That was the third longest active streak in the nation before it ended.
Goldstock had scored 64 goals in that span which began on February 7, 2015. Goldstock's 25-game goal scoring streak equaled the third-longest streak in UNC lacrosse history.
Goldstock has also recorded at least one point in 29 straight games which equals the 17th longest current streak in the nation. Over those 29 games, the Niskayuna, N.Y., native has scored 69 goals and added 34 assists for 103 points. His 29-game point scoring streak is the equal of the 13th longest in Tar Heel history.
CAROLINA'S MLL DRAFTEES: After having four players drafted this past January in the Major League Lacrosse Draft, UNC ranks in a tie for sixth all-time in total number of draftees with 31. Syracuse has had the most players drafted with 57, followed by Virginia with 49, Maryland with 47, Johns Hopkins with 44, Duke with 34 and North Carolina and Towson with 31. Massachusetts has had 26 draftees followed by Hofstra with 25, Cornell with 23, Georgetown with 23 and Loyola with 20.
UNC VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS UNDER COACH BRESCHI: North Carolina has played nationally ranked opponents 81 times in Joe Breschi's eight-year coaching tenure. UNC will face #1 Notre Dame on Saturday in its next game against a ranked opponent. UNC is 47-34 in those games, a winning percentage of 58.0 percent.
Conversely and as would be expected, the Tar Heels are 42-5 against unranked opponents in his eight seasons for an outstanding winning percentage of 89.4 percent. Breschi is 89-39 overall at Carolina in his eight seasons as head coach. During Breschi's tenure, UNC's only losses to unranked teams came at Ohio State in 2011, at home to Lehigh in 2012, at Pennsylvania in 2012, at home to Hofstra and at Massachusetts in 2016.
CAROLINA'S STELLAR MARK IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES: UNC's record in non-conference games continues to be one of the best in the nation over the past nine seasons. The Tar Heels have won 92 of their past 112 games against non-conference teams dating back to April 15, 2006.
In Joe Breschi's eight seasons as head coach, the Tar Heels are a brilliant 71-16 against non-conference teams, a winning percentage of 81.6. The only non-conference losses were to Notre Dame in 2009, to Ohio State and Johns Hopkins in 2011, to Lehigh, Pennsylvania and Denver in 2012, to Massachusetts, Notre Dame and Denver in 2013, to Denver in 2014, to Maryland twice in 2015 and to Hofstra, Denver, Massachusetts and Maryland in 2016.
NEAR DOMINANCE AT HOME UNDER BRESCHI: UNC is 57-10 in home games in Coach Joe Breschi's eight years at the helm of the Tar Heels. That's a winning percentage of 85.1 percent. UNC's only home losses during Breschi's four-year tenure include regular-season and ACC Tournament games to Duke in 2009, a regular-season loss to Duke in 2011, an NCAA Tournament loss to Maryland in 2011, regular-season losses to Lehigh and Virginia and an NCAA Tournament loss to Denver in 2012, a regular-season loss to Duke in 2013, a regular-season loss to Notre Dame in 2014 and regular-season losses to Hofstra and Denver in 2016.
Under Breschi's tutelage,the Tar Heels had won 17 successive home games under Breschi's tutelage before being upset at home by Hofstra on February 20.
CAROLINA IN HOME GAMES: North Carolina has an all-time record of 282-122-2 in home games. That included a perfect 11-0 record in 2015. In Joe Breschi's eight-year tenure as head coach he has twice led Carolina to unbeaten records at home – 7-0 in 2010 and 11-0 in 2015. Since 1949, UNC has had eight undefeated home seasons, two under the tutelage of Breschi. UNC has a 69.6 percent winning percentage all-time in history in home games.
THE ALL-TIME RECORD: North Carolina has an all-time record of 474-287-2 in the sport of men's lacrosse. That is a winning percentage of .623.
