No. 2 Virginia Outlasts No. 7 MLAX

Thursday, March 10

Chapel Hill, N.C.

8 PM

North Carolina

5-2, 0-1

Virginia

6-0, 2-0

Virginia

North Carolina

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

March 11, 2022 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL – Chris Gray notched one goal and three assists and led the team with four points, but North Carolina (5-2, 0-1 ACC) couldn't overcome a five-goal third quarter from No. 2 Virginia (6-0, 2-0 ACC) as the Cavaliers secured their third straight win over the Tar Heels 15-11.

How it Happened

Virginia got on the board first with two goals in the first two minutes of the game.
The Tar Heels would then reel off five straight goals to take the lead. The Cavaliers would answer with a four-goal run to retake the lead at 7-5.
Both teams would trade goals the rest of the first half, with Jacob Kelly scoring with 33 seconds left to give the Tar Heels the 10-9 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Virginia would clamp down on defense outscoring UNC 6-1 to seal the game.
P.J. Zinsner would score his third goal of the season early in the fourth for the Tar Heel's only goal in the second half.

Postgame Thoughts
Head coach Joe Breschi on second-half play…
"I give Virginia a lot of credit. Their defense put the clampdown, and we couldn't get good shots. We had some ill-advised turnovers as well. We had 22 turnovers which are a season-high, and 12 in the second half, so that will hurt you across the board. So, I credit them and their defense for holding us to one goal in the second half."

Collin Krieg on what he saw from Virginia's offense…
"They played a lot behind the cage, especially in the second half. They have many skilled players that are hard to cover. We gave them some second chances, and that was hard to overcome."

Nicky Solomon on his biggest takeaway from the game…
"I think this was a building moment for our team. I think it's a great learning experience as well. We will see Virginia in a few weeks, and we will work toward improving from now till then."

Tar Heel Performances

Chris Gray led the team with four points (1G, 3A)
Nicky Solomon, Jacob Kelly, and Cole Herbert had two goals.
Harry and Henry Schertzinger scored one goal. It was the third time this season that both have scored in the same game.
At the face-off, Zac Tucci went 11-21 with seven ground balls while Andrew Tyeryar came in and went 5-9. Tyeryar also added a goal, his first of the season.
Collin Krieg made a season-high 18 saves in the cage while collecting three ground balls and a caused turnover.

Inside The Numbers

Chris Gray has earned three or more assists in 16 career games at UNC with three assists tonight.
Jacob Kelly has scored two or more goals in every game this season.
The Tar Heel's 22 turnovers were the most since 2017, when they turned the ball over 23 times against Virginia.
The Tar Heels were held scoreless in the third quarter, which was the first time in any quarter this season.

Up Next
North Carolina will return to action Sunday, Mar. 13, when they travel to High Point. Face-off is slated for noon.