(Photo: Brady Wambach/Instagram)

Joe Breschi and the North Carolina Tar Heels picked up their first commitment in the 2023 class on Thursday evening, as Salisbury (Conn.) faceoff man Brady Wambach verbaled to the Tar Heels.

This news comes just three days following Wambach’s visit to Chapel Hill. He also took visits to both Lehigh and Syracuse during the first week of the contact period.

“As soon as I walked on campus I knew it was the place.,” Wambach told Lacrosse Bucket. “Seeing all the UNC coaching staff eager to meet me made me feel like I was valued and right at home.”

Ranked as the No. 27 junior and rated as a four-start by Inside Lacrosse, Wambach is one of the top players in the class at his position.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound faceoff man, who is the nephew of U.S. Women’s soccer star Abby Wambach and a native of Pittsford, N.Y., has been playing varsity level lacrosse since his eighth-grade year. He is coming off an impressive sophomore season with Salisbury where he went 56-for-80 (70%) at the dot while helping to lead the Crimson Knights to a 7-4 record.

North Carolina has seen a number of great players come through their program at the faceoff dot over the past decade, including Stephen Kelly, who was an integral part of the Tar Heels’ 2016 national championship team, and Zac Tucci, who moved himself up the program record books to 6th all-time in career faceoff wins as a junior in 2021. Wambach noted that he is excited to have the opportunity to join a program with a strong recent history at the position.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity…I’m confident that during my time at UNC I will learn new strategies and techniques to help build my game and strengthen the team.”

Coming into his junior season with Salisbury, Wambach has big goals in mind for both himself and his team. “I want to have an undefeated season and win the GEICO high school lacrosse national championship. Personally, I want to become a well-rounded players and a leader both on and off the field.”