University of North Carolina Athletics
Matthai Leads Six Tar Heels On All-America Team
June 1, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Six members of the 2016 University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team were named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division I All-America teams last Saturday morning, just two days before the Tar Heels shocked the world by becoming the first unseeded team to ever win the NCAA championship in the sport.
Senior short stick defensive midfielder Jake Matthai of Baltimore, Md. led the way for Carolina with his second-team All-America selection. He was joined on the third-team by junior close defenseman Austin Pifani of Roslyn, Pa.
Four Tar Heels were named honorable mention All-America selections. This group included senior attackman Steve Pontrello of Marlton, N.J., senior midfielder Patrick Kelly of Timonium, Md., redshirt junior midfielder Michael Tagliaferri of Danville, Calif., and junior face-off man Stephen Kelly of Lutherville, Md.
Matthai, a senior quad captain, was a warrior for the Heels in the defensive midfield. He played in 16 games (missing two to injury) and recorded three goals, three assists, six points, 25 ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Pifani, a junior quad captain, played in 15 games this year (missing three due to injury). Ironically, neither Matthai nor Pifani had ever missed a game due to injury in their Tar Heel careers prior to the 2016 season. However, any wounds incurred from missing their first games were certainly salved by UNC's run to its first national title since 1991. Pifani had 22 ground balls this year and 14 caused turnovers and he committed just three penalties in 15 games.
After being converted to attack this year after three years as a first-line midfielder, Steve Pontrello had a monster final campaign. In 18 starts he scored 49 goals with 21 assists and 70 points. He also had 30 ground balls and six man-up goals. Pontrello led the Tar Heels in goals and points. His 21 assists were one behind Luke Goldstock for the team lead and his six man up goals tied Brian Cannon for the team lead. His 30 ground balls led the attack unit and were fourth on the team. His 70 points were the ninth most in a season in UNC history and his 49 goals were the second most in a campaign in the Tar Heel record book, just one shy of Goldstock's 50 goals in 2015.
In his second season as a starting first team midfielder, Patrick Kelly was the team's fourth-leading scorer with 38 points on 27 goals and 11 assists. He tied for fourth on the team in goals with Michael Tagliaferri. He scored two of the biggest goals of the season for Carolina - the overtime game-winner against Duke in a 17-16 overtime win on April 1 and the game-tying goal with less than four minutes to play in the national championship game against Maryland.
Michael Tagliaferri moved into the first-team midfield as a junior after playing short-stick defensive midfield as a sophomore. He started all 18 games and had 27 goals and nine assists for 36 points. He tied Patrick Kelly for fourth on the squad in goals scored and he was fifth in points with 36. He had the assist on Chris Cloutier's game-winning goal against Maryland in the national championship game.
Stephen Kelly was one of the Tar Heels' most dependable performers, taking 434 of UNC's 475 face-offs during the season. He won 249 face-offs and had a season winning percentage of .574. He led the Tar Heels with 126 ground balls while scoring three goals and adding six assists for nine points. Kelly's 249 face-off wins are the second most in a season in Tar Heel history (Shane Walterhoefer had 269 in 2009). His 126 ground balls were the fifth most in a season in Carolina history.
