Having struggled mightily in recent weeks–dropping four games during a five-game homestand–the UNC men’s lacrosse team desperately needed a win this past Sunday on the road against then-No. 14 Virginia.

The Tar Heels were able to do just that, thanks to the standout performance from faceoff specialist Stephen Kelly–who tied a school record with 23 wins on the draw during UNC’s 15-12 victory.

Not only that, Kelly also tied another of the program’s single-game records by retrieving a staggering 15 groundballs–just the seventh Tar Heel in history to ever do such a thing.

As a result, the ACC named Kelly its Co-Defensive Player of the Week along with Duke goalie Danny Fowler.

Kelly won 11 of the 12 faceoffs in the first two quarters against the Cavaliers, which allowed the Tar Heels to build a 9-2 lead by halftime.

Then in the second half, Kelly scored the team’s 13th goal of the game. This turned out to be the game-winner as Virginia ended up scoring only 12 goals.

The senior has now won 658 faceoffs in his career, placing him second on UNC’s all-time list.

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