Seivold Redeemed in Lacrosse Win

The sophomore midfielder came to one logical solution: score the game-winning goal.

His teammates probably would have been fine with a simple "Sorry 'bout that fellas," but they gleefully accepted his left-handed rocket that zipped into the upper-left corner of the net in the third overtime as an apology.

The goal, which came with 2:33 left, gave the Tar Heels a 13-12 season-opening win against Ohio State Saturday in front of 1,254 at Henry Stadium and gave Seivold a bit of solace.

In the first overtime, he lost the ball after being checked during a clear attempt, which led to a one-on-one chance for the Buckeyes' Curtis Smith. Freshman goalkeeper Paul Spellman, however, got a piece of his stick and leg on Smith's shot and deflected it away to deny OSU (0-1) the lead.

Then came Seivold's chance to relieve some of his built-up angst.

"I figured I owed it to my goalie," said Seivold, who plays on UNC's second midfield line. "I almost pissed my pants. (Scoring the goal) was the only thing I could do to make up for it. I was scared I was never going to play again."

After dodging to his right all game, Seivold switched it up on the game-winner, hoping to catch the OSU defense off guard and avoid its slide. It worked.

"It was amazing," said senior midfielder Tim Gosier, who scored all three of his goals in the fourth quarter. "I was praying, 'Please go in, please go in,' because we were all so tired -- it was a long game. So it was really a huge goal, a great goal."

And it allowed the Tar Heels (1-0) to get away with some spots of horrid play. For the game, they converted one extra-man opportunity in six chances and had to settle for a narrow victory despite outshooting OSU 63-31.

They also suffered numerous defensive breakdowns in the first half, which eventually led to a 7-4 OSU lead with 5:53 remaining in the second quarter.

With a close defensive unit that includes only one returning starter (sophomore Ronnie Stains), a converted long-stick midfielder (sophomore Matt Pessagno) and a player who redshirted last season (junior Zack Leader), it was perhaps not a surprising start to the game and the season.

"It took us a little bit of time, and I think we played a lot better in the second half defensively than we did in the first half, which is a good sign," said UNC coach John Haus.

Spellman looked particularly sharp after halftime, recording 12 of his 16 saves, including two in overtime -- none of them bigger than his denial against Smith.

It was the kind of play the Tar Heels desperately needed to get their season headed in the right direction as they seek to end a three-year absence from the NCAA tournament.

"We had some passion, and I think we're really coming together as a team this year," Seivold said. "We've got a new attitude, and we want to win."

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