Michael Tagliaferri

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
6-1
Weight:
200
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Danville, Calif.
High School:
San Ramon Valley

General: Accepted to UNC’s MBA program where he is playing as a fifth-year player...dynamic midfielder who thrives in Coach Metzbower’s offense...developing into a great team player...Coach Breschi says he’s really learned the system...a high energy guy...probably the best athlete on the team...three-year letter winner...was off to an outstanding redshirt freshman campaign in 2014 before becoming injury plagued from the mid point of that season through 2015...redshirted during the 2013 campaign…underwent shoulder surgery in the fall of 2012 before returning to practice in fall 2013…member of the U.S. U19 National Team that won the World Championship in the summer of 2012 in Finland.
2016 (Redshirt Junior): Had his first full healthy year as a Tar Heel and responded with a monster season...Carolina’s fifth-leading scorer with 36 points...tied for fourth on the team in goals scored with 27...had nine assists and seven ground balls...played in all 18 games games and started every one in the first midfield unit...had 11 games with multiple points...had back-to-back hat tricks against Johns Hopkins and Denver...scored two goals each in ACC wins over Duke and Virginia...scored career high four goals in regular season game at Syracuse...in regular-season win over Notre Dame, he helped rally Tar Heels with two goals and an assist...in one-goal win over Marquette in first round of NCAA Tournament, he had three goals and an assist...followed that up with two-goal performance against Notre Dame in NCAA quarterfinals...assisted on Chris Cloutier’s NCAA championship win overtime goal against Maryland ...honorable mention USILA All-America midfielder...named to All-ACC Team...named to ACC Academic Honor Roll...also selected for All-ACC Academic Team in men’s lacrosse.
2015 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in 15 games, primarily as a defensive midfielder...scored a then career-high three goals versus Manhattan...also had goals versus Johns Hopkins and Richmond...had five assists, all in different games...had 23 ground balls with season high three each versus Richmond, Maryland, Duke and Virginia...excelled defensively against Duke, recording three of his four caused turnovers in 2015...named to All-ACC Academic Men’s Lacrosse Team.
2014 (Redshirt Freshman): Appeared in 10 games for UNC and started three at midfield...missed several games at midseason due to injury…his first career goal came against Furman as the game-winning tally…scored seven goals on the season, including a hat trick in the 9-8 overtime loss at Duke…also had three assists, with two coming against Bucknell…picked up four ground balls and had one caused turnover...named to 2014 ACC Academic Honor Roll...qualifed for selection to Fall 2013 semester Dean’s List.
2013 (Freshman): Took a non-medical red-shirt year...named to 2013 ACC Academic Honor Roll…tapped for spring semester 2013 Dean’s List.
Prep: A 2012 alumnus of San Ramon Valley High School...coached in lacrosse there by Peter Worstell…a standout football and lacrosse player there, playing both sports all four years…on the lacrosse field, he was a member of 2012 North Coast Section champions...competed on state championship teams in both lacrosse and football…two-time California Player of the Year (2011 and 2012)…two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-America…2012 USA Under Armour All-America Team...was named All-League four times and was twice named league MVP…finished his career with 197 goals and 127 assists (50g, 25a as a senior; 63g, 42a as a junior; 53g, 41a as a sophomore; 31g, 19a as a freshman)…was the #1-ranked player in the Class of 2012 on the West Coast...played on NCS and league championship teams.
Personal: Full name is Michael Stanton Tagliaferri...nicknamed Tags…the son of John and Carol Tagliaferri…was born September 30, 1993 in Oakland, Calif. …undergraduate degree was in business administration...enrolled in UNC Kenan-Flagler School MBA program…his father played professional football for the Miami Dolphins…is the oldest of five siblings (two brothers - Peter, 21, and Charlie, 14, and two sisters - Lainey, 18, and Caroline, 16)…claims to have the biggest appetite on the Carolina team...active in Carolina Leadership Academy as a Veteran Leader and as a volunteer for Habitat For Humanity and Carolina Dreams.

Catching Up With Michael Tagliaferri
Section #1: Lacrosse Related
My favorite thing about wearing Carolina Blue is it’s the history.
I love competing for this incredible coaching staff because they give their all for us.
My most underrated strength about my lacrosse game is my passing.
My best friend on my high school lacrosse team was Patrick Worstell and he is now playing football at California.
Every high school recruit should dream of becoming a Tar Heel because it’s the best school in the world.
Section #2: Your Interests
An ideal Saturday afternoon in the summer is spent on the lake.
My teammate with the best taste in music is William McBride because he has the best beats.
My favorite professional sports teams are the San Francisco Giants.
The best movie I’ve ever seen on a lacrosse bus trip is Gladiator.
The foreign country I would love to visit most is Italy because of the food and the culture.
Section #3: Food
My favorite tailgate food is burgers.
My favorite fast food restaurant is In-N-Out because it’s magic.
Sweet, salty or both? Both.
My favorite food made by a relative is Dad’s steak.
My favorite Chapel Hill dining spots are Top of the Hill and 411 West.
Section #4: Digging into your Personality
If I possessed the gift of time travel, I would go to the roaring 20s era in New York City.
The person in history I would most want to have dinner with is George Washington.
People would be very surprised to know I like to read.
In a quarter century I would love to be living in San Francisco and working at my own business.
The most interesting or fascinating person I’ve met in my time at UNC is Roy Williams because he’s a legend.

Michael Tagliaferri’s Career Statistics
Year   GP/GS   SH   SOG   G   A   PTS   GB   CT
2014   10/3   24   12   7   3   10   4   1
2015   15/0   21   11   5   5   10   23   4
2016   18/18   104   51   27   9   36   7   0
Totals   43/21   149   74   39   17   56   34   5
Michael Tagliaferri — 12 multi-goal games (2 in 2014, 1 in 2015, 9 in 2016); 1 in multi-assist game (1 in 2014); 15 multi-point games (3 in 2014, 1 in 2015, 11 in 2016).
Career Highs: Goals: 4 vs. Syracuse, 4-16-2016; Assists: 2 vs. Bucknell, 3-11-2014; Points: 4 vs. Syracuse, 4-16-2016; 4 vs. Marquette, 5-14-2016; Ground Balls: 3 vs. Richmond, 3-14-2015; 3 vs. Maryland, 3-21-2015; 3 vs. Duke, 3-29-2015; 3 vs. Syracuse, 4-11-2015; 3 vs. Michigan, 2-6-2016.