North Carolina attackman Michael Burns played only one game in two years before starting against Ohio State on Feb. 18. The redshirt freshman made up for lost time when he scored three goals and added three assists in the win, earning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the week honors.

Burns, entering his second season with UNC, was only playing his second game with the Tar Heels because a broken thumb sidelined him after the first game last season. After injuring the thumb in practice, the coaches and medical staff concluded Burns would only be able to play in the last week of the season. They decided it would be best to redshirt the freshman.

Burns opened the Ohio State game with assists on the first three goals for the Tar Heels. He credited the quick start with helping him settle into his role in his team’s offense.

‘It was huge (scoring early),’ Burns said. ‘I was really nervous going into the game, and I really felt comfortable after that.’

In the second half, Burns helped the Tar Heels blow the game open with an early goal. The goal was the first of his career, but certainly not his last. He added two more before the end of the game.

His performance helped his team secure a 14-5 win over the Buckeyes and got him recognized as the leagues most outstanding player of the week.

‘That was a huge shocker for me (being named player of the week),’ Burns said. ‘I was really happy because I worked real hard in the offseason.’

North Carolina head coach John Haus had a feeling about the type of player Burns could become. Haus wanted to ensure Burns had four years to show Tar Heels fans.

‘We felt he was a talented player,’ Haus said. ‘It wouldn’t be worth wasting a year of eligibility.’

Even though he did not play for the team last season, Burns attended every practice and hung around his teammates all year long. Because he only suffered a thumb injury, Burns could still train with the team and came back to the team in shape this fall.

Re-injuring the thumb was never a concern for Burns. He came back to the team this season, insisting he was assured by doctors that the bone would most likely be stronger than before.

The year off may have helped the redshirt freshman in the long run. Senior captain Stephen McElduff noticed when Burns came back to the team this year with much more confidence than when he was a freshman.

‘He became a lot more assertive when he came back,’ McElduff said. ‘He is more like a sophomore with four years of eligibility.’

Freshmen like Burns were essential in the Tar Heels victory over Ohio State, scoring eight of the team’s 14 goals and seven of its nine assists. Burns continued to help his team in the next two games, scoring five combined goals in a win against Air Force and a loss to Denver.

With such emphasis placed on the young players, Haus made certain that the senior class would still have to carry the team. He believes the success the young players have had is a thanks to the leadership from upperclassmen like McElduff.

McElduff had nothing but praise for his freshman teammates after the Tar Heels’ eighth consecutive season-opening win.

Said McElduff: ‘The freshmen come in really nervous, but they really showed that they deserve to play.’

No Place like Home

Johns Hopkins held off a late run by Albany to earn their 37th straight victory at home with a 10-8 win. The streak tied the NCAA Division I record set by Syracuse from 1982-1987. The Blue Jays will try to break the record when they host Princeton on Saturday.

Stacked Deck

ACC teams were in the national championship game nine times since 1992, but only Virginia was able to bring home the title for the conference (1999 and 2003). Duke, Maryland and Virginia are ranked in the top three in this week’s Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. All three teams face serious action this weekend. No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Maryland square off in Durham, N.C., and No. 3 Virginia hosts No. 5 Syracuse on Saturday.

Power Five

1.Duke – The Blue Devils returned 17 seniors and juniors from last year’s national runner-up, and their experience showed in a 13-2 mashing of Villanova at home.

2.Johns Hopkins – A narrow victory against Albany made the Blue Jays drop in the Media Poll, but a win is a win and the reigning national champions have won their last 17 overall.

3.Maryland – Xander and Max Ritz carried the Terrapins this weekend, scoring eight of the team’s goals in the 10-4 victory over No. 7 Georgetown. Maryland gets bonus points for winning on the road against a rival team.

4.Virginia – The Cavaliers have outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 45-17 this season including a win over No.15 Denver. If they continue at this pace, Virginia will be going to its fourth final four in the last five years.

5.Syracuse – The Orange finished strong against Army on Saturday, but there are still too many question marks to rank SU any higher than fifth. This week’s game at Virginia could be the first step towards returning to the final four.

Published on February 28, 2006 at 12:00 pm