CAROLINA'S IMPROVEMENT IN ONE-GOAL DECISIONS: Prior to Joe Breschi taking over as head coach in 2009, UNC went 1-7 in games decided by one goal from midway through the 2004 season through the end of the 2008 campaign. Carolina has improved tremendously in one-goal games since Breschi arrived for the 2009 season. UNC is 18-16 in games decided by one goal over the past eight years.
FOUR TAR HEELS CHOSEN IN 2016 MLL DRAFT: Four seniors on the 2016 University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team were selected in the Major League Lacrosse Draft on January 22.
Senior attackman/midfielder Steve Pontrello was the first Tar Heel chosen in the draft. He was chosen in the third round by the Florida Launch with the draft's overall No. 25 pick.
Senior midfielder Jake Matthai was taken in the fifth round of the draft with the overall No. 41 pick by the Boston Cannons.
Senior defenseman Zach Powers was taken in the sixth round of the draft with the overall No. 50 pick by the Ohio Machine, based in Powers' hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In the seventh round with the 54th pick the Charlotte Hounds chose UNC senior defenseman Evan Connell.
CAROLINA'S DOUBLE DIGIT SCORING GAMES: In Coach Joe Breschi's eight years as head lacrosse coach at UNC, Carolina's success has in large part been tied to hitting the 10-goal plateau in a game. In fact UNC's 13-12 overtime loss to Denver on March 5, marked only the 14th time in Breschi's coaching tenure that the Tar Heels have lost when they have reached the 10-goal plateau. UNC has scored at least 10 goals in a game in 96 of 128 games under Coach Breschi's direction dating back to the opening game of the 2009 season. Carolina is 82-14 in those 96 games. As would be expected, in the 32 games under Coach Breschi's tutelage in which the Tar Heels have not reached the 10-goal mark, UNC has not fared nearly as well as when it scores in double figures. In fact, the Tar Heels' record in those 32 games is 7-25.
UNC CLAIMS ANOTHER SEASON OPENING WIN: The Tar Heels beat Michigan 20-10 in their 2016 season opener on February 6. UNC has won every season opener since the 1999 season, running its streak to 18 seasons in a row with the win over the Wolverines. Carolina's last loss in a season opener came on February 22, 1998 when the Tar Heels fell to Butler 13-12 at Fetzer Field.
2016 TAR HEEL PLAYER NOTES
Brian Balkam, Redshirt Sophomore Goalkeeper, St. James, N.Y.
• Has started the all 12 games in goal for the Tar Heels. Has played 636 minutes and has a goals against average of 9.62.
• Had a then career high 12 saves in games against Denver and Richmond.
• In UNC's 16-8 win over Virginia on April 10, he set a new career high for saves in a game with 14. Had seven first-half saves in the game as the Tar Heels bolted to a 10-2 lead at intermission.
• Named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on April 11 after his career best performance in the win over the Cavaliers.
• Recorded career high for ground balls in a game with five each against Hofstra and Denver.
• Started the first seven games of the 2015 season in goal. Played in 8 games overall last season.
• Did a solid job for the Tar Heels. Played 221 minutes and had a save percentage of .556 and goals against average of 7.61.
• Posted a 5-0 goalkeeper record. His career goalkeeper record going into the Virginia game is 10-4.
• 2015 season high for saves was seven versus High Point. Had six saves each versus Furman and Massachusetts and five against Johns Hopkins.
• Had a season high four ground balls in win over High Point.
Brett Bedard, Junior Short Stick Defensive Midfielder, Annapolis, Md.
• Key player in the short stick defensive midfield for UNC.
• Has played in all 12 games. Had two ground balls and a caused turnover in win at Johns Hopkins.
• Scored first goal of the season in 17-16 overtime win at Duke on April 1.
• Has five ground balls and three caused turnovers in 2016.
• Played in 16 games for the Tar Heels last season.
• Scored goals against Manhattan and in the ACC Tournament semifinal versus Syracuse
• Had five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Had season high two ground balls versus Bryant.
