University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Michigan
No. 16 Men's Lacrosse Opens 2025 Campaign Saturday
February 7, 2025 | Men's Lacrosse
Gameday Information
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 8 - Noon
Location: Dorrance Field - Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch: ACCNX
Live Stats
Tickets
A Win Over Michigan Would...
• Give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead in the all-time series with the Wolverines.
• Be Carolina's 27th-straight season opening win, a streak that dates back to 1999.
• Be Coach Joe Breschi's 252nd career win and 160th win as the leader of the Tar Heels.
All-Time With Michigan
• Saturday is the third all-time meeting between the two programs, the first since the 2016 campaign.
• Carolina is 2-0 all-time in the series, with wins over the Wolverines in 2012 (19-5) and 2016 (20-10).
• The Tar Heels opened the 2016 season against Michigan, kick-starting the most previous championship campaign for Carolina.
Season Opener Success
• Entering Saturday, Carolina is 47-20 all-time in season openers, including an active 26-game season opener win streak, dating back to 1999.
• The streak is the second-longest in the country, behind Maryland's 32-game win streak.
• Last season, Carolina defeated Mercer, 13-5, in the season opener in Atlanta.
Owen Duffy: Back For More
• In 2024, Tar Heel attackman Owen Duffy was named the ACC's Freshman of the Year, leading Carolina with 32 goals and 54 points, finishing second with 22 assists.
• For his efforts, the East Quogue, N.Y. became the first Tar Heel freshman since 2011 to be named to the All-ACC team.
• His 32 goals tied Robin Beran (1973) and Dominic Pietramala (2024) for the most goals in a single season in program history, ending the year with the second-most points (54) by a freshman in Carolina history.
• In his rookie campaign, Duffy had seven games with three-or-more goals and seven games with five-or-more points.
New Faces, New Places
• The Tar Heels welcomed five transfers in the fall to the program:
- Nick Dupuis (Stony Brook)
- Michael Gianforcaro (Princeton)
- Andrew O'Berry (Harvard)
- Drew Scott (TCU Football)
- Spencer Wirtheim (Cornell)
New Face In Goal
• Carolina will see a new face in goal this season, with established veteran Michael Gianforcaro protecting the pipes in 2025.
• A Princeton transfer, Gianforcaro was a two-time All-Ivy League selection, two-time USA Lacrosse All-America honoree, and 2024 Tewaaraton Award Watch List member prior to this arrival at Carolina.
• This preseason, Gianforcaro was named a USA Lacrosse Preseason Third Team All-America honoree, and voted a team captain by his peers in the fall.
