UNC downs Colgate in the first round

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina outscored Patriot League champion Colgate 8-2 in the second quarter and never looked back en route to a 19-12 first round win against the Raiders in the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship at Fetzer Field on Sunday evening.

With the victory, the Tar Heels advance to the NCAA quarterfinals where they will meet Maryland on May 17 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Tar Heels will be looking to avenge a 10-8 loss to the Terrapins on March 21 and earn their first trip to championship weekend since 1993.

Coach Joe Breschi’s team trailed 4-3 at the end of the first quarter but the Tar Heels came out and scored seven of the first eight goals of the second quarter, eventually gaining an 11-6 halftime lead. The Tar Heels extended their lead to seven goals in the third quarter before a four-goal run by the Raiders pulled them within 15-12 with 13:37 to play.

Carolina righted the ship and scored the last four goals of the game to pull away for the 19-12 victory.  It was the most goals scored by the Tar Heels in an NCAA Tournament game since UNC beat Syracuse 19-13 in the NCAA semifinals in 1991 at the Carrier Dome.

It proved to be another record-setting game for Tar Heel players as the attack trio of Luke Goldstock, Jimmy Bitter and Joey Sankey combined for 10 goals and six assists. Midfielders Walker Chafee and Steve Pontrello both had career highs for points in a game, Patrick Kelly got on the scoreboard for the first time since the Harvard game with a goal and an assist and defenseman Zach Powers scored his first career goal as multiple Tar Heels got in on the offensive act.

Goldstock’s four goals allowed him to pass 1991 National Player of the Year Dennis Goldstein as the most prolific goal scorer in a season in UNC history. Goldstock now has 48 goals this season, one more than Goldstein had while leading the Tar Heels to the 1991 NCAA championship.