Chris Cloutier, Sophomore Attackman, Kitchener, Ontario
• After playing in only two games as a freshman he has moved into starting lineup this year at attack.
• Ranks second on team in goals with 23, tied for second in assists with 10 and third in points with 33.
• Scored five goals in season opener versus Michigan, which equals the second most in a game by a Tar Heel this season.
• Scored four goals in win at Johns Hopkins including two in the fourth quarter when the Tar Heels scored the last five goals of the contest to pull away for a 15-11 win. Scored the game-tying goal with 8:16 to play to spark the 5-0 scoring run.
• Has scored at least twice in six games in 2016.
• Had a career high three assists, career high seven points and career high four ground balls versus Richmond. His four goals against the Spiders were one short of his career high.
Brian Cannon, Sophomore Midfielder, Northport, N.Y.
• Scored a pair of goals in Tar Heels' win at Duke.
• Also scored twice in win over Virginia on April 10.
• Moved into the second midfield unit in midseason.
• Scored two goals against Manhattan in freshman year.
Evan Connell, Junior Defenseman, Lutherville, Md.
• UNC's top long stick defensive midfielder. Has played in all 12 games and has 21 ground balls and nine caused turnovers.
• Scored first goal since his sophomore year in season opener versus Michigan. Also had three ground balls and one caused turnover versus the Wolverines.
• Had two caused turnovers versus both Hofstra and Johns Hopkins.
• Matched his career high with five ground balls versus Massachusetts. Also had three ground balls in win over Duke.
• Played in 17 games last year including seven starting assignments at close defense.
• His 32 ground balls were the most he has had in a single season (25 as a freshman in 2013). He had 13 caused turnovers, two short of his freshman year total.
• Matched his career high for ground balls in a game with five versus Massachusetts.
Timmy Gehlbach, Sophomore Short Stick Defensive Midfielder, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
• Played in just three games as a freshman but has moved into a key role this year in the short stick defensive midfield.
• Has played in all 12 games.
• Had a career high three ground balls versus Massachusetts.
Luke Goldstock, Junior Attackman, Niskayuna, N.Y.
• Named to Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List.
• Preseason All-ACC selection.
• Face-Off Yearbook preseason honorable mention All-America honoree.
• Has started all 12 games this season.
• Ranks fourth on the team in goals with 19 and second in points with 36. Leads Carolina in assists with 17, seven more than any other Tar Heel player in 2016.
• Opened the season with a two-goal, three-assist performance versus Michigan. Also had four ground balls versus the Wolverines.
• Had three goals and an assist versus Furman.
• Goldstock had scored a goal in 25 straight games before that streak was broken in the Maryland game. That equaled the third-longest goal scoring streak in UNC history. It was the third longest current active streak in the nation when it came to an end.
• Has recorded a point in 29 straight games, equaling the 17th longest active streak in the nation. It's also matches the 13th longest point streak in UNC history.
• Passed the 100-point mark in career scoring with three points verus Richmond. Heads into Notre Dame game with 113 career points.
• Matched his career high for assists in a game with four against Duke on April 1. That equaled the four he had against Manhattan as a sophomore.
• 2015 USILA honorable mention All-America.
• Goldstock had 67 points last season after having just 10 as a freshman in 2014 when he was the first player off the bench at attack.
• Goldstock's 50 goals in 2015 were the most in a single season in UNC history. He broke Dennis Goldstein's previous school record of 47 goals from the 1991 season in the NCAA win over Colgate. Goldstein's record had stood for 24 years.
• Goldstock's 67 points were the eighth most in a single season in UNC history.
• Goldstock has 20 career multi-goal games, nine career multi-assist games and 28 career multi-point games.
Tate Jozokos, Junior Short Stick Defensive Midfielder, Wolfeboro, N.H.
• Preseason first-team All-America selection by Face-off Yearbook at the short stick defensive midfield position.
• Preseason All-ACC selection as short stick defensive midfield.
