Simply the best. The Virginia men's lacrosse team can lay claim to thay title after handing No. 12 Duke a 15-10 loss in action at Klockner Stadium Saturday. Current No. 1 Syracuse lost earlier this week, almost guaranteeing No. 2 Virginia the undisputed top spot in college lacrosse.
With the win, Virginia (8-1, 3-0 ACC) finished the conference regular season undefeated and won their third ACC title in the last four years. They will enter this weekend's ACC tournament with the highest seed but cannot make a game plan just yet - Maryland, Duke and North Carolina are all tied at 1-2. The tiebreaker will be held later today.
"The tournament's going to be interesting," long-stick midfielder Trey Whitty said. "The tiebreaker is a coin flip so we may see Maryland in the semi-finals, and we think they're the best team."
The seedings are out of Virginia's hands, but Saturday's game was fully within their grasp. Duke (5-5, 1-2) may have struck first blood, but then the Virginia onslaught began. The Cavaliers took advantage of an early extra-man opportunity when senior Conor Gill found freshman John Christmas open on the left wing. The pass was slightly high, but Christmas made a stylish jump-catch, and in one fluid motion snapped a top shelf goal to tie the game at one goal apiece.
Three and a half minutes later, a solid defensive play from Ned Bowen started a Virginia fast break. Nick Russo found attackman Joe Yevoli in front of the net for a one-on-one with the goalie. Faking high and shooting low, Yevoli gave Virginia a lead they would not relinquish. It would soon be a 5-1 Cavalier advantage - all in the first quarter of play.
|
Duke, though, would not roll over and play dead. Led by Dan Chemotti's three goals and Alex Lieske's goal and three assists, the Blue Devils never let this one slip out of contention, shrinking the Cavalier lead to 11-10 with 12 minutes and 42 seconds remaining.
But Russo would shine down the stretch, scoring twice in Virginia's streak of four unanswered goals - both in what is becoming typical Russo fashion: determined, one-man efforts.
"I'm basically a defensive player," Russo said. "Any time I get to take a shot, it's fun."
In coach Dom Starsia's eyes, Russo was doing more than just having fun out there.
"I couldn't be happier for him than anyone else on this team," Starsia said. "He was the key player in the game for us - a real catalyst for us today. I really like to see a kid get his just rewards after four years."
A.J. Shannon's three goals, Tillman Johnson's 14 saves, and Whitty's goal and stellar defense marked other bright spots for the Cavaliers.
Not everything about Saturday, though, gave Virginia something to smile about. All-American defenseman Mark Koontz's right knee was bothersome, limiting his playing time. An MRI is scheduled for today.
Virginia also was ineffective on face-off draws, winning only six out of 28.
"We knew before the season began that it was going to be a concern," Starsia said. "We really didn't have anyone who had taken a college face-off before this year. We work on it every day, but we didn't get much help from our wing guys today."
The team also downplayed their impending status as the nation's new No. 1, keeping its eyes on the final prize.
"It doesn't really mean anything," Starsia said. "If we're number one a month from now, we'll be very pleased"
Read More
No. 14 women’s lacrosse unable to slow No. 2 North Carolina in road defeat
By Eleanor Buchanan | 3 hours agoThe lopsided defeat may prove to be a developmental stepping-stone.
Road loss to Syracuse concludes turbulent regular season for men’s basketball
By Emory Huffman | 12 hours agoEntering the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers are left with more questions than answers.
Men's lacrosse triumphs over Towson in historic Houston matchup
By Eleanor Lynch | 13 hours agoVirginia earned a sorely-needed victory, and established momentum ahead of a pending clash with No. 1 Maryland.
