Despite getting the 100th career goal from senior attackman Chris Cloutier, the eighth-ranked University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team fell to fifth-ranked Denver 10-6 Monday afternoon at Kenan Stadium. It was the first loss of the season for the Tar Heels after opening the campaign with six wins. Denver improved to 4-1 after winning its third straight game. After the Tar Heels opened the scoring, Denver ran off the next five goals of the game and never looked back. Carolina twice cut the Pioneers' lead to a pair of goals in the third quarter but it was not able to get any closer in the contest. Cloutier, William Perry and Alex Trippi each scored two goals for the Tar Heels and Andy Matthews had three assists for Carolina. Austin French had four points for Denver on a goal and three assists while Ethan Walker had a hat trick. Drew Supinski had a goal and two assists for the Pioneers while Colton Jackson added a pair of goals. The Tar Heels outshot the Pioneers 28-21. Carolina had 15 shots on goal and the Pioneers had 14. Goalkeeper play was a significant difference in the game as Alex Ready of the Pioneers made nine saves and allowed just six goals in 60 minutes of action while also claiming three ground balls. Jack Pezzulla started for UNC in the goal and made just one save while allowing seven goals in 36:46 of action. Alex Bassil came off the bench for the Tar Heels in the second quarter and played 23:14, making three saves while allowing three goals. Denver dominated the ground balls 30-20 led by five pickups from Trevor Baptiste who won 12 of 20 face-offs. Charles Kelly won eight of 20 face-offs for the Tar Heels. UNC had an edge in the turnover department, committing just 10 while the Pioneers had 16 miscues. Denver was 13 for 16 in the clearing game while North Carolina was 15 of 17. UNC scored the only two extra-man goals of the game, both by William Perry. After Alex Trippi opened the scoring with 5:28 elapsed in the first quarter, Denver finished the first quarter on a three-goal run, getting scores from Drew Supinski, Ethan Walker and Nate Marano to lead 3-1 after one quarter. Denver scored the first two goals of the second quarter as Sean Mayle tallied 14 seconds into the period and then Colin Rutan stretched the DU lead to four goals with 11:01 left before intermission. Trippi scored his second goal of the game at 9:55 before Denver's Austin French countered that goal at 8:14 of the second quarter. Chris Cloutier scored his 99th career goal with 2:29 left in the first half, off an assist by Andy Matthews. In the process, Cloutier scored a goal in a 27th successive game while Andy Matthews recorded an assist in his 16th successive game. UNC cut the Denver lead to two goals with 11:42 left in the third quarter as William Perry scored a man-up goal off an assist by Matthews. Goals by Jackson and Walker, however, restored Denver's lead to 8-4 with 7:42 left in the third period. UNC continued to stick around as a second man-up goal by Perry, assisted by Matthews, cut the Tar Heel deficit to 8-5 with 6:21 left in the third quarter. Cloutier's second goal, assisted by Timmy Kelly, with 1:28 left in the third quarter was the 100th of the Kitchener, Ontario native's career, and Carolina was within 8-6 with 1:28 left in the third quarter. Carolina would not score again, however. Walker scored his third goal just 57 seconds after Cloutier's tally and the Pioneers would score the only goal of the fourth period. UNC will play at Hofstra this Saturday at 12 noon. The game will be played at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. NOTING THE TAR HEELS Denver's victory cut UNC's advantage in the series to 10-6. Chris Cloutier scored two goals in the game. He has scored at least one goal in 27 successive games. Cloutier's 27-game scoring streak is the second longest active streak in the country and it is now tied for the second-longest goal scoring streak in UNC history. The only Tar Heel with a longer goal scoring streak is Marcus Holman at 29 games (2012-13). Cloutier joins Mac Ford as Tar Heels with 27 game goal scoring streaks. Ford registered his from 1983-85. Andy Matthews had three assists against the Pioneers. He now has at least one assist in 16 successive games. That is equal to the fifth longest assist streak in UNC history. Chris Cloutier has now scored 100 goals in his career. He is now 14th in career goal scoring at Carolina. He is now 25th in career points at UNC with 132.