The Virginia men's lacrosse team continued to make history on Saturday, completing the first-ever undefeated regular season (12-0) in school history with a 21-10 victory over the Bellarmine Knights (6-8).
Despite a two-week break from competitive play, the Virginia offense started right where it left off, scoring the first six goals of the game. Freshman attacker Danny Glading led the charge, scoring all three of his goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.
However, it was senior Matt Poskay who had a goal for the highlight reel. After trying a nearly impossible over-the-back shot that went high, Poskay got the ball right back on the next play and executed the same shot. This time the ball rocketed in the cage for a goal.
"He's a goal scorer," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "He hardly ever takes a bad shot -- when he has a bad angle he can go over his back and get the better shot. It may look a little showy but it's the right play to make."
When Adam Gardner scored his first of four goals for Bellarmine to make the score 6-1, Virginia responded with three more goals to end the quarter up by eight.
The second quarter once again featured a barrage of Virginia goals. Five different Cavaliers scored in the quarter, including three by senior Matt Ward. Ward will go down as one of the most consistent scorers in Virginia lacrosse history, scoring at least one goal in 50 of 57 career games.
"There's still work to be done," Ward said. "We came out a little sloppy but that just means we have to work harder because this is when games really start to count."
With a great first half, Virginia led 16-3 at the break, making the second half almost trivial. Starsia was able to empty his bench and give many players an opportunity to be part of a truly magical season. Freshman Garrett Billings made the most of this extra playing time, registering two goals and a team-high three assists. He and fellow freshman Glading look to prove that Virginia not only can compete at the highest level this year but for years to come.
The day, however, belonged to the seniors. In their last home game, the Class of 2006 did not disappoint, contributing eight goals and six assists. Their impact on the team, however, goes beyond the scoreboard.
"Each of these years is not the same," Starsia said. "The quality of these seniors usually determines how things are going to play out."
Virginia continued some very impressive streaks and will hope to build on them as the postseason approaches. Virginia is one game away from tying the school record for consecutive wins at 13. The win would come in the ACC tournament, where the Cavaliers will look to win their first conference title since 2003.
Poskay has a streak of his own, scoring a goal in 17 consecutive games. If both of these trends continue, Virginia will appear to be one tough team to beat in the NCAA tournament.
"You can't really describe it," senior midfielder J.J. Morrissey said. "In the end we want to win the national championship, but to go undefeated is great."
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