With a season-high four goals, senior attackman Ben Rubeor led the Cavaliers to a 11-7 win against Dartmouth -- quite fitting on a day reserved for celebrating the Cavaliers' senior players.
It was junior attacker Danny Glading, however, who took it upon himself to get things going offensively for Virginia (11-2, 1-2 ACC). In the final four minutes of the first period, Glading's two goals and one assist helped propel the Cavaliers from a two-goal deficit to a two-goal lead.
Virginia continued to extend its lead in the second quarter; with a hat-trick and one assist, Rubeor played a role in every goal Virginia scored that period. The Cavaliers entered their locker room at halftime with an 8-4 advantage.
The game lulled in the third with nearly nine scoreless minutes of play. As the Big Green (5-7) maintained possession of the ball and controlled the pace of the game, they shut Virginia out for the full 15-minute period. Dartmouth then cut the Cavaliers lead in half with two quick goals late in the third.
"In our sport, if a good team wants to hold the ball, there is not a lot you can do about," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "We were on defense the whole third quarter, and the transition back to offense can be hard, but I was pleased with how poised we were in the fourth."
The Cavaliers upped the tempo once more in the final quarter, and sophomore Brian Carroll's second goal of the day ended Virginia's 23-minute scoring drought. Glading and junior Gavin Gill completed Virginia's offensive effort to bring the final goal tally to 11.
"I thought that was a very workmanlike effort and a good win against a team that's coming on," Starsia said. "I thought that we played very smartly at the end of the game. It was probably as cerebral a win as we've had in some time."
Following last week's decisive loss to Duke, the Cavaliers needed a win before heading into next weekend's ACC Tournament. With the prospect of facing off against the only two teams Virginia lost to in the regular season on the horizon, Saturday was a chance to regroup and get back into a rhythm, especially on defense.
"I thought defensively we played the whole day," Starsia said. "I thought we rode well and as I tell these guys all the time, defense is a group activity as much as anything else, and I think we can be proud of how we defended most of the day today."
Since Virginia will host the ACC Tournament at Scott Stadium, Saturday marked the final home game at Klöckner for the team's nine graduating seniors. Rubeor, Will Barrow, Drew Garrison, Pike Howard, Ryan Kelly, Peter Lamade, Bud Petit, Jack Riley and Tim Shaw were recognized individually before the start of the game.
All except Lamade, a fifth-year senior who joined the Cavaliers for the 2008 season, will graduate having won the 2006 National Championship with an undefeated 17-0 record.
"Coming out, being introduced and having my whole family here -- it was really special," Barrow said. "I was saying earlier, it is amazing how it comes and goes so fast. It was great to be out here one last time with my best friends and get the win to finish up the regular season"
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