With the game tied in overtime against Lehigh on Feb. 17, the pressure was on North Carolina midfielder Will Perry. Facing a team that has missed the NCAA Tournament every year since 2013, the Tar Heels couldn’t afford a loss.

Senior attack Chris Cloutier rounded the goal with a defender draped on his right hip. As he tried to escape, two more Lehigh defenders arrived from upfield to block his path.

Perry, noticing the three defenders circled around Cloutier, slid over into an open area, about 10 yards away from goal.

Cloutier noticed Perry and passed it to his younger counterpart. With an open chance from long range, Perry fired a rocket toward the net. The Lehigh goalie was defenseless. Perry scored his fourth goal of the day, flipping his stick into the air as the Tar Heel bench sprinted to rejoice the game-winner.

Initially a Providence commit, sophomore Will Perry has become a star midfielder for UNC (6-6, 0-2 ACC) as they travel to the Carrier Dome to face No. 7 Syracuse (6-4, 3-0 ACC) on Saturday. Playing in 16 games and totaling 18 points in his freshman year, Perry has already surpassed that total this year with 27 points through 12 games.

As a freshman, Perry, who started just five games, was not a consistent starter. Going into the offseason he knew he wanted to improve upon a variety of skills, including his long-range shot.

“I’ve done a better job of being a facilitator this year,” Perry said. “I don’t look just to catch and shoot but also to dodge and look for my teammates.”

Perry’s father, Jim Perry, and uncle both played Division I lacrosse at Colgate. When Perry chose to play the family sport, he began to love the speed and physicality of the game, Jim said. Yet, it was not until his sophomore year at Greenwich (Connecticut) High School that Jim was convinced his son would be a Division I player.

“He was always a good athlete, but I could never imagine at a young age that he was going to play for a team like North Carolina,” Jim said.

Perry scored in all but four games his freshman season and was the recipient of the team’s Jay Gallagher Memorial Award awarded to an outstanding freshman.

This year’s team entered the season without former attack Luke Goldstock, who tallied 45 points in 2017. UNC needed someone to step up and provide additional offense to help Coutier. Perry did just that. He improved on playing with his left hand, dodging defenders and gaining speed. He would do footwork and agility drills whenever possible, he said.

Still, Perry needed to add another dimension to his game if he was going to become a difference maker, he said. So, he practiced his long-range shot extensively during the offseason, determined to become a dominant offensive player.

Early on in the season, his developments were on full display. He scored nine goals in the first three games. In the third, he scored four and the game-winner as North Carolina escaped an upset bid from Lehigh.

“He’s got a lot more confidence this year,” Jim said. “He’s matured and with the help of great coaching… his hard work has showed.”

Published on April 14, 2018 at 11:29 am

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman