Tar Heels Fall 11-7 To Second-Ranked Terrapins

Saturday, March 24

Costa Mesa, Calif. (Lebard Stadium)

7:00 p.m. PDT/10 p.m. EDT

North Carolina

6-4

Maryland

7-1

North Carolina

Maryland

Chris Cloutier had two goals against Maryland. In the process he broke the Tar Heel record for most consecutive games with a goal at 30.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

March 25, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score & Play by Play

Perry and Cloutier each score twice for Tar Heels.

By: Dave Lohse

COSTA MESA, CALIF. - For the fourth straight game, the 18th-ranked University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team staged a furious second half rally but as had happened in the previous three games, the Tar Heels fell short, falling to second-ranked Maryland, the defending NCAA champion, 11-7 at LeBard Stadium on the campus of Orange Coast College. The game was played in California as part of the Pacific Coast Lacrosse Shootout. This was the fifth annual event and the second time North Carolina and Maryland met in the game. The Terps also won in 2015 by a 10-8 score.

With the win Maryland improved to 7-1 on the season while the Tar Heels fell to 6-4. The game was played before a crowd of 6.452 fans.

Two players - Connor Kelly with four and Jared Bernhardt with three - accounted for seven of Maryland's 11 goals in the game. William Perry led the Tar Heels with two goals and an assist while Chris Cloutier scored twice for the Tar Heels. Timmy Kelly added a goal and an assist. Cloutier's goal with 5:33 to play in the third quarter marked the 30th straight game in which the Canadian attackman has scored a goal. In the process he set a new school record. Marcus Holman held the previous school record with 29 successive games with a goal during the 2012-13 seasons.

Statistically, the game was heavily tilted in the Terps' favor except for saves and turnovers. Maryland outshot the Tar Heels 35-24, including a margin of 30-14 in the first three quarters. Maryland led in ground balls 33-13 and the Terps won 16 of 20 face-offs in the game. Justin Shockey took all 20 face-offs in the game for Maryland, which has now won the last four regular-season meetings between the two teams. Shockey had a game-high 12 ground balls.

Dan Morris made seven saves for Maryland while Alex Bassil made his first career start for Carolina and made a career best 10 saves.

Maryland jumped to a 5-1 lead in the game. The Terps scored a pair of goals midway through the second quarter in timer on situations. Matt Cunningham's goal with two second left in the first half cut the Terps' lead at intermission to 5-2.

Carolina was not able to build any momentum on that coming out of halftime was goals by Connor Kelly, Jared Bernhardt and Anthony DeMaio staked the Terps to what proved to be an insurmountable 8-2 lead with 8:36 left in the third quarter.

UNC answered with five of the next six goals of the game. William Perry scored off an assist by Andy Matthews with 6:39 left in the third period and Cloutiuer followed a minute later with a goal off an assist by Timmy Kelly. Maryland answered with its third timer-on goal of the game and Connor Kelly's fourth goal with 3:23 left in the period.

UNC scored the first three goals of the final period with Perry, Timmy Kelly and Cloutier notching tallies. Cloutier's goal came with 5:12 to play but the Heels could get no closer after that. Bryce Young increased Maryland's lead to three goals with 4:26 to play and Logan Wisnauskas added an insurance tally with 2:06 left in the contest.

Carolina will be back in action this coming Friday when the Tar Heels open their ACC season against third-ranked Duke at Koskinen Stadium at 5 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.