March 17, 2002

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For the second consecutive Sunday the University of Denver men's lacrosse team threw a scare into a Top-10 opponent, but No. 10-ranked North Carolina held on to beat the Pioneers 9-8 at Fetzer Field Sunday afternoon before a rain-soaked crowd of 1,117.

Last Sunday the Pioneers (3-3) gave No. 1-ranked Syracuse fits before falling 13-10 when the Orangemen went on a 4-1 run in the last eight minutes to win the game. The scenario was different Sunday as Carolina built a five-goal lead in the first half and had to withstand three Denver goals in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter to emerge with the win. Adding the Pioneers' 12-11 overtime loss at Army on March 2, Denver's three losses - all to ranked teams - have been by a total of five goals.

Freshman Matt Brown (Burnaby, B.C. / St. Thomas More HS) led all players with three goals, the Pioneer attacker has registered at least a hat trick in all six Denver games and now leads the team with 22 points. Fellow freshman Eric Swanson (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South HS) added a goal and three assists to extend his goal-scoring streak to six games as well.

Freshman Jed Prossner led the Tar Heels (5-0) with two goals and two assists, and Steven Will was the only other Tar Heel to score in the multiple-goal category. Denver was the first team this season to hold the Tar Heels to single digits in goals.

Carolina went ahead 5-0 in the first half as five different UNC players scored in the run. Andrew Lucas opened up the scoring with 9:39 left in the first quarter and Johnny Seivold and Will added goals before the end of the first quarter, both off of assists by Pat Jackson.

Austin Garrison and Kyle Bell added goals in the first eight minutes of the second quarter to build a five-goal cushion. The Pioneers got on the board with 4:18 left in the second quarter on an unassisted goal by freshman middie Greer Hanlon (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville HS). That goal was answered by Carolina less than two minutes before halftime as Prossner fed Will on an extra-man situation.

The Tar Heels came out in the second half flat and Denver, as it has all season, took advantage. Back-to-back goals by sophomore defenseman Cory Vann (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Birmingham HS) and Brown cut the Tar Heels' lead to 6-3 with 8:12 to play in the third quarter. Bryant Will answered with a goal for UNC off an assist by Prossner but before the end of the third quarter Denver got a goal by junior middie Mike Petrucci (Roseville, Mich. / DeLa Salle HS) to make it 7-4 Carolina heading into the final quarter.

Brown's second goal of the game, off the first of Swanson's three helpers, cut the lead to two goals just 1:23 into the fourth quarter but Carolina seized the momentum with back to back goals by Prossner, the first on an extra-man with 12 minutes left, and the second on a spectacular unassisted goal with 8:03 to play.

But to its credit Denver would simply not go away. The Pioneers picked up their passing game in the last seven minutes to almost pull off a splendid comeback. Swanson finished off a brilliant fast break with 6:36 to play. The Tar Heels held on defensively but Steven Will's shot on a fast break was saved by Denver's Jeff Nunziato (Latham, N.Y. / Shaker HS). On the ensuing possession, the Pioneers capitalized with a goal by junior attacker Mike Kenlay (Wilmette, Ill. / New Trier HS) off Swanson's feed with 3:56 to go. Carolina won the ensuing faceoff - the Heels won six of seven draws in the final quarter - but Seivold's shot caromed off the right pipe and Denver won possession. Carolina's Dave Duffy got flagged for slashing on the possession and Denver converted on the extra-man with Brown taking a feed from Swanson with 2:11 left.

The Pioneers would never touch the ball again, however. Kevin Frew won the faceoff for Carolina and the Heels showed tremendous discipline, holding the ball in their attacking box for the final 2:11. Frew won some big faceoffs on the day for UNC, capturing 12 of his 18 attempts.

Denver continues its spring break trip Wednesday with a 3 p.m. game against Vermont in Durham, N.C.

DENVER MEN'S LACROSSE
at Chapel Hill, N.C. (Fetzer Field)
#10 North Carolina 9, DENVER 8
                          1  2  3  4  -  F
DENVER (3-3)              0  1  3  4  -  8
#10 North Carolina (5-0)  3  3  1  2  -  9

Goals: DEN - Matt Brown 3, Greer Hanlon, Cory Vann, Mike Petrucci, Erik Swanson,
   Mike Kenlay, UNC - Jed Prossner 2, Andrew Lucas, Johnny Seivold, Steven Will 2,
   Austin Garrison, Kyle Bell, Bryant Will.
Assists: DEN - Swanson 3, Kenlay, Ryan Marshall, UNC - Prossner 2, Pat Jackson 2,
   Lucas, Seivold, B. Will.
Goalkeeping: DEN - Jeff Nunziato (60 mins., 9 GA, 13 Svs.),
   UNC - Paul Spellman (60 mins., 8 GA, 12 Svs.).
Shots: DEN 30, UNC 36. Faceoffs: DEN 8, UNC 13. Ground Balls: DEN 37, UNC 47.
Extra-Man Opportunities: DEN 1-of-2, UNC 2-of-6. Penalties: DEN 6-5:00, UNC 2-1:30.
Clears: DEN 15-of-21, UNC 20-of-24. Turnovers: DEN 16, UNC 15.
Officials: Peter Reichard, Paul Espinosa, Mark Goldsmith. A - 1,117.