Michael Burns

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
6-0
Weight:
null
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Medford, NJ
High School:
Shawnee (Medford, N.J.)

Coach Joe Breschi on Michael Burns
"Michael's going to play both ends of the field. There might even be a time when we throw a pole in his hand to see what happens. I think for Michael a key is being versatile. The pressure for him of having to face-off is not going to be there because we have other guys now. That's great because he can be what he's good at which is being a two-way type midfielder. He's a great defensive middie. There's no doubt about it. He's great off the wings and we weren't able to use him there when he had to be the No. 1 face-off guy. He's comfortable in his role as a captain. For Michael and Flanny being captains that's just a great thing. It's a well deserved honor."

2011 (Senior): Co-captain of Tar Heels this season with Ryan Flanagan...represents team on UNC's Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

2010 (Junior): Won Carolina's Holmes Harden, Sr. Memorial Award for claiming the most ground balls on the team...played in 15 games as UNC's top short stick defensive midfielder and face-off specialist...led the Tar Heels with 60 ground balls...took the overwhelming number of the team's face-offs, finishing with 288 and winning 139 of them...scored seven goals on only 16 shots...had a career-high nine ground balls against Duke in the NCAA Tournament...also had seven against Princeton, six against Maryland and Ohio State and five each against Duke and Jacksonville...had 15 caused turnovers including five games with two each...won a career high 15 face-offs against Ohio State, going 15 for 26 in that game...had seven other matches in which he won at least 10 face-offs...his best games percentage wise came against Ohio State (15-27), Jacksonville (10-15), UMBC (12-21_, Dartmouth (10-14) and Maryland (11-19).

2009 (Sophomore): Played in all 18 games for the Tar Heels...had three goals, one each against Denver, Detroit Mercy and Virginia...was among the team leaders in ground balls with 38...had a career-high five ground balls against Virginia and had four ground balls in three other games...caused 13 turnovers, including a career high three in the overtime win over Johns Hopkins...won 8 of 14 face-offs on the season, including 3 of 5 versus Detroit Mercy...named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the third straight year...earned Dean's List honors in the spring semester of 2009...member of All-ACC Academic Men's Lacrosse Team for the third year in a row.

2008 (Freshman): After having two ankle surgeries the previous year, he returned to the field and earned several starting nods...played in all 14 games and earned seven starting nods at the face-off X...was among the team leaders in ground balls with 30, three times claiming as many as four in a game...won 63 face-offs, including 12 each against Maryland and Duke...member of All-ACC Academic Men's Lacrosse Team for the second straight year...an ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree a second time...garnered Dean's List accolades.

2007 (Redshirt): Redshirted for medical reasons...named to All-ACC Academic Men's Lacrosse Team...named to 2006-07 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Prep: Graduated from Shawnee High School in Medford, N.J. on June 14, 2006...was coached in lacrosse there by Tim Gushue...played four years of football as a running back, outside linebacker and strong safety...was a standout on the lacrosse team in the midfield for four years...led football team to a state championship his junior year...played on a lacrosse team which won three league championships (2004-06) went undefeated in both 2004 & 2005...set the school's career ground ball record...established school marks for face-off wins and face-off percentage...named high school All-America as a senior...tapped as team's MVP as a senior...chosen for the prestigious Under Armour All-America Team...captain of Shawnee team as senior...a Blue Chip 100.

Community Service & Leadership: Helped to organize the Eve Carson Memorial 5K run at UNC...a volunteer with the Carolina Dreams program...2007-08 Carolina Leadership Academy Rising Star.

Personal: Michael James Burns, III was born January 22, 1988 in Boston, Mass. ...is the son of Nancy Pirie and Mike Burns...has one sister, Taylor, 24...ranks No. 1 on the Super Ram chart for his strength and conditioning prowess...history major.

LET'S PLAY 20 QUESTIONS WITH
...Michael Burns
Section #1 (Lacrosse Related)
1. My favorite thing about wearing the Carolina Blue is thinking about the incredible athletes before me who wore the same colors.
2. I love competing for this incredible coaching staff because they dedicate their lives to teaching us not only how to win lacrosse games but to become good people.
3. My most underrated strength about my lacrosse game is everything.
4. My best friend on my high school lacrosse team was Drew "Deuce" McHale.
5. Every high school recruit should dream of becoming a Tar Heel because it's the best school in the country.
Section #2 (Michael's Interests)
1. An ideal Saturday afternoon in the summer is spent in the water.
2. My teammate with the best taste in music is Billy Bitter because he gets people MOVING.
3. My favorite professional sports team is the Philadelphia Phillies.
4. The best movie I've ever seen on a lacrosse bus trip is nothing because buses are terrible.
5. The foreign country I would love to visit the most is Thailand or Indonesia because I hear it's wild and there's some good waves.
Section #3 (Food)
1. My favorite tailgate foods and beverages are Primo hoagies that my Mom brings and Cokes because it's a little treat after a long week.
2. My favorite fast food restaurant is Chick-fil-A because of the Buffalo/Ranch combo with waffle fries and lemonade.
3. Sweet, salty or both? Both, because once you figure this out you're set.
4. My favorite food made by a relative is my Grandmother makes a pretty nice grilled ham and cheese.
5. My favorite Chapel Hill dining spot is Bin 54 or Sutton's Drug Store.
Section #4 (Digging Into Michael's Personality)
1. If I possessed the gift of time travel, I would go to UNC the day I moved into Avery Dorm my freshman year.
2. The person in history I would most want to have dinner with is the first man ever because I would ask him how he got here.
3. People would be very surprised to know I can control my dreams.
4. In a quarter century I would love to be living in a house and working at something that I loved.
5. The most interesting or fascinating person I've met in my time at UNC is unknown because I have met so many amazing people I will never forget.

Michael Burns' Stat Lines

Year  	GP/GS	SH	G	PTS	GB	CT	FO

2008 14/7 5 0 0 30 4 63-136 2009 18/0 7 3 3 38 13 8-14 2010 15/0 16 7 7 60 15 139-288 Totals 47/7 28 10 10 128 32 210-438

Career Highs: Ground Balls: 9 vs. Duke, 5-22-2010; Face-Offs Won: 15 vs. Ohio State, 5-8-2010; Face-Off Percentage: .714 vs. Dartmouth, 3-19-2010; Caused Turnovers: 3 vs. Johns Hopkins, 3-28-2009.