UMass men's lacrosse takes its first road trip of the season South for a Saturday, Feb. 14 matchup against No. 6 nationally-ranked North Carolina at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. Check out how to follow along with the Minutemen in the post below:
| University of Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Game Notes | ||
| Game Two | Massachusetts (0-1 Overall) at #6/5 North Carolina (2-0) | |
| Date | Time | Saturday, February 14, 2015 | Noon | |
| Location | Fetzer Field (5,700) | Chapel Hill, N.C. | |
| Live Statistics | NeuLion (provided by North Carolina) | |
| Watch | GoHeels TV (provided by North Carolina) | |
| Series History | N. Carolina leads, 2-1. Last meeting: #12 UMass 12, #5 N. Carolina 11; Feb. 16, 2013 | |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | North Carolina | |
| Social Media | @UMassAthletics  | @UMassMLacrosse | |
| Buy Tickets | Available through the North Carolina Ticket Office | |
Scouting North Carolina Men's Lacrosse
North Carolina men's lacrosse is ranked No. 6 in the nation by the USILA and No. 5 according to the Inside Lacrosse media poll ahead of its Saturday, Feb. 14 meeting with UMass. UNC sports a 2-0 record currently, with a 19-4 win over Furman and 15-9 victory against High Point.
The Tar Heels sport two of the longest point-scoring streaks in the nation currently in 2015 leading scorer Jimmy Bitter (11 points; seven goals, four assists) and Joey Sankey (eight points; five goals, three assists). Bitter has at least one point in each of the previous 43 games, a total of 130 via 87 goals and 43 assists. Sankey owns more points - 134 on 78 goals and 56 assists - but his streak is shorter than Bitter's (38 games). Bitter's streak is the second-longest to Shayne Adams' 47 for Detroit while Sankey's is tied for the third-longest with Jesse King at Ohio State.
Brian Balkam and Duncan Saunders split time in the cage, with 60 minutes apiece. Saunders owns a lower goals-against average (6.00) but has a lower save percentage (.455). Balkam lets in 7.00 goals-against with 13 stops for a .650 save percentage.
Joe Breschi is two games into his seventh season coaching North Carolina men's lacrosse. A 1990 UNC graduate who was a two-time USILA All-America selection, Breschi is back at his alma mater after a 11-year tenure as the head coach of Ohio State. Breschi went 92-63 with the Buckeyes (.594 win percentage) and is 71-30 at North Carolina (.703) for a .634 career win percentage (161-93 overall record).
Last Meeting: #12 UMass 12, #4 North Carolina 11; Feb. 16, 2013
Kyle Smith and Connor Mooney paced the offense with four points each on three goals and one assist a piece and goalie Zach Oliveri stopped 18 shots in net, including four during the final quarter when the Minutemen outscored the Tar Heels, 4-0 to secure the come-from-behind win over North Carolina, 12-11.
The final goal of the game went on to become the decisive tally at KSU Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga., with Mooney recording his third mark of the day on the play. Mooney rolled around the left side of the goal from the back of the cage and stopped at the crease, jumping into the air while placing a shot into the lower-right corner of the goal for the 12-11 lead with 3:18 to play in the contest.
After North Carolina had a pair of tying attempts go wide of the net in the span of 13 seconds, beginning with 2:35 left to play, the Minutemen kept possession away from its defensive zone until the final seconds of the contest. Following a UMass turnover near midfield, North Carolina's Greg McBride scooped up the loose ball and sprinted toward the UMass goal. McBride sent a last-second game-tying attempt on-frame, with Oliveri adjusting to the shot to record his final save of the day and secure the win.
More on the Minutemen is available through UMassAthletics.com.