After back-to-back 7-7 seasons, the North Carolina Tar Heels lacrosse program finds itself in frustrating territory. With expectations for a return to national prominence, the question on everyone’s mind is: Can head coach Joe Breschi get the Tar Heels back into championship contention?
A massive component of accomplishing a run is rising sophomore Brady Wambach. The faceoff specialist immediately impacted his freshman season, living up to the hype as the No. 1 ranked FOGO in the Class of 2023 (Inside Lacrosse, n.d.). Wambach’s 146 faceoff wins ranked third all-time for a UNC freshman, and his .611 win percentage placed him in the top five nationally (National Collegiate Athletic Association, n.d.). If he continues on this trajectory, Wambach could become one of the best in the country, providing the Tar Heels a crucial advantage in possession and allowing their offense more opportunities.
Offensively, UNC has shown flashes but remained a middle-of-the-pack team in most statistical categories. They are tied for 19th in the country with 7.57 assists per game and 23rd in points per game at 19.93. The good news is that UNC returns productive offensive members from last season, with the addition of two five-star recruits Mason Szewczyk and Caden Harshbarger joining the midfield (Inside Lacrosse, n.d.). On paper, the Tar Heels’ offensive depth looks promising.
On defense, the Tar Heels rank similarly in the middle of the pack, sitting 19th in goals allowed per game (10.43), 22nd in caused turnovers per game (8.57), and 14th in clearing percentage (.886) (National Collegiate Athletic Association, n.d.). However, with Dave Pietramala, the legendary defensive coach, now in his second season at Chapel Hill, expectations for improvement on that side of the ball are high. Despite some of the average statistics, UNC has shown it can be disruptive, ranking 7th in the country for ground balls per game, a crucial upside to flip games in their favor.
While the defensive numbers may not yet fully reflect Pietramala’s influence, the hope is that with a full season under his belt, along with some of his recruits coming in, the Tar Heels will see an improvement. The combination of strong faceoff play, an offense that could be more potent with the incoming talent, and a defense that’s beginning to find its footing could set UNC on the right path.
The real question remains: can this team pull it all together? The pieces are there for UNC to make a run to championship weekend, but they will need to tighten up their offense and defense to compete with the top-tier teams in the country. If they can find consistency and continue to build on their strengths, a return to national championship contention is within reach.