CHAPEL HILL, NC – Host North Carolina got seven goals and two assists from senior attackman Chris Gray and a Tar Heel zone defense kept the Blue Jay offense off-balance as UNC picked up a 15-9 win at Dorrance Field Sunday afternoon.  The Tar Heels improve to 4-1 on the year while the Blue Jays slip to 3-2.
 
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 9-6 lead at the half on the strength of four first-half goals from Gray.  He fueled a four-goal UNC run that turned a 5-5 tie midway through the second quarter into the 9-6 Tar Heel lead as he opened the spree with a jumper from the slot that he snuck inside the post and later added the third goal of the run with a man-up laser from the wing.
 
North Carolina doubled its three-goal halftime lead in the third quarter as the Tar Heels scored three times while holding the Blue Jays scoreless.  Jacob Kelly turned a failed clear for the Blue Jays into a half-opening goal as Nicky Solomon found him alone in an unsettled situation and he blew home his second of the game.  Gray added his fifth of the game midway through the period as he went low-to-high off a pick on the wing.  Solomon closed the game-deciding period when he scored in the final minute of the period.
 
Any hopes for a Blue Jay comeback were dashed early in the fourth quarter as Ryan O'Connell and Gray scored back-to-back goals just 30 seconds apart less than two minutes into the period.  A Joey Epstein goal with 11:24 remaining broke a scoreless drought for the Blue Jays that had extended back to the 4:29 mark of the second quarter.
 
Epstein would score three consecutive goals in a four-minute span to slice the deficit to 14-9 with 7:02 remaining, but Gray answered eight seconds later and the Blue Jays didn't score again until Jacob Angelus fired one home in the final seconds.
 
The Blue Jays had trailed 5-2 after back-to-back Tar Heel goals that bridged the first and second quarters, but answered with a three-goal flurry that quickly evened things up.  A Tyler Dunn goal off a faceoff at the 11:12 mark of the period was followed a short time later by consecutive strikes from Connor DeSimone and Garrett Degnon just 50 seconds apart.  DeSimone scored on a dodge from behind the goal, while Degnon stuffed one home from in tight off a quick feed from Jacob Angelus.
 
What It Means
• In the 50^th all-time meeting between the two teams, UNC picked up its 24^th win in the series.
 
• This is the first time the home team has won in the series since 2015.  Including today's game, the visiting team is 7-3 in the last 10 games in the series.
 
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Kirson posted a career-high 20 saves.  He is the first Johns Hopkins goalie with a 20-save performance since May 8, 2010, when Pierce Bassett has 20 in a win against Loyola.
 
• Epstein (4g) and DeSimone (2g, 2a) both registered four-point games.
 
• DeSimone's first goal of the game was the 100^th point of his career.
 
Inside the Box Score – North Carolina
• Gray led the Tar Heels with his seven goals and two assists, while Solomon (3g, 3a) added a six-point day.
 
• Collin Krieg posted nine saves in goal for UNC.
 
• The Tar Heels held advantages in shots (51-35), ground balls (33-31) and faceoffs (19-10).
 
Up Next
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, March 5 when the Blue Jays travel to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers (1 pm).