June 28, 2001

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina's already stellar recruiting class in men's lacrosse got one better this week when Richard Thomas, a goalkeeper from the Gilman School in Baltimore, Md., committed to the Tar Heels. Thomas becomes the 12th Tar Heel recruit in Coach John Haus' first recruiting class at Carolina.

Thomas becomes the fourth member of the Baltimore Sun All-Metro boys lacrosse team to commit to Carolina for the coming year. The 15-man All-Metro team includes 14 seniors and one junior. Of the 14 seniors, four will play at Carolina, two each at Ohio State and Loyola and one each at Salisbury State, Cornell, Towson, Johns Hopkins, Navy and Duke.

Thomas helped lead the Gilman squad which returned only one starter from last spring's MIAA A Conference championship team. Thomas was a first-year starter in the goal after spending three years behind Gilman standout Jay Pfeiffer on the bench.

But Thomas had a breakthrough year, stopping 265 shots, which worked out to a 73 percent saves ratio. Thomas endured seven one-goal victories, four of those in overtime, in addition to four two-goal victories.

Thomas, who has a knack for stopping point-blank volleys, turned in his best outings in wins over MIAA A Conference champion Loyola (20 saves), Friends (23 saves) and Boys' Latin (17 saves).