North Carolina earns rare victory

North Carolina lacrosse player Mike McCall walked off a wet Fetzer Field with a smile on his face.

The last time the senior attackman had been this happy was after the Tar Heels’ last victory against Cornell on March 23.

But McCall finally had something to smile about Wednesday as UNC broke a three-game losing streak to defeat Air Force 14-5.

MEN'S LACROSSE Air Force 5 UNC 14

“There’s no substitute for winning,” McCall said. “And it never feels good to lose.”

Despite the slick conditions, the Tar Heels (3-7) got off to an early start, ripping in four goals on 16 shots — compared to the Falcons two — in the first quarter.

Junior attackman Sean Link and senior defenseman Charley Conkling scored back-to-back first career goals.

The UNC offense continued to dominate in the second quarter as the Tar Heels increased their lead to 10-0 at halftime.

McCall notched two of his three goals in the second quarter, one of them on a man-up opportunity.

“It was nice to start a game strong and put the ball in the net,” said UNC coach John Haus. “We were pretty efficient offensively, and I think that helped our confidence in terms of the first half and going into the second half.”

After the half, Air Force (3-6) jumped on the Tar Heels quickly, scoring a goal in the first 10 seconds to prevent the shutout. But UNC’s Ryan Blair answered seconds later, adding one of his three goals of the night to put the game at 11-1.

Both teams struggled all night to keep their feet on the field as players constantly slipped on the wet grass. The slick conditions contributed to UNC’s 23 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels pulled their starters and emptied the bench. Junior Kyle Henderson scored the final goal for UNC when he picked up a loose ball and rocketed a shot into the back of the net.

And although the Falcons made a valiant five-goal effort in the last half — led by Conrad Lochocki’s two — it was not enough to prevent the lopsided loss.

It was the last game in Chapel Hill for 10 seniors, who were glad to end their careers at Fetzer with a win after a season of disappointing losses.

“It’s great to get a win the last time we’re here,” said UNC senior goalkeeper Paul Spellman. “It’s good to end on a positive note.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.