This past weekend's unseasonably warm temperatures helped bring out Virginia men's lacrosse fans as the Cavaliers scrimmaged the Navy Midshipmen on the University Hall Turf Field.
Although Virginia dominated the game and outscored Navy 10-6 on the day, it was the Midshipmen who went up 2-0 early in the first.
"I think Navy was a much-improved team from the one we saw in the fall," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I thought it was good work for us here in our first scrimmage. We have to get better -- we have to get a lot better and we have to do that quickly -- but I don't think anyone should be too surprised by that."
Virginia controlled the pace of the game early on, taking numerous shots but finding the back of the Navy net elusive. Though the Cavaliers never let the Midshipmen secure more than a two-goal lead, they did not really click offensively until midway through the third quarter.
"We have been practicing for a month and haven't had any real game action yet," junior attackman Garrett Billings said. "So it took us a couple quarters to get into it."
The absence of senior attackman Ben Rubeor certainly contributed to Virginia's disjointed appearance on attack. Sidelined with a knee injury, last year's leading scorer watched as Billings, junior attackman and midfielder Danny Gladding and several freshman tried to fill the void.
"With Ben down, Danny and Garrett are going to have to play better," Starsia said. "For both of those guys there is a high bar for us, especially because we need them to pick up some of the slack on offense."
That said, Billings picked up three Saturday while Gladding scored once. Freshmen midfielder twins Rhamel and Shamel Bratton each put it past the Navy goalkeeper, and not once, but twice, a substitution by Starsia immediately resulted in a goal.
In the second quarter, freshman midfielder Nick Elsmo scored just five seconds after taking the field to make it three all. After Navy went up 4-3, sophomore attackman Tim Fuchs evened the score once again, less than a minute after he entered the game.
Everyone who donned the Cavalier uniform Saturday saw playing time. It was a chance for Starsia and the rest of the coaching staff to experiment with different lineups and to reward the hard work they have seen in practice.
"We clearly had a plan early on to get through some different things personnel-wise, and the score wasn't going to dictate changing that," Starsia said. "It is the first scrimmage of the year, and a lot of guys have been working hard in the cold so they deserve a chance to be out on the field today. I was happy we were able to get everyone out there."
The Navy scrimmage revealed Virginia's strengths as well as the weaknesses the team must work on before the Feb. 17 season opener at Drexel and the Cavaliers' final tuneup match against Georgetown this weekend in Washington, D.C. Starsia is optimistic that several veteran players who were nursing injuries Saturday will return by then, providing experience that results in sharper play and more accurate shooting.
"With each passing day we have to focus on where we are going to be when the season starts," Starsia said. "Georgetown is one of the top teams in the country. [Their players are] very athletic [and are] clearly going to challenge us all over the field. It is going to be a great test for us as we prepare for our first game against Drexel."
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