With a chance at revenge and a spot in the NCAA Championship semifinals on the line, the North Carolina men’s lacrosse team will look to ball security and a defensive stand Sunday against Maryland.
The Tar Heels, who were No. 2 in the nation at the time, were handed their first loss of the season by Maryland earlier this season on March 21.
After being held to single digits in the 10-8 loss, UNC knows it will have to break the Maryland defense to stay in the game.
A win Sunday in Annapolis, Md. would also mean the team’s first Final Four appearance in 22 years. While the team is aware of the drought, its focus is solely on beating No. 6 Maryland, said senior Joey Sankey.
For a team accustomed to piling on the goals, No. 3 UNC’s dynamic will shift against a slow-paced Maryland team.
“We have to impose our will, but also adapt to the style of game that is being presented to us,” Coach Joe Breschi said. “If that (means) long possessions at the defensive end, we’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of the ball at our end.”
In trying to control the ball, the Tar Heels will look to find the balance between safe offensive lacrosse and the fast pace under which they have excelled.
“That’s our style,” Sankey said. “We like to get up and down the field. We really just have to read how the game’s going.”
The two times the Tar Heels have been held to single digits, the team lost.