The North Carolina men’s lacrosse team opened its national title defense with a bang on Saturday, defeating UMBC, 17-6, at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh.
What happened?
UNC dominated the game from the first faceoff, with senior midfielder Stephen Kelly winning the ball and driving down the side of the field, firing a shot into the net just 15 seconds into the game. The Tar Heels continued to win faceoffs, with Kelly winning 75 percent of his attempts.
UNC was also extremely efficient on offense, putting 11 of their 17 shots on frame while holding UMBC to just one shot in the first period. The result was a 10-1 lead after just 15 minutes of play.
The second quarter was a much scrappier affair, as both teams improved defensively. Each team had seven turnovers in the quarter, but UNC outshot UMBC, 10-3, to tack on two more goals to head into halftime up 12-1.
The third quarter featured back-and-forth play from both teams, as UNC began to play more of its substitutes down the stretch. The team’s exchanged goals all the way to the quarter break, ending up with a 14-4 Tar Heel lead with 15 minutes to play.
UMBC was able to tack on two more goals in the fourth quarter, but UNC’s subs got a little more chemistry as the game went on, netting three of their own to get to the final margin.
Who stood out?
Stephen Kelly was rock solid from the faceoff, snagging 11 of his 16 attempts to allow UNC to dominate possession in the first half. Kelly also grabbed nine groundballs and the opening goal in the game.
