Sonke Struggles Under Defensive Microscope

This Jeff Sonke was noticeably subdued. Sure, he and the North Carolina lacrosse team had just suffered a painful 11-8 defeat to No. 10 Duke.

But the Jeff Sonke of last season was always willing to talk after a defeat. After a loss to Virginia last year, only Sonke and fellow attackman Chase Martin voluntarily talked to the press.

But Martin used up his eligibility last spring. And Sonke trudged off the field Wednesday night by himself, frustrated by another lackluster performance.

With Martin and attackman Matt Crofton now gone, Sonke, a senior preseason All-America, has drawn the overwhelming majority of attention from opposing defenses this season and has suffered as a result.

After scoring a goal and adding two assists in No. 12 North Carolina's 11-7 loss at No. 3 Maryland on Saturday, Sonke has tallied three goals and three assists in the Tar Heels' three losses.

"That's always been the case," Sonke said of defenses focusing on him after the Duke game. "But I guess they're starting to slide that much more quickly. It's really the same thing that was happening with me and Chase last year. They'd do the same for both of us. I don't really think it's that much different. It's just a different group of guys going against me now."

But something has been different with Sonke this season. He's had flashes of brilliance. A pair of five-goal, one-assist performances -- one in an opening-season win against Fairfield, the other in a victory at Delaware; a 40-foot goal with one second left in regulation that beat Navy 11-10.

Yet he has also flopped badly at times. He shot a combined 0-for-15 and had three assists in a 9-4 loss to Bucknell and a 12-10 win against Butler, a game that was much more competitive than it should have been.

"Jeff, I think, is trying to shoulder the offensive burden more," said Duke defenseman Stuart Schwartz, a friend of Sonke and fellow resident of suburban Detroit, "whereas last year he had Chase Martin and a couple other guys to help him out, especially on the attack. I mean, he is their best player, he's their go-to guy. And I just think the turnover may be a little much for him. I think he's putting too much pressure on himself."

UNC coach John Haus said he hopes that isn't the case.

"He's got a lot of good teammates around him, and he's just got to be the player he is," Haus said. "And things will happen. All good players get in situations where they're maybe not playing as well as they think they should, but they'll get themselves out of it. And Jeff will."

He certainly has the talent. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Sonke possesses tremendous speed and can shoot with either hand with equal accuracy and power.

But instead of Crofton and Martin, who combined for 49 goals last year, supporting him on attack, Sonke has sophomore Steven Will -- a converted midfielder -- and freshman Andrew Lucas.

So unless he can get himself out of this rut quickly, Sonke might be taking some more lonely walks off the field.

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.