No. 15 MLAX To Face Syracuse

Saturday, April 16

Chapel Hill, N.C.

4 PM

North Carolina

Syracuse

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

April 15, 2022 | Men's Lacrosse

CHAPEL HILL - The 15th-ranked North Carolina men's lacrosse team (7-4) will play its final home game of the regular season Saturday when the Tar Heels host Syracuse (4-7) at Dorrance Field.

Game Information
Opponent: Syracuse (4-7, 1-2 ACC)
Date/Time: Apr. 16, 4 p.m.
Location: Dorrance Field, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch: ESPNU
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast

Looking Back
Chris Gray notched his eighth hat trick of the season and led the team with four points, but the Tar Heels couldn't overcome two four-goal runs from No. 7 Virginia as the Cavaliers earned the 11-4 win in Charlottesville.

Chris Gray led the team with three goals and one assist. Cole Herbert would score his 12th goal of the season for the Tar Heel's only other goal. Paul Barton played solid on the defensive side as he led the team with a season-high six ground balls. The trio of Zac Tucci, Andrew Tyeryar, and Graham Schwartz went a combined 9-19 at the face-off. Collin Krieg made 11 saves in the cage.

Series History vs. Syracuse
Syracuse holds an 18-10 advantage all-time against North Carolina. The teams first met in 1981, with the Tar Heels taking the 13-6 win in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the teams faced each other, with UNC taking the 21-9 victory in the Carrier Dome.

Coaching Matchup
Joe Breschi is in his 24th season as a head coach and 14th with the Tar Heels, with a 236-132 career record for a .641 winning percentage. Breschi is 144-69 (.676) as North Carolina's head coach. Breschi is 4-7 all-time against Syracuse.

Head coach Gary Gait is in his 1st season as the head coach of the Syracuse men's lacrosse team. He took the job after a 14-year stint as the head coach of the Orange's women's lacrosse program, where he compiled a 227-81 record. He led the women's team to a National Championship in 2007. Gait played for the Orange from 1987-1990, earning All-American honors and helping lead the team to three National Championships.

Gray Chasing History
With 386 career points, Chris Gray is now 15 points away from breaking the NCAA Division I all-time career point record, currently 400. Gray currently ranks third in the country in points per game (5.91).

Gray is also 12 goals away from breaking the UNC single-season record and 13 from breaking the UNC career record.

Pick It Up and You Win
Ground balls have been a key stat in the team's success this season. The Tar Heels are 7-0 when they collect more ground balls than their opponents. They are 0-4 when they tie or lose the ground ball battle.

Quick Strike Offense
UNC has come out firing to start games, scoring 38 goals in the first quarter this season. Chris Gray leads the team with 13 first-quarter goals. The Tar Heels are 6-1 when scoring first and 5-2 when leading after the first quarter.

Tune In
Fans can follow the Tar Heels matchup against Syracuse with @UNCMensLacrosse on Twitter. The game will air live on ESPNU at 4:00 p.m.