CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 2021 MAAC Champion Monmouth University men's lacrosse team is set to meet #2/#1 North Carolina at Dorrance Field on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament First Round on ESPNU.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Location: Dorrance Field
Time: 12 p.m.
Watch:
ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Sheehan Stanwick Burch
Live Stats
GAME NOTES
Monmouth makes its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after winning the 2021 MAAC Tournament Championship. The Hawks defeated Manhattan, 14-9, on Saturday to secure the MAAC automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Matt Soutar was named Tournament MVP and
Chris Hervada,
Noah Lode and
Cade Stratton were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Monmouth's 2021 season is its second winning season in program history and first since its 2017 championship campaign. The Hawks earned a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship along with Manhattan and Quinnipiac.
Five Hawks were honored by the MAAC for their performance during the 2021 season. The selections were highlighted by
Chris Hervada's recognition as the MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Rudy Beck and Hervada were voted to the All-MAAC First Team, while
Matt Soutar and
Dillon Smart secured Second Team honors and
Connor Macrae earned the MAAC All-Rookie Team nod.
The Hawks rank among the nation's best in a number of statistical categories this season.
Noah Lode leads the NCAA in goals-against average (7.80) and as a team Monmouth is second in scoring defense (8.00).
Matt Soutar is fourth in the country in faceoff winning percentage (71.4%).
Dillon Smart ranks 21st in the country in caused turnovers per game.
Lode is the program's all-time leader in saves (470) and recently tied
Nick Hreshko '17 at the top of the program's wins list with 21.
Zach Clemente is the program's active leader with 41 career goals, which ranks eighth in Monmouth history.
Cade Stratton has 54 career points entering Saturday, the most on the Hawks and ninth in the Monmouth record book.
Dillon Smart is the all-time leader with 127 ground balls and
Anthony Sardo's 12 career man-up goals is a team record.
Chris Hervada has 49 career caused turnovers, good for third in Monmouth history.
Matt Soutar is 184-for-274 in his career at the faceoff X (67.2 percent), the best mark in school history. His 72 ground balls in 2021 are five shy of the single-season program record of 77.
THE MATCHUP
North Carolina is the highest ranked opponent Monmouth has faced in the eight-year history of the program. The Tar Heels are the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and are ranked #2 in the USILA Coaches Poll and No. 1 in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Hawks have yet to play a ranked opponent this season and are 1-6 all-time against ranked teams, with their lone win coming in 2017 against RV/16 Villanova. Monmouth is receiving votes in both Top 20 polls this week.
PREVIEWING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2021 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship after winning a share of the ACC Regular Season Championship following an 11-2 season and 4-2 conference campaign.
The Tar Heels have won five NCAA Championships in men's lacrosse, in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991 and 2016.
Five Tar Heels were named to the All-ACC Team for 2021. Justin Anderson, Will Bowen, Chris Gray, Connor Maher and Matt Wright all earned a spot on the 19-member team. Gray was also named the Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Joe Breschi was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year.
CAROLINA CONNECTION
Monmouth University President Dr. Patrick Leahy and North Carolina Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Joe Breschi were classmates at Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit Prep School in Towson, MD.
Monmouth Head Men's Basketball Coach
King Rice played point guard at North Carolina from 1988-91. Rice played for legendary coach Dean Smith, helping the Tar Heels to a 29-6 overall mark and appearance at the 1991 NCAA Final Four.
A WIN WOULD
Be Monmouth's first NCAA Tournament victory in program history (0-1).
Send Monmouth to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time.
Be Monmouth's second win ever against a ranked team (1-6).
Improve the Hawks to 9-2, their best 11-game start in program history.
Give Monmouth a 3-2 record in road games this season.
Improve Monmouth to 1-0 all-time against North Carolina.
Give Monmouth its fourth consecutive win.
UP NEXT
The winner of the Monmouth-UNC matchup will advance to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal and play the winner of Lehigh and Rutgers. That game will be played at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, NY on May 22.
