University of North Carolina Athletics
Five Tar Heels Capture All-ACC Accolades
April 27, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For the second straight year, North Carolina has five players on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse team. That's the most selection since the 1993 team placed seven players on the All-ACC squad.
All five Tar Heels are first-time selections to an All-ACC squad.
The five Tar Heels named to the All-ACC Team are senior short-stick defensive midfielder Jake Matthai (Baltimore, Md.), senior attackman Steve Pontrello (Marlton, N.J.), junior close defenseman Austin Pifani (Roslyn. Pa.), junior face-off man Stephen Kelly (Lutherville, Md.) and junior midfielder Michael Tagliaferri (Danville, Calif.).
Matthai, a team captain, has played in 11 games this year. He is the leader of the Tar Heels' short stick defensive midfield unit and has 18 ground balls this year to go with three goals and three assists.
Pontrello, converted to attack this year after three years running in UNC's first midfield, has had a monster senior season. He leads Carolina in goals scored with 36, is tied for second on the squad in assists with 12 and is also tops on the Tar Heel points chart with 48. He leads the attack unit with 23 ground balls and he has scored on 38 percent of his shots while placing 69 percent of his shots on goal.
Despite missing three games at midseason, Pifani, team captain and the Tar Heels' leader on close defense, was named to the All-ACC Team. He has played in all 42 games in his career in which he has been dressed. This season he has 15 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
Stephen Kelly has been a warrior at the face-off circle. He has won 184 of 309 draws for a winning percentage of .595. With his 184 wins he has now moved into third place all-time in face-off wins at Carolina with 472 despite missing the second half of his freshman year in 2014. Kelly leads Carolina with 92 ground balls and his career total is now 241, the 15th most in UNC history.
Michael Tagliaferri has had a breakthrough season for the Tar Heels while starting every game in the first midfield unit. He has scored 22 goals, the fifth most of the team, to go with five assists and 27 points, also the fifth highest total on the team. He has scored 10 of his 22 goals this season in ACC regular season games.