• Has played in 11 games this year and has 21 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Had three ground balls each versus Michigan, Furman and Johns Hopkins.
• Scored his second goal of the season in the Tar Heels' win over Virginia.
• Was a third-team All-America as chosen by USILA in 2015.
• Jozokos had five goals and five assists last year after having just one assist as a freshman. His 10 points equaled the most by any UNC short stick defensive midfielder last year. Michael Tagliaferri also had 10 points.
• Jozokos had a goal, an assist and a career high five ground balls in the win over #1 Denver on February 27, 2015. He was named ACC and NCAA Defensive Player of the Week the following week.
• Jozokos had nine games with three or more ground balls in 2015. He had 43 ground balls on the season, a total which ranks fifth on the team.
Patrick Kelly, Senior Midfielder, Timonium, Md.
• Team captain.
• Winner of team's Athletic Director's Scholar Athlete Award for 2015-16.
• Has started all 12 games in first midfield unit.
• Scored game-winning goal in overtime against Duke on April 1.
• Is tied for third on the team in goals scored with 20 and ranks fourth in points with 25.
• His 20 goals are three more than the 17 goals he scored in his first three years combined as a Tar Heel.
• Had two goals and an assist in both Furman and Johns Hopkins games.
• Notched hat tricks against both Denver and Richmond.
• Kelly had 13 points last season, three more points than he had as a sophomore.
• Played in all 17 games last season. Started the first 11 games in the first midfield unit and then ran in the second midfield contingent the rest of the year.
• Kelly has 10 career multi-goal games, two career multi-assist games and 17 career multi-point games.
• Ran in Carolina's second midfield unit as a sophomore, notching five goals and five assists.
Stephen Kelly, Junior Midfielder, Lutherville, Md.
• UNC's lead face-off man. Has won 60.2 percent of his draws this year, going 165 of 274 at the face-off X.
• Passed Kevin Frew in the Syracuse game with eight wins to move into third place in all-time in career face-offs won at Carolina.
• Leads Carolina in ground balls with 80. Season high for ground balls is 12 versus Duke. He also had 10 ground balls versus Virginia and nine versus Furman, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts and Manhattan.
• His 20 face-off wins versus Duke marked the third time in his career he has won at least 20 draws in a game. His 12 ground balls versus the Blue Devils marked the third time in his career he has scooped up at least a dozen ground balls.
• Set school record for face-off percentage in a game, winning all 16 draws in win over Manhattan on March 14.
• Has won 108 of his last 171 face-offs dating back to March 12.
• Was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week February 28 after winning 17 of 25 face-offs, scooping up nine ground balls and assisting on a goal in 15-11 win at Johns Hopkins.
• Tapped as USILA National Defensive Player of the Week on March 1 for his performance in the win over Hopkins and as NCAA.com National Defensive Player of the Week.
• Won ACC co-defensive player of the week honors after combined performances against Manhattan and Richmond.
• Kelly won 214 face-offs last year, the fourth most in a season in UNC history.
• Led the 2015 team with 102 ground balls, the 10th most in a season in UNC history.
• Ranks third in career face-offs won at Carolina with 436.
• Has 13 games in his career with 15 or more face-off wins.
• Has three of the top 10 individual ground ball totals in a game in Tar Heels' history.
• Amongst active NCAA Division I players he is 11th in career ground balls, ninth in career face-off wins and eighth in career face-off attempts.
Timmy Kelly, Freshman Midfielder, Lutherville, Md.
• Has started four games of the season in the first midfield unit.
• Has run out of the second midfield unit over the past eight games.
• Scored two goals in season opener versus Michigan.
• Recorded goals in back-to-back games against Manhattan and Richmond.
• Had a career-high four points in win over Virginia. Also had a career-high three assists in the victory over the Cavaliers.
Peyton Klawinski, Junior Midfielder, Memphis, Tenn.
• Key reserve in the offensive midfield for Carolina. Can also play attack.
