Men's lax falls to UNC for fourth straight loss
The men's lacrosse team was looking to snap out of a funk in which it had lost three consecutive overtime games. However, the potent offense of the North Carolina Tar Heels proved to be too much for Hopkins, as the Blue Jays fell 13-8 at Homewood field on Saturday.
For eighth-ranked Hopkins (3-4), this game was an opportunity to spark the team as it continues to play deeper into its tough schedule. The ninth-ranked Tar Heels (7-2) had not won at Homewood Field in six tries since 1994 but defeated Hopkins in a 13-10 nail-biter last season at Chapel Hill.
UNC took a quick lead just 35 seconds into the first quarter on an unassisted goal by junior Ben Hunt, who followed that up just over two minutes later with another unassisted score, putting the Blue Jays in a 2-0 hole.
The lead doubled by the end of the first quarter as the Tar Heels got two more goals, one from Cryder DiPietro with 3:28 left in the quarter, and one from Nick Tintle at the 2:42 mark. Hopkins, despite outshooting North Carolina 11-7, failed to score in the first quarter for the first time this season.
"Not being able to score until the second quarter was very frustrating," senior co-captain Michael Doneger said. "We were able to get some good offensive possessions but our shots just weren't falling."
Hopkins stepped up the intensity on defense at the beginning of the second quarter but had to grind it out for nearly ten more minutes before finally getting on the scoreboard when senior co-captain Paul Rabil took it himself and rifled a shot past UNC goalie Grant Zimmerman, making the score 4-1. The Tar Heels would answer three minutes later with a fast break goal of its own, bringing the lead back to four before halftime.
The third quarter was a make-or-break quarter for the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, the Tar Heels would not allow them to get back in the game.
Hopkins did manage to score two of the first three goals of the third quarter, both by Doneger, with one goal from UNC attack Gavin Petracca, making the score 6-3.
For eighth-ranked Hopkins (3-4), this game was an opportunity to spark the team as it continues to play deeper into its tough schedule. The ninth-ranked Tar Heels (7-2) had not won at Homewood Field in six tries since 1994 but defeated Hopkins in a 13-10 nail-biter last season at Chapel Hill.
UNC took a quick lead just 35 seconds into the first quarter on an unassisted goal by junior Ben Hunt, who followed that up just over two minutes later with another unassisted score, putting the Blue Jays in a 2-0 hole.
The lead doubled by the end of the first quarter as the Tar Heels got two more goals, one from Cryder DiPietro with 3:28 left in the quarter, and one from Nick Tintle at the 2:42 mark. Hopkins, despite outshooting North Carolina 11-7, failed to score in the first quarter for the first time this season.
"Not being able to score until the second quarter was very frustrating," senior co-captain Michael Doneger said. "We were able to get some good offensive possessions but our shots just weren't falling."
Hopkins stepped up the intensity on defense at the beginning of the second quarter but had to grind it out for nearly ten more minutes before finally getting on the scoreboard when senior co-captain Paul Rabil took it himself and rifled a shot past UNC goalie Grant Zimmerman, making the score 4-1. The Tar Heels would answer three minutes later with a fast break goal of its own, bringing the lead back to four before halftime.
The third quarter was a make-or-break quarter for the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, the Tar Heels would not allow them to get back in the game.
Hopkins did manage to score two of the first three goals of the third quarter, both by Doneger, with one goal from UNC attack Gavin Petracca, making the score 6-3.
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