April 28, 2006

Box Score

Quotes

BALTIMORE - Trailing 6-1 at halftime, Maryland regrouped for nine second-half goals, including the game-winner with just 1:25 left, to top North Carolina in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday, 10-9.

The second-seeded Terrapins (9-3) finished the game on a 3-0 run, scoring all three of their fourth-quarter goals in the last 8:08. Xander Ritz had two of those goals, including the game-winner from just outside the crease in the waning minutes.

The third-seeded Tar Heels (4-10) looked nothing like the underdog in the opening half, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Ben Hunt started the scoring with 9:07 left in the first quarter, and Andrew McElduff converted a Sean Link pass with 4:14 remaining to push the lead to 2-0. Nick Tintle scored unassisted with just under two minutes to go in the quarter, and Michael Burns increased the North Carolina lead to 4-0 with his goal with just 14 seconds left.

Maryland picked up its first score with an extra-man goal by Ritz with 10:18 left in the second quarter. North Carolina answered with a pair of goals, as Bart Wagner scored on a Burns pass and Burns added his second goal of the evening unassisted with about seven minutes to go before halftime.

The Terrapins stormed out of the locker room after intermission, reeling off a 5-0 run to tie the score at 6. Bill McGlone got things going, first feeding Maxwell Ritz for a goal just 39 seconds into the third quarter, and assisting on Brendan Healy's score just over a minute later.

Healy's goal was the first of three straight for the senior, as he added another at the 11:41 mark and capped his personal 3-0 run with another strike with 6:31 left in the quarter.

McGlone finished off Maryland's spurt with a goal of his own with 4:29 left, tying the score for the first time on the evening.

North Carolina would waste little time regaining the lead, as Hunt notched his second goal of the night on an extra-man tally just 1:13 later. Maryland refused to go away, however, as ACC Player of the Year Joe Walters drew the Terrapins even with an extra-man goal of his own with just 2:08 left in the quarter.

The Tar Heels started the fourth with a pair of quick goals, with Ben Staines and Drew Habeck scoring in the first four minutes to restore UNC's lead at 9-7. Three minutes later, Xander Ritz started Maryland's game-clinching 3-0 run.

The Terrapins will face top-seeded Virginia on Sunday in the championship match, which will be televised regionally at 3:30 p.m.

Summary:
Goals: NC Michael Burns 2, Ben Hunt 2m Nick Tintle 1m Andrew McElduff 1, Drew Habeck 1, Bart Wagner 1, Ben Staines 1, MD Brendan Healy 3, Xander Ritz 3, Bill McGlone 1, Joe Walters 1, Maxwell Ritz 1
Assists: NC Michael Burns 1, Sean Link 1, Nick Tintle 1, Grant Zimmerman 1, MD Michael Phipps 3, Brendan Healy 2, Bill McGlone 2
Shots: NC 38, MD 40
Ground Balls: NC 31, MD 40
Face-Offs: NC 11-22, MD 11-22
Clears: NC 11-12, MD 17-22
Extra-Man Opps: NC 1-3, MD 2-4
Saves: NC 12, MD 14
Turnovers: NC 15, MD 17
Penalties: NC 4/3:00, MD 3/2:00