The No. 10 Virginia men’s lacrosse team and No. 9 Johns Hopkins are set to face off Saturday at Klöckner Stadium in a matchup of college lacrosse giants.
The rivalry between Virginia (7-2, 0-2 ACC) and Johns Hopkins (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) is one of the most storied in Division 1 college men’s lacrosse. The series began in 1904, and the teams have played against each other 71 times since then. Saturday marks the 72nd all-time matchup between the Cavaliers and Blue Jays, a game that should be intensely competitive.
The last four times the two teams met went to overtime, a testament to the thrilling nature of this rivalry. Last year’s game was a win for the Blue Jays in Baltimore, with the whopping final score of 18-17.
Virginia will be determined to regain possession of the Doyle Smith Cup this year, the prize for victory in this rivalry. In addition, picking up a win against Johns Hopkins will be key in advancing the Cavaliers’ postseason hopes, as it would add a crucial non-conference win to their resume.
Both teams head into the contest coming off decisive victories. Johns Hopkins defeated Delaware 14-8 and Virginia picked up a win on Tuesday against Dartmouth (2-4, 0-0 Ivy), 12-6.
The Blue Jays, however, are especially hot, having won four-consecutive games after dropping two of their first three contests. Probably their most impressive victory came against Syracuse. The Blue Jays went on the road to Syracuse (3-3, 1-0 ACC) and dismantled the Orange, 18-7.
Like Virginia, John Hopkins possesses substantial offensive firepower. Senior Shack Stanwick has been especially important for Johns Hopkins, leading the Blue Jays with 16 assists and 28 points.
Virginia’s leader in points is sophomore attackman Michael Kraus, who leads the Cavaliers with 40 points. Kraus needs just four points Saturday to eclipse the 100-point mark — if he does it Saturday, he will tie two other players for the second-fastest Cavalier to reach 100 points.
Expect a high-paced contest Saturday, with two teams hungry to win a huge rivalry game with postseason implications.
Faceoff begins at 11:30 a.m. at Klöckner.
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