• Scored a goal in each of the first three games of the season.
• Had a breakout year for the Tar Heels in 2015, being named the squad's most improved player.
• As a scout team player in 2014, he played in four games, scoring three goals. The sophomore midfielder from Memphis, Tenn., was elevated to the first midfield at the start of the 2015 season and responded with 19 goals and three assists for 22 points. Started 13 games last season in the first midfield unit.
• Has seven career multi-goal games and eight career multi-point games.
Jack Lambert, Redshirt Sophomore Long-Stick Defensive Midfielder, Cross River, N.Y.
• Has had a spectacular first half of the 2016 season. One of Carolina's leading long stick defensive midfielders.
• Has 19 ground balls this season, including a career high five versus Richmond, four against Furman and three in the win at Johns Hopkins.
• Missed his freshman year with a knee injury and played in only four games last year.
• Coach Breschi called him one of the most improved players on the team in the fall.
Ryan Macri, Red-shirt Sophomore Defensive, Hamilton, Mass.
• Moved into starting lineup in midseason for three games after injury to Austin Pifani.
• Returned to starting lineup on close defense after Zach Powers suffered a broken arm in game versus Duke. Started ACC games against Virginia and Syracuse.
• Had three ground balls and a caused turnovers versus Richmond.
• Had first career point with an assist versus Manhattan.
Kyle Mathie, Sophomore Defenseman, Smithtown, N.Y.
• Key player off the bench for the Tar Heels.
• Plays close defense for the Heels and has seen action in 12 games this year.
• Had two caused turnovers and a ground ball in win at Duke.
Jake Matthai, Senior Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder, Baltimore, Md.
• Senior captain.
• Has played in 10 games. Missed the Johns Hopkins and Richmond games with an ankle injury.
• Has 16 ground balls this season, five in the game versus Michigan and three each in games versus Furman and Hofstra.
• Named ACC Defensive Player of the Week after win over Michigan. Scored a goal versus Wolverines and had five ground balls.
• Recorded two assists in win over Furman.
• Had a goal and an assist in the game at Syracuse.
• Had played in 52 games in his Tar Heel career before missing the Johns Hopkins game.
William McBride, Sophomore Midfielder, Baltimore, Md.
• One of the key players on the Tar Heel roster. Extremely versatile performer who sees action in wings on face-offs and in short stick defensive midfield if needed.
• Currently running in UNC's second midfield unit.
• Has seen action in 11 games this year.
• Had two goals and an assist in win over Michigan.
• Had a career high four ground balls at Maryland.
• Matched his career high for goals in a game by scoring twice in victory over Virginia.
Austin Pifani, Junior Defenseman, Roslyn, Pa.
• Named to Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List.
• Junior captain.
• Named to preseason All-ACC Team.
• Preseason first-team All-America on close defense by Face-off Yearbook.
• Started all 37 matches on close defense in his career before missing three games due to injury at midseason. Did not see action against UMass, Manhattan and Richmond before returning to starting lineup versus Maryland.
• Has 13 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. Matched his career high for caused turnovers in a game with three versus Syracuse.
• Season high for ground balls is four versus Michigan. Had two ground balls and two caused turnovers versus Furman.
• 2015 USILA second-team All-America.
• 2014 USILA honorable mention All-America selection.
Steve Pontrello, Senior Attackman, Marlton, N.J.
• Started in the first midfield unit his first three years before moving to starting attack unit this year.
• Recently named to Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List.
• Leads Carolina in goals with 32 and points with 42.
• Named ACC Offensive Player of the Week and NCAA.com Offensive Player of the Week after scoring a career-high six goals in 17-16 overtime win at Duke on April 1.
• Has recorded hat tricks in seven games this year.
• Pontrello's 32 goals are just five shy of the 37 he scored in his first three years combined at Carolina.
• Had a then career-high four goals and career high five points in win over Michigan.
• Named ACC Offensive Player of the Week after the win over the Wolverines.
