1.) Win 50 percent of the faceoffs. This may be a tall task. North Carolina leads the country with a .623 faceoff percentage and senior Shane Walterhoefer ranks second in the nation with a .627 percentage. He is fourth in NCAA history in faceoffs and seventh in ground balls. Retrievers freshman Justin Radebaugh has been improving and owns a .489 success rate, but he is going to need a lot of help from his wings. If UMBC can win at least half of the faceoffs and keep possession on the offensive end, the team’s outlook improves immensely.

2.) Watch No. 4. The Tar Heels’ Billy Bitter is perhaps the most improved player in the country, and Retrievers senior defenseman Kevin Goedeke will likely get the unenviable assignment of shadowing the sophomore attackman. After recording six goals and 15 assists last season, Bitter leads the team in goals (38), assists (22) and points (60). He had some ankle-breaking moves in the Big City Classic last month against Virginia, embarrassing defenseman Ken Clausen, a first-team All American in 2008. ESPN analyst and 2006 Tewaaraton Trophy winner Matt Ward said he hasn’t seen a player improve in every game as Bitter has this season. This is not to suggest that the Retrievers should forget Bart Wagner, Sean Delaney and Gavin Petracca, but limiting Bitter is a good first step to coming out on the positive end.

3.) Get Hopmann and Wimer involved early and often. Despite season totals of 33 goals and seven assists and 21 goals and 18 assists, respectively, midfielders Alex Hopmann and Kyle Wimer usually end up getting marked by short-stick defenders as opponents have been wary of midfielder Peet Poillon and UMBC’s starting attack of Ryan Smith, Matt Latham and Chris Jones. Hopmann and Wimer have to take advantage of their opportunities and make North Carolina pay for their defensive assignments. Hopmann has registered 10 goals and four assists in his last five games, but Wimer has been unusually quiet, posting three goals and five assists over the same stretch.