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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC men's lacrosse falls to No. 4 Maryland, 16-9

Jacob Kelly Marist

UNC attackman Jacob Kelly (9) defends the ball during the home lacrosse game on Friday, March 8 2019 in the UNC Lacrosse Stadium. Kelly scored two goals during the game, helping the Tar Heels to a 17-5 victory over the Red Foxes.

On Saturday afternoon, the No. 16 North Carolina men’s lacrosse team saw its three-game win streak snapped by No. 4 Maryland in a 16-9 loss in College Park, Md.

What happened?

The Tar Heels (6-3) got off to a promising start against the Terrapins (8-1), scoring the first goal of the day just 76 seconds into the game. However, Maryland remained unfazed after that early score, responding with an 8-1 scoring run. 

The Terrapins went into the half with an 11-3 lead. Head coach Joe Breschi attributed the first-half deficit to some nerves before such a powerhouse matchup.

“I think some of our young guys played like freshmen in a big road game,” Breschi said. “But we’re growing up, and at the end of the day, this is an opportunity to learn.”

UNC was able to settle those nerves after halftime and play like the top-20 team that they are in the third and fourth quarters. The Tar Heels outscored Maryland in the second half, 6-5, led by senior attackman Timmy Kelly, who had four of the nine goals for North Carolina.

Still, a stronger second half wasn't enough to overcome the Terrapins, leading to the Tar Heels' first road loss of the season.

Who stood out?

Kelly was the standout performer for UNC, as he tied his career high for goals in a game with four, three of which came in the second half. Those four goals moved Kelly up to 62 goals for his career at North Carolina.

“I thought Timmy really played extremely well,” Breschi said. “We were able to punch in goals really late. The second half was a step in the right direction, for sure.”

When was it decided?

The Terrapins stepped onto the field with an eight-goal lead to start the third quarter. This mountain proved to be too large for the Tar Heels to climb, the same story as the last time these two schools met. In 2018, both programs were ranked nationally and North Carolina's second half rally fell short, leading to an 11-7 loss, similar to Saturday's matchup.

Why does it matter?

North Carolina suffered two narrow losses to No. 13 Denver and No. 16 Johns Hopkins, the former by two goals and the latter by just one. 

This contest against another ranked opponent was an opportunity for UNC to prove that it could come away with a win against a fellow top program in the country. The Tar Heels' quest for a signature win early in the season continues.

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels look to bounce back from the loss as they return to Chapel Hill for the start of ACC play, with another huge matchup coming against No. 2 Duke on March 30.

@McMastersJ

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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