Men's Lacrosse Opens 2023 Campaign Friday

Friday, February 10

Chapel Hill, N.C.

5 PM

North Carolina

Mercer

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Photo by: Matt Riley / Virginia Athletics

February 9, 2023 | Men's Lacrosse

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The No. 20-ranked North Carolina men's lacrosse team opens the 2023 campaign Friday night, welcoming the Mercer Bears (0-1, 0-0 ASUN) to Dorrance Field at 5:00 PM. The contest is Carolina Fever night, as the first 200 students will receive a free UNC Flag.

Game Information
Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 10 - 5 PM
Location: Dorrance Field - Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Tickets

Season Opener History
The Tar Heels are 45-20 all-time in season openers, including a 24-game win streak, with the last season opening loss coming in 1998. Last season, the UNC defeated Richmond 13-9 to kickstart the year.

Series History
North Carolina leads the all-time series with the Bears, 5-0, with three of those wins coming in Chapel Hill. The last time the two programs met in 2021, UNC defeated Mercer 16-8, behind a six goal, four assist performance from Chris Gray, which saw 10 Tar Heels record a point in the victory. Then freshman Collin Krieg picked up his sixth career college victory, stopping eight shots.

Goldsmith Faces Former Squad
In his first career game as a Tar Heel, attackman Sean Goldsmith will face his former squad for the very first time, as Mercer comes to Chapel Hill. In his four seasons at Mercer, Goldsmith appeared in 41 contests, posting 154 points (111 goals, 43 assists). Goldsmith left Mercer holding the school record for career goals (111), career assists (43) and career points (154). Additionally, last season, Goldsmith broke the single-season marks with 51 points, 35 goals, 126 shots, and 69 shots on goal to cap off his Mercer career. In his time at Mercer, Goldsmith earned back-to-back Second Team All-SoCon nods (2021 and 2022), as well as being named a Tewaaraton Award Watch List member in 2020.

Transfer Production
Graduate transfers Griffin Gallagher (Gettysburg), Andrew Geppert (Brown), Sean Goldsmith (Mercer), Logan McGovern (Bryant), JT Roselle (Marist), Harry Wellford (Bucknell) arrive in Chapel Hill for the 2023 campaign. The group are utilizing their extra year of athletic eligibility granted by the NCAA, in result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the 2020 season to halt. The group has combined for 219 games in their collegiate career, which includes 184 contests started. The grad transfer combined statistical production includes: 245 goals, 148 assists, 393 points, 343 groundballs and 131 caused turnovers.

The Leadership Panel
The men's lacrosse program voted and announced its five captains prior to the 2023 season in November. Alex Breschi, Evan Egan, Connor Maher, Quintin O'Connell and Lance Tillman were voted by their teammates to lead the Heels this season.

Maher Collects Preseason Honors
This preseason, defensive midfielder Connor Maher was named to the USILA, USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse All-America lists, as well as being an All-ACC Preseason Team member.

Breschi Approaching 150 Wins at UNC
Heading into the 2023 season, Tar Heel head coach Joe Breschi sits at 145 wins during his 14 prior seasons at UNC, the most wins in program history. In the history of North Carolina Athletics, 22 head coaches have accomplished 150 wins during their time in Chapel Hill.