BALTIMORE, Md. – It’s one thing to play a season opener with a few injuries. It’s another thing to do it against the No. 8 team in the country.
The Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team fell 12-7 to North Carolina Saturday in a neutral-site matchup at Baltimore’s Calvert Hall high school.
Four top Minuteman players were either inactive or hobbled by injuries. Senior attackman Jeff Zywicki managed to participate, despite injuries that reduced their preseason practice time and greatly hampered his ability to get open looks throughout the game.
Sean Morris, who scored 14 goals and notched eight assists last season, was kept out of action to recover from mononucleosis, and defenseman Jack Reid was inactive due to a coach’s decision. In the third quarter, junior defenseman Matt Garcia left the game with an injury, and his role was diminished significantly.
The Tar Heels, as a result, were able to tee off on the No. 7 Minutemen, and never trailed in the game.
Junior Jed Prossner scored three goals, all in the fourth quarter, to cap off the season-opening victory. But it was the work of sophomore Scott Falatach, who also tallied a hat trick to keep the Heels comfortably ahead of UMass. Falatach’s third goal, with 2:21 to go in the third quarter, ended up being the game winner. It also capped a three-goal run by the Tar Heels that distanced them from the Minutemen, after UMass looked like it was going to make it close in the second quarter.
“We made a few adjustments at the offensive end, and not [fouling], I think that was critical, and to clear the ball better,” UNC coach John Haus said. “We just stuck with it, got on a couple-goal run which helped us.”
UMass coach Greg Cannella said it all came down to the head game.
“You really have to be prepared mentally,” he said. “Right away, we made three mental errors, we were man-up, go offsides, and they scored. You have to try your best, but there’s more to it than just going out there and playing physically. Mentally, you’ve got to be there also.”
As for the injuries, while Cannella wouldn’t call them reason for excuses, he did cite them as a cause.
“I think not having [Morris] and [Zywicki] at full strength really changed what we do, changed who we are as a team. Hopefully that will change, and those guys will come back. Jack Reid didn’t play today, and Matt Garcia got injured in the third quarter, and that’s it.
“You’re talking about four of our best players, and you can’t compete with a team like that.”
The Tar Heels took an early 3-0 lead, before Neil Lundberg struck back with 4:14 left in the first quarter to get the Minutemen on the board. UNC scored two more quick ones in the second quarter, before Brett Garber and Ryan Connolly each hit on long shots that beat UNC goaltender Paul Spellman to the far side. It was the first career goal for Garber, the son of former Minuteman coach Ted Garber and the grandson of legendary UMass bench boss Dick Garber.
The Tar Heels added another in between the two Minuteman goals, and led 5-3 at halftime.
The first quarter was almost all Tar Heels, as they dictated play offensively, and held UMass mostly away from Spellman. In the second, the Minutemen looked to turn things around, slowing down their offensive-zone play, and playing good perimeter defense.
“I was pleased with the way our guys competed,” Cannella said. “The effort was there, but mentally I didn’t think we were there. In the clearing game, we’d play good defense, and then turn the ball over, and you can’t do that. A team like North Carolina, they’ll stuff it down your throat.”
