2021 NCAA MEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 29, 2021

Chris Gray

Will Perry

North Carolina Tar Heels

Media Conference

Virginia - 12, North Carolina - 11

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you for joining us here today.

Q. Chris, can you just touch on and describe how important Will's kind of long range shooting was for you guys to come back in this one?

CHRIS GRAY: Yeah, it meant everything to our team. Will's been great for us all year, the best midfielder in the country. I have no idea how he wasn't picked up in the PLL, certainly one of the best players I've been around.

Yeah, he brings the same thing every game, and that's the ability to shoot from 20-plus yards. It definitely helps stretch defenses out, and we couldn't be more grateful for him.

Q. Will, what were you seeing out there, just in your home state, and what was working for you?

WILLIAM PERRY: I was just lucky enough to be in a shooting position. Those guys around me, the five guys around me who moved the ball through X, dodged hard, drew slides, and I was just able to be the recipient of the pass and able to step into the shots. That's just how we've played all year, just ball movement and then finding the guy on the back side, and that was just me today.

So nothing special. It was just how the offense worked.

Q. I was wondering if you could take me through the game a little bit. Obviously, they were getting face-offs in the first half there. Can you kind of tell me what you saw out there and how you guys were able to battle back there in the second.

CHRIS GRAY: Obviously, they have a great team, great face-off guy. I thought Zac Tucci and Andrew Tyeryar did well for us in the second half. Going into the half, we were down five goals. It was amazing how we were able to rally back and cut the deficit down. No quit in our team. That's the most important part. We didn't give up and battled back. That's all credit to the fifth years like Perry, Anderson, and those guys who carry our team forward every day.

It was a tough loss, but a lot of great fight from our team.

Q. On that last play, it seemed like, when they had -- they did make a switch, when they put 7, the short stick on you. Were they basically trying to press you, you feel like, and were you a bit uncomfortable and maybe a little caught off guard by that switch?

CHRIS GRAY: I came off a pick. They hedged out, got me to roll back. I think it was Will's guy, short clock. They did a great job as the defense, and unfortunately, we didn't get the best look at the end. Just a tough loss, but like I said, it was a great fight but our team.

Q. What's it like for you coming back to Connecticut and playing so well in front of this home crowd?

WILLIAM PERRY: It means a lot. Obviously, I wish the outcome was different, but kind of full circle being able to finish my year in Connecticut. Regardless of where this game was played, just so fortunate to have a group of 60 guys who battled all throughout this year and really gave it their all, and throughout adversity, throughout COVID, with everything else that's going on with our team, I know wherever the location was, we were going to give it the best effort we possibly could.

Yeah, it's great that I ended up here in Connecticut, but yeah, it would have been the same outcome anywhere else.