The UNC men’s lacrosse team couldn’t recover from a disastrous first quarter Friday night in Durham, falling to No. 4 Duke 15-8.

Carolina fell behind 6-1 after the first 10 minutes and trailed 9-2 late in the second quarter before finally picking itself up off the mat. The Tar Heels scored twice in the final 36 seconds of the first half and showed even more signs of life early in the third quarter, cutting the Duke lead down to 9-8 with 11:37 remaining in the period.

But Carolina wouldn’t find the back of the net again, and the Blue Devils restored the lead to three goals by the end of the third quarter and pulled away in the fourth. UNC won the second and third quarters by a 7-5 score, but were outscored in the first and fourth quarters 10-1.

The two teams were almost even in shots on goal — Duke held a 23-22 advantage — but the Blue Devils dominated face-offs, winning 17 of 26 on the night.

Lance Tillman and James Matan each scored twice for Carolina and four other Tar Heels scored once. Friday night’s loss is the third on the year for UNC, with the team being held to fewer than 10 goals in all three.

The Tar Heels are in for a quick turnaround, as they will host Dartmouth at Dorrance Field on Sunday at noon.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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