The North Carolina men’s lacrosse team, sporting a 10-4 record, will open up the NCAA Tournament against a familiar opponent. The Tar Heels will travel to Big East Conference champion Denver, 14-2 on the season, Saturday to play in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start time Saturday at Barton Stadium on the Denver campus.

Carolina will appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in the program’s history and for the eighth straight year. The Tar Heels have made the tournament in each of Head Coach Joe Breschi’s six years at the helm.

But to get past the first round of postseason play in 2014 will be a daunting challenge. The Pioneers have won 11 straight games and have not lost since losing at Penn 12-10 on March 1.

UNC is unseeded in the tournament for only the third time in history and the first time since 1998, but the Tar Heels’ four losses this season have come by a combined five goals.

To win Saturday’s nationally televised game on ESPNU, the Tar Heels will have to reverse a trend as the Pioneers have eliminated the Tar Heels in each of the past two NCAA Tournaments.