US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20 on Dec. 17. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February.

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No. 11 North Carolina

2019 Record: 8-7 (1-3, Atlantic Coast Conference)
Coach: Joe Breschi (12th year)
Assistants: David Metzbower, Kevin Unterstein, Will Fox

All-Time Record: 502-310-2
NCAA Appearances: 32
Final Fours: 13
Championships: 5

2020 Schedule

Save the Date
April 2

UNC went 0-2 against Virginia, the eventual NCAA champion, losing in the regular season and ACC semifinals. But the goal differential in those losses? Just two. When the Tar Heels host the Cavaliers, they’ll have a chance to flip those one-goal losses in their favor.

Just for Kicks: Nicky Solomon Moonlights with UNC Football Team

This fall, one of North Carolina’s top attackmen started his days with football practice.

It was easier last year for Nicky Solomon, when football was in the afternoon. He’d go to morning lacrosse practice, knock out his two classes for the day then head over to football.

2019 was a “little bit of a struggle,” he said, since both sports had morning practices. But the sophomore still made it work — with full cooperation from his lacrosse and football coaches, Joe Breschi and Mack Brown, respectively — and just wrapped up his second season as a reserve kicker for the Tar Heels.

“Nothing really with kicking helps with lacrosse,” Soloman said with a laugh. “I wish it did in some way, but I can’t figure it out.”

Solomon, who logged 20 goals and 10 assists for UNC last season, picked up football during his senior year of high school. Since most of his close friends at Centennial High (Ga.) had graduated that spring, he had a lot more free time — too much, he thought.

“I’m like, ‘What should I do? I don’t want to get in trouble,’” he said.

So he found a field, and he started kicking. A friend recorded him and sent the video to Centennial’s football coach. Solomon got a tryout.

Within weeks, he was the Knights’ starting kicker, punter and kickoff specialist.

Solomon enjoyed it so much that, on his official lacrosse visit to North Carolina, he met with the football coaching staff and toured the facilities. The team offered him a preferred walk-on spot.

He was ecstatic. And Breschi couldn’t have been more supportive. In recent years, UNC lacrosse players such as Jesse Cuccia (safety) and Mark McNeill (wide receiver) have also spent their falls on the gridiron.

“I’m a big believer in the kids fulfilling their dream,” Breschi said. “If that’s what they want to do, or try, go for it.”

Solomon’s football role isn’t massive. He redshirted last season, hasn’t appeared in a game yet, doesn’t travel with the team to away games and is currently UNC’s third-string kicker. Depending on how lacrosse season goes in the spring, he may not do it as a junior.

“He’s such a happy kid,” Breschi said. “I think that’s why they keep him around.”

Projected Starters

A — Nicky Solomon — So. — 20 G, 10 A
A — Chris Gray — Jr. — 49 G, 62 A (at Boston U.)
A — Jacob Kelly — So. — 11 G, 17 PT
M — Justin Anderson — Sr. — 19 G, 6 A
M — Will Perry — Sr. — 26 G, 95 SH
M — Tanner Cook — Sr. — 15 G, 63.4 SOG%
FO — Zach Tucci — So. — 50.0 FO%, 55 GB
LSM — Matt Wright — Fr. (high school)
D — Cam Macri — Sr. — 15 GP, 13 GB
D — Evan Egan — So. — 9 GP, 6 GB
D — Zach Young — Fr. (high school)
D — Patrick Lyons — Sr. — 2 GP
G — Caton Johnson — So. — 81 SV, 54.4 SV%

Tewaaraton Watch
Chris Gray, A, Jr.

UNC landed the biggest transfer of the summer when Gray, a Boston University star, opted to spend his final two years in Chapel Hill. One look at his offensive stats last season — a Patriot League-record 111 points, 49 goals and 62 assists — tells you all you need to know.

X Factor
Will Bowen, D, R-Fr.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Bowen had preseason hype last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury. If healthy, he can fit right in on a defense that’s working in a lot of new faces — and offer plenty of athleticism.

National Rankings

21

Saves for Caton Johnson last March against rival Duke — the most ever by a UNC true freshman. Johnson, the 2019 ACC Freshman of the Year, will likely enter 2020 as North Carolina’s starter in goal after beating out Jack Pezzulla in the middle of last season.

Enemy Lines

“When you add a really good player like [Gray], how does it work? Dave Metzbower is as good as anybody. He understands how to put the pieces together, and that’s a really good thing. Adding a guy who is a quarterback like that helps them. There’s certainly some losses at the defensive end, though I’d heard Bowen was really good before he got hurt.”