Before the men's lacrosse game between Virginia and Drexel even got started yesterday, the home team got off on the wrong foot. Due to technical difficulties with the PA system, game officials were forced to observe a moment of silence as opposed to singing the National Anthem. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, the technical mishap would prove to be the only trouble in their 16-7 dispatching of Drexel.
In what was the season opener for both squads, neither team looked particularly polished through the opening quarter as they played to a 2-2 tie.
"I'm not surprised it went that way in the early going," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "Putting on a uniform and playing a game is different than a scrimmage."
Fortunately for the Cavaliers, fifteen minutes was all they needed to warm up. Virginia pushed the lead to 5-2 on a goal from junior midfielder Kyle Dixon with 9:23 remaining in the first half, but it wasn't until six-and-a-half minutes later that Virginia finally exploded.
Led by senior attackman Matt Ward and fellow junior attackman Matt Poskay, the Cavaliers scored five goals in the final 2:58 of the first half, opening up a 10-2 halftime lead. The eight goal margin proved to be an insurmountable deficit for Drexel to overcome as the Dragons couldn't get any closer than seven goals during the second half.
Ward "was in the right place at the right time," Starsia said. "He shot the ball very well. If we can finish underneath with Poskay then we'll be a dangerous team."
Just six seconds after Poskay's goal gave Virginia a 6-2 lead with 2:58 remaining in the first half, Jack deVilliers quickly won the face-off and initiated a fast break. With Ward planted squarely on the crease in front of the goal, deVilliers fired a laser to Ward, who in one motion caught, turned and fired the ball into the back of the net for a goal.
"Once we started to get possession and Jack started winning some face-offs, we started to put some points on the board," Ward said. "That's our kind of lacrosse."
By the time the snow started to fall at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers were well on their way to a season opening victory, up 12-5.
On the day, Ward, Virginia's leading assist man from a year ago, had five goals and one assist to lead all Cavalier players. Freshman attackman Ben Rubeor, Poskay and Dixon all had four points apiece.
Senior John Christmas, a projected starter at attack, sat out Sunday due to a "team matter" but will be back in the lineup for the team's next game against Manhattan College on Saturday.
Sophomore Kip Turner got the starting nod in goal and played the entire first half, allowing only two goals and recording three saves. Red-shirt freshman Michael Petit came in at the start of the 3rd quarter, allowing five goals while also recording three saves.
Despite the nine-goal victory coupled with the arrival of snow flurries, the team wasn't fully pleased.
"I don't think we should be satisfied with the way we played," Ward said. "Hopefully we'll keep getting better everyday in practice and next week we'll be playing even better lacrosse."
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