Sports Editor
At Keenan Memorial Stadium on a dreary,
rainy day in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels competed against the Virginia Cavaliers
in what was the Heels’ first Conference Championship since 1996.
After
an intense battle on Friday against the Duke Blue Devils, the Tar Heels showed
they still had enough gas in the tank.
Within the first five minutes of the first quarter the game was tied 3-3
at 9:59 averaging a goal per minute. It
seemed to be a carbon copy game as the game changed hands back and forth until Carolina
fell to a 5-3 Virginia lead in the first quarter but put together a 6-2 run that allowed
them to secure a 10-7 lead at the end of the half.
The Heels put up six more goals in the
second half, making the final score 16-13.
Thanks to goaltender Kieran Burke putting up 12 saves in the second
half, Carolina was able to maintain their lead.
Senior attackman Marcus Holman started the scoring for the Tar Heels and
ended up with four goals and two assists, claiming the MVP.
“We’re forming our own identity in the
locker room,” Holman told the News and Observer. “This is a special team.
That’s all I’ve got to say.” Carolina
seems to be back on their toes where they were back in the 90’s when the team won
four straight ACC championships from 91-94.
Midfielder R.G. Keegan really showed up in a versatile position on the
faceoff X winning 18 out of 32.
“We’ve been doing the same thing pretty
much all year,” UNC coach Joe Breschi told the News and Observer of the
extraman defense. “It all comes down to the goalie making saves on outside
shots. In the second half Kieran was pretty much dialed in.”
UNC is currently ranked number one among
the ranks of the NCAA. The first round
of the Men’s Lacrosse NCAA Tournament begins May 11.
