Throughout the season in any sport, turning points come and go -- some that are expected and others that come out of nowhere. An upset can often be a turning point for a struggling team when it is needed the most.
On Saturday night, the Virginia men's lacrosse team defeated top-ranked Johns Hopkins, a victory that could not have come at a better time. Most encouraging, however, is the fact that the win would not have occurred without a new output of energy from the entire team.
This energy was found in the faceoff performance of midfielder Jack deVilliers, combined with "Here's to the Wingmen" defensemen and newcomers to the faceoff line Mike Culver and Steve Holmes, who frequently succeeded in capturing possession.
It was in the swagger of Joe Yevoli after scoring a third quarter goal, as he turned around to remind the Hopkins defense of the scoreboard.
It was in the "Hail Mary" diving save of Virginia midfielder Kyle Dixon in front of an open net in the fourth quarter.
It was in Tillman Johnson, whose stick rose above all others after a save in overtime to secure the ball and possession, which would lead to the game-winning goal.
It was in the quick flip-shot from Virginia's new hero Foster Gilbert, winning the game in overtime as the ball spun into the top-right corner of the net.
Throughout the evening, the Cavalier squad and a near-capacity crowd fed off the energy pouring out from each other. Johns Hopkins even attempted to have the first lacrosse pep band performance in the history of the game, only to have their spirited attempts overwhelmed by the Virginia faithful. Providing the atmosphere, nearly 5,000 spectators coaxed the Cavaliers all the way to victory.
Before the season, Cavalier coach Dom Starsia commented that his young team had "a chance to be a lot better in the second half of the season." After witnessing Saturday's victory, the second half of the season may very well have begun. The turning point came not only with an unexpected victory, but in the heart Virginia showed, playing as a team for arguably the first time this season.
"I've always felt that we had potential, that we had the ability to get better," Starsia said. "They get tired of hearing me say 'We're getting better' every Monday at practice if there aren't any results, so getting this win tonight was very meaningful for our program right now. I don't mean to exaggerate this, but I really feel that this was as fine a game as we've played in a long, long time."
Starsia shied away from proclaiming the upset as the unveiling of the aforementioned second half of the year, but the performances of the players spoke for themselves.
Now, maybe I am jumping the gun a little bit. Maybe the upsets of NCAA March Madness have me keyed up with thoughts of a Cinderella story for our Cavaliers. While Virginia is not all of a sudden prepared to compete for a second consecutive national title, the team that I saw Saturday night demonstrated a complete metamorphosis from the team that I watched struggle in Denver at the end of February.
So, will Virginia shoot right back up to the top of the NCAA lacrosse rankings, finally living up to the hype of the preseason? Not necessarily. But, did Saturday night signify a turning point for the young team? It very well might have. And, more importantly, is anything still possible? Of course. When you have a team that plays with energy and heart, anything can happen.
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