The Denver Pioneers have kept the pressure on the No. 8 seed North Carolina Tar Heels in their opening round game of the 2012 NCAA Lacrosse team. After the first quarter, the Pioneers hold a 5-2 lead.
Senior attacker Mark Matthews has already netted a hat trick. His first goal was a tight run from behind the net that wound up in the far side of the net. After that, Matthews rifled a shot in very little space for the go-ahead 3-2 goal. His third goal gave the team a 3-2 advantage. He has 42 goals this season and 29 career hat tricks.
Jeremy Noble and Wes Berg have the Pioneers' other goals. Ryan LaPlante has made two saves while allowing both goals. Marcus Holman scored the first goal of the game while R.G. Keenan scored the Tar Heels' second goal just six seconds after Noble put the Pioneers on the board
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