| 24 Ryan Flanagan |
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Coach Joe Breschi on Ryan Flanagan
"Flanny is as good a defenseman as there is in the country and as good as a player as there is out there. I think having this past fall off has helped him reevaluate his life, this season and his career in front of him. The time away has made him appreciate the opportunities he has. I think what he wants to do and what we want him to do and my goal for him is to be a complete player all the time, in practice and in games, and not take games or plays off, but be the most dominant player all the time. He's had games where he's dominated and games where he hasn't and I think he hasn't had that full season of being a dominant defender. As he went last year our whole defense went. If he was focused and dialed in we were very good."
2011 (Senior): Co-captain of the 2011 Tar Heels...named a preseason first-team All-America and All-ACC choice by Face-off Yearbook...a semifinalist for the Wooden Citizenship Cup in the fall of 2010...spent the fall of 2010 volunteering his time working with the Field of Growth International program in southwest Uganda...spent last summer as a global markets summer analyst for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City.
2010 (Junior): Co-winner of the Schmeisser Memorial Cup as the nation's top defenseman...the first Tar Heel to win that prestigious USILA Award since 1991...a first-team USILA All-America honoree...a Tewaaraton Trophy candidate...All-ACC honoree and also named to the All-Tournament Team at the ACC Tournament...won Carolina's defensive MVP award for the second straight year...started all 16 games for the Tar Heels, extending his games started streak to 45...led the Tar Heels in caused turnovers with 36...ranked second on the team in ground balls with 60...had the second assist of his career and it was of the highlight reel variety...delivered a half-field, on-the-money pass to Thomas Wood on the doorstep of the crease for a tally in the win over Duke...matched his career high for caused turnovers with five against Jacksonville...also had four each against Robert Morris, Maryland and Delaware...had a season-high six ground balls against Princeton and five each against Robert Morris and Maryland...2009-10 ACC Honor Roll selection...earned membership on spring semester 2010 Dean's List...named to All-ACC Academic team in men's lacrosse for the third year in a row...in the summer prior to his junior year he was a field sports intern for Nike, Inc. in Syracuse, N.Y.
2009 (Sophomore): Third-team All-America honoree...tapped for All-Tournament honors at ACC Tournament...selected for the 2009 All-ACC Academic Men's Lacrosse Team...won UNC's most valuable defensive player award...started all 18 games on close defense...was second on the team in ground balls with 67 and led the squad with 36 caused turnovers...assisted on a goal against Colgate...had three ground balls in a game 14 times...had a career high six ground balls against Notre Dame, Virginia and Duke...had at least one caused turnover in 13 matches...had a season high five caused turnovers versus Ohio State and four each against Virginia and Maryland...named to 2008-09 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
2008 (Freshman): Played in 14 games...started the last 11 games of the season...scored the first goal of his career against Marist...had 22 ground balls, including a season-high four against Providence...had seven caused turnovers, including two each against Notre Dame and Virginia...named to 2008 ACC Men's Lacrosse All-ACC Academic Team...earned Dean's List accolades in spring semester 2008...qualified for inclusion on 2007-08 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Community Service & Leadership: One of the team leaders in community service...besides his work with Fields of Growth International, he has organized the Susan G. Komen Foundation tennis tournament in Chapel Hill and worked with Carolina Dreams, the 2nd and 7 Foundation and the Chapel Hill Ronald McDonald House...active in Carolina Leadership Academy as a Veteran Leader in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and a Rising Star in 2008-09...named to Dean's List on three occasions...member of Sigma Alpha Lambda national leadership and honors organization.
Prep: Graduated from West Islip High School in June 2007...played four years of lacrosse there...coached by Scott Craig there...also played high basketball as a junior and senior...honor roll student...played on state lacrosse championship squads at West Islip in 2006 and 2007...was member of three Suffolk County and Long Island title-winning squads...his high school team was voted No. 1 in the country by Inside Lacrosse Magazine...was a first-team high school All-America as a senior...an Under Armour All-America selection following his senior campaign...as a junior was named All-Suffolk County...All-Division his junior year on the gridiron...was invited to U.S. Lacrosse U19 National Team training camp...played club lacrosse with Turnberry Capital Club All-Stars and RaSTARS.
Personal: Ryan Thomas Flanagan was born August 29, 1989 in Bay Shore, N.Y. ...is the son of Thomas and Koral Flanagan...has two brothers, Joe, 29, and Patrick, 23, and one sister, Caitlin, 19...business administration major.
LET'S PLAY 20 QUESTIONS WITH
...Ryan Flanagan
Section #1 (Lacrosse Related)
1. My favorite thing about wearing the Carolina Blue is the championship tradition.
2. I love competing for this incredible coaching staff because we know how much it means to them and how much work they put in.
3. My most underrated strength about my lacrosse game is behind-my-back no-lookers.
4. My best friend on my high school lacrosse team was BC28.
5. Every high school recruit should dream of becoming a Tar Heel because where else would you go?
Section #2 (Ryan's Interests)
1. An ideal Saturday afternoon in the summer is spent laxing.
2. My teammate with the best taste in music is #4 because he spends so much time on ITUNES.
3. My favorite professional sports team is the New York Jets.
4. The best movie I've ever seen on a lacrosse bus trip is Hofstra vs. Princeton game tape.
5. The foreign country I would love to visit the most is Uganda because of the relationships and the projects started.
Section #3 (Food)
1. My favorite tailgate foods and beverages are Water and Gatorade.
2. My favorite fast food restaurant is Chipotle because I don't think it is fast food.
3. Sweet, salty or both? Both.
4. My favorite food made by a relative is my Dad's eggs.
5. My favorite Chapel Hill dining spot is Foster's Market.
Section #4 (Digging Into Ryan's Personality)
1. If I possessed the gift of time travel, I would go to 4/11/2009 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
2. The person in history I would most want to have dinner with is Ghandi.
3. People would be very surprised to know is I'm left handed.
4. In a quarter century I would love to be living in New England and working at home.
5. The most interesting or fascinating person I've met in my time at UNC is Dr. Diane Groff because of her unbelievable "Get REAL and HEEL" Breast Cancer Awareness program.
Ryan Flanagan's Stat Lines
Year GP/GS SH G A PTS GB CT
2008 14/11 3 1 0 1 22 7
2009 18/18 3 0 1 1 67 36
2010 16/16 5 0 1 1 51 36
Totals 48/45 11 1 2 3 140 79
Career Highs: Ground Balls: 6 vs. Notre Dame, 3-8-2009; 6 vs. Virginia, 4-4-2009; 6 vs. Duke, 5-17-2009; 6 vs. Princeton, 3-16-2010. Caused Turnovers: 5 vs. Ohio State, 4-11-2009; 5 vs. Jacksonville, 2-6-2010.
