For their first four games this season the Virginia men's lacrosse team has been virtually unstoppable. The Cavaliers have downed their opponents by a combined score of 66-22 and seem to have proven they are among the nation's elite teams. However, the third-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (4-0) will face their toughest test by far this season when they take on the fourth-ranked Syracuse Orangemen (1-0) Saturday at Klöckner Stadium. Virginia has won 14 consecutive games at home, one shy of the school record. In order to pick up the elusive number 15, Virginia will have to be prepared for a more intense level of play.
"It's always special when Syracuse comes to town," senior midfield Drew Thompson said. "You know it's going to be high-scoring and fast-paced."
Last year, the Cavaliers picked up one of their biggest wins of the year with a 12-11 victory over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Senior attacker Matt Poskay was the hero in that game, coming off the bench to score a team-high four goals, the last coming late in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 10-10. This year Poskay has continued to show off his offensive prowess as a senior, and is currently fifth on the team in points. Senior captain Matt Ward had two goals in last year's contest. In Virginia's outing against VMI, Ward scored his 106th career goal to tie for seventh all-time at Virginia. The seniors' experience against Syracuse will be a huge advantage on Saturday and one the Cavaliers will look to capitalize on.
Face-offs have been a category where Virginia has dominated so far this season. On the season Virginia is 60 of 98 on face-offs, a .612 winning percentage. When facing a team as loaded as the Orange are, a game can be decided by who gets the ball into their offense's hands.
"Face-offs can help deflate a run or help you go on a run," Thompson said. "It's something you can control. Possession is the key in any sport you have the ball -- you have a chance to win."
Defensively, the Cavaliers had to balance youth and experience and it appears they have done that. Opponents have had 96 shot attempts against Virginia all season, compared to the total 232 shots the Cavaliers have taken against opponents. The strong defense has made life easier for junior goalkeeper Kip Turner, and will look to do the same on Saturday.
Syracuse has a wide range of offensive threats, including Joe Yevoli, who is currently tied for the point lead on the team. Yevoli played three years at Virginia before transferring amid controversy. Barring a meeting in the NCAA tournament, this will be the only time Yevoli will play his former team. Junior defender Ricky Smith has shut down some high-scoring threats already this year and looks to do the same against Yevoli and the Orange.
"We match up pretty well defensively against them," Smith said. "If we can shut down their transition game, which they've always been good at, and get them six-on-six then we should be fine."
When Syracuse and Virginia play lacrosse, sparks will fly. This series has been a nail-biter year after year. Three of out of the last four meetings have been decided by two goals or fewer. For a team that has not had to play with much pressure all year, it might seem a concern that with so many new faces no one knows how the freshmen might deal when a game is on the line. For the experienced seniors, however, it's just another day at work.
"This is what we look for when we come here, Virginia v. Syracuse," Smith said. "We've been here before."
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