Hopkins Holds Off 2nd-Half UNC Rally

But the Blue Jays withstood a late second-half rally by UNC and got the game-winning goal from Bobby Benson with less than four minutes to play to defeat the Tar Heels 12-11.

The Blue Jays improved to 5-1 with the win, while the No. 7 Tar Heels lost their second in a row and fell to 6-2.

The loss to Johns Hopkins was the second in two years for former Blue Jays' coach and current North Carolina coach John Haus. Haus came to coach in Chapel Hill before the start of the 2001 season.

Saturday's game appeared to be a blowout early in the first half after the Blue Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Hopkins then stretched the margin to 6-2 with 11:24 remaining in the half.

But UNC rallied to get back into the game before intermission when Kyle Bell scored with 10:27 to play in the half. Freshman Mike McCall then scored back-to-back goals, and the Tar Heels went into the half only trailing by a goal, 6-5.

UNC freshman goalkeeper Paul Spellman, who has started every game this season and played well, kept the Tar Heels close as they struggled to avoid a Blue Jay romp.

Spellman made 12 first-half saves and kept Johns Hopkins within striking distance, despite the fact the Tar Heels were outshot 25-14 in the first half.

The two teams traded goals early in the third quarter before Hopkins went on a 4-0 run that appeared to put the game away.

Four different Blue Jays scored in the run, which included two extra-man goals, and Hopkins led 11-6 with 1:27 to play in the third quarter.

But UNC midfielder Tim Gosier scored with 30 seconds left in the third quarter to set the stage for the Tar Heels' frenetic fourth-quarter rally.

North Carolina outshot the Blue Jays 18-3 in the fourth quarter, and Blue Jay goalie Nick Murtha made nine saves to prevent further damage by the Tar Heels.

UNC's Steven Will scored his second goal of the game and Andrew Lucas followed with a goal with 10:50 to play to cut the lead to 11-9.

Gosier then got his second goal of the game with 7:24 to play and Pat Jackson added his second goal of the contest off an assist by Johnny Seivold with 4:57 to play to tie the game at 11-11.

The Blue Jays won the ensuing faceoff and Benson scored his second goal of the game -- the game-winner -- with 3:29 to play from an assist by Kevin Boland.

The Tar Heels had several more opportunities to score but could not get another shot past Murtha, and Johns Hopkins gained possession and killed off the final minute.

UNC will try to get back on track on April 6, when the Tar Heels host second-ranked Virginia at Fetzer Field at 1 p.m.

North Carolina is 1-1 in the ACC.