• Scored three times in win over Furman.
• Scored three goals in win over Johns Hopkins, all in the last 20 minutes of the contest.
• Had two goals and three assists at UMass and followed that with a then career-high five goals against Manhattan.
• Notched another hat trick in win over Richmond.
• In his career he has 17 multi-goal games, three multi-assist games and 25 multi-point games.
Zach Powers, Senior Defenseman, Columbus, Ohio
• Played in all 59 games in his Tar Heel career, the only Tar Heel senior to have done so, before suffering a broken arm when being hit by a shot in the Tar Heels' game at Duke.
• Did not play versus UVA, the first game he ever missed in his UNC career. Also missed game versus Syracuse.
• Had started all 10 games this season on close defense prior to missing game versus the Cavaliers.
• Has 13 ground balls, including four versus Hofstra.
• Has eight caused turnovers. Had season high two versus Furman and Maryland.
• Played in all 17 games last season, including 11 games as a starting close defenseman.
• Scored the first goal of his career in NCAA Tournament first round win over Colgate.
• Powers had 24 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers last season after having 11 and eight, respectively, in his first two years combined
Jordan Prysko, Redshirt Freshman Attackman, Calgary, Alberta
• Normally the first player off the bench in the attack unit for UNC.
• Has seen action in eight games.
• Scored goals versus Michigan and Furman.
Mark Rizzo, Redshirt Junior Defenseman, Hewlett, N.Y.
• Team captain.
• Key player in long-stick defensive midfield and on man-down unit.
• Has played in eight games this season.
Jack Rowlett, Freshman Defenseman, Burke, Va.
• Has moved into starting lineup as a true freshman in the close defense unit.
• Started 11 games, missing only game at Manhattan.
• Had a tremendous game at Johns Hopkins with six ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Scored first career goal versus Richmond.
• His 30 ground balls leads the team other than face-off and goalkeeper position.
• Leads Tar Heels in caused turnovers with 14.
• Had five ground balls and season high four caused turnovers versus Massachusetts.
• Had four ground balls in Tar Heels' win over Duke.
• Matched season high for caused turnovers with four against Syracuse.
Shane Simpson, Junior Midfielder, Hamilton, Ontario
• Has been running with first midfield unit since Denver game.
• Has six goals and 10 assists for 16 points.
• His 10 assists are tied for second on the team.
• Matched career high for assists in a game with two versus Michigan.
• Named ACC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance in UNC's 15-11 win at Johns Hopkins. Had a career high for assists with three and points with five versus the Blue Jays.
• Had a goal and two assists in the fourth quarter when the Tar Heels outscored the Blue Jays 6-2 to emerge with a 15-11 victory.
• Matched career high for assists with three versus Denver.
• Scored a key goal late in third quarter as Tar Heels rallied from three-goal deficit late in the third period in win at Duke.
Michael Tagliaferri, Redshirt Junior Midfielder, Danville, Calif.
• Starter in the first midfield unit. Played in the second midfield unit as a freshman in 2014 and then was an outstanding player on short stick defensive midfield as a sophomore in 2015.
• Has started all 12 games this season in first midfield. Has 20 goals and four assists for 24 points.
• With the Tar Heels trailing Duke 11-8 late in third quarter he scored back-to-back goals to help rally UNC in what was an eventual 17-16 overtime win.
* Fifth on the team both in points with 24 and tied for third in goals scored with 20.
• Recorded two goals in win over Furman.
• Matched his career high with three goals in the win at Johns Hopkins. That was his third career hat trick.
• Had another hat trick against Denver.
• Matched career high for assists with two versus Richmond.
• Scored a career high four goals in game at Syracuse.
• Has at least one point in 11 of 12 games.
• Has nine multi-goal games in his career and 12 multi-point contests.
• His 20 goals are eight more than he had in his first two years combined at Carolina.
• His 24 points are four more than the total he had in his first two years combined at UNC.
