Much like the top-ranked women’s team on Friday, the No. 1 UNC men put together an incredible second-half comeback on Saturday in Hartford before ultimately falling short in the NCAA Tournament Semifinals.

The Tar Heels fell to No. 4 Virginia by a score of 12-11 after a pair of shot attempts in the final minute couldn’t find the target.

It was a frantic final minute as UNC (13-3) was scrambling to try and send the game into overtime after trailing 9-4 at halftime — the team’s first halftime deficit of the season.

“These guys laid it all on the line and gave us everything they had throughout the year,” Tar Heel head coach Joe Breschi said afterwards. “And they certainly did here when the chips were down 9-4 at halftime. They weren’t rattled. They didn’t flinch. They just came out and played the way we’ve been playing all year and it gave us a chance to win. We just ran out of time.”

Virginia (13-4) built that lead by winning 11 consecutive face-offs from the end of the first quarter all the way through to the break, controlling possession and sparking a 6-0 run on the scoreboard.

UNC and the nation’s top-ranked offense refused to go away quietly in the second half against the 2019 national champions, storming back behind the play of seniors William Perry and Chris Gray.

Perry –who was playing in his home state of Connecticut — had three of his game-high five goals after halftime, including a laser that went between the legs of Virginia’s outstanding goalie Alex Rode and brought UNC within one goal in the closing minutes.

Gray added two of his three goals and one of his two assists in the second half, but the Tar Heels couldn’t quite overcome the clutch performances by Rode (15 saves) and the Virginia defense.

Improvement in the face-off circle played a large role in the comeback as well, with UNC’s Zac Tucci winning eight of the 12 second-half draws.

The Tar Heels had all the momentum they needed late in the game. They just simply ran out of time as Breschi told reporters, ending what has been a fantastic season in the process.

On the other end, Virginia held the high-powered Tar Heel offense to their lowest scoring output of the year and held strong defensively when it mattered most — which makes all the difference in championship-level competition.

This was the third meeting of the season between UNC and Virginia. The Cavaliers’ win gives them a 2-1 victory in the season series and the chance to play Monday for their second consecutive national title.

“Congratulations to Virginia,” Breschi said. “We’ve had three great games with them over the course of the year. The resilience of both teams, they all left it out on the field. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys’ effort and energy.”

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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