Brian Burke

Position:
Defenseman
Height:
5-10
Weight:
185
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Fort Salonga, N.Y.
High School:
St. Anthony's

General: An outstanding three-year letterman who will be a returning starter at the close defenseman position...started the last nine games of the 2006 season, moving into the starting lineup at close defense against Notre Dame...also started all 15 games he played in last season...a tenacious defender...excellent stick handler...one of the team's top close defensemen...was a high school classmate of UNC senior midfielder Rob Driscoll and is the older brother of UNC?sophomore midfielder Sean Burke.
2007 Season: Started all 15 games he played in last season...had 32 ground balls and nine caused turnovers...equaled his career high for ground balls in a game with five in the win over Johns Hopkins...scored the first goal of his career in the season-opening win against Ohio State...assisted on a goal against Johns Hopkins scored by his younger brother Sean...cleared the ball on his own and scored an unassisted goal with 10:45 to play in the fourth quarter of the NCAA quarterfinals against Navy, giving the Tar Heels a 10-8 lead in an eventual 12-8 victory.
2006 Season: Experienced remarkable improvement in his game as a sophomore...started the season as Carolina's top reserve at close defense but after coming off the bench the first five games he moved into the starting lineup against Notre Dame on March 11...played in all 14 games, starting nine...finished the season with 28 ground balls while causing 10 turnovers...was penalized only six times in 14 games...his season high for ground balls was five against Duke...caused a season high three turnovers against Virginia.
2005 Season: Saw action in nine games as a reserve on close defense...had two ground balls and one caused turnover during the season...showed solid improvement and set himself up to earn more playing time as a sophomore in 2006.
Prep: Graduated from St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, N.Y. on June 10, 2004...was a two-sport athlete, playing both lacrosse and football for four years...was a defenseman in lacrosse and wide receiver on football team ...two-year Catholic School All-Long Island Team honoree...team's Most Valuable Player and captain in his senior year of lacrosse...Catholic School League Defenseman-of-the-Year selection ...Newsday All-Long Island Team choice...team captain...Most Valuable Player of league championship game his senior year...his team won the Catholic League championship each of his four years in school...2003 Empire State Games Long Island team member...National Honor Society member...spent four years on school honor roll.

Bits About Brian
Given Name...Brian John Burke
Preferred First Name...Brian
Nicknames...Big Poppa, Big Mac
Parents...Brian and Grace Burke
Birthdate and Birthplace...January 6, 1986, Manhasset, N.Y. on Long Island
Siblings...Two brothers (Sean, 19, Kieran, 13), One sister (Kelley, 18) College Major...Management &?Society
Post-School Ambition...Work in the operations aspect at Lehman Brothers
Hobbies...Snowboarding
Athlete I Most Admire...Ryan McClay, Cornell University defenseman
My Biggest Sports Thrill...Winning MVP of the championship lacrosse game my senior year in high school
People With Greatest Influence On My Athletic Career...My Family
Favorite Food...Fried Calamari
Movie I've Most Enjoyed...American Gangster
Favorite TV Show...The Wire