Virginia men’s lacrosse welcomed Lafayette to Charlottesville for each team’s final out-of-conference game of the season Saturday. The Cavaliers (6-7, 0-3 ACC) entered the contest reeling, on a three-game losing streak, while the Leopards (8-5, 4-3 Patriot League) were fresh off their biggest win of the season over No. 15 Boston University. However, Virginia was able to finally halt its tumble with a 13-8 win.
The Leopards brought the heat early with their 10-man ride, attempting to speed up and turn over a Virginia offense that has struggled clearing the ball all season. While they were not perfect, the Cavaliers more often than not made Lafayette pay for its aggressive game plan, scoring their first six goals in transition and avoiding the settled offense in which Virginia has stalled throughout the season.
Senior goalkeeper Matthew Nunes played point guard, firing deep outlet passes and using his agility to step outside the crease and bring the ball across midfield to break the Leopards’ pressure en route to a game-high three assists. Nunes impressed when faced with shots as well, tallying 12 saves and allowing just eight goals.
“[Nunes] directs our clear so well,” Coach Lars Tiffany said. “He had to scramble, avoid defenders, and then find open men.”
The beneficiary of Nunes’s activity was primarily sophomore attackman McCabe Millon, the point guard on the other end of the field. The playmaking from Nunes made Millon’s job easy, allowing him to notch a hat trick in the first half alone.
It was not just Nunes who turned defense into offense for the Cavaliers, as senior defenseman Ben Wayer nabbed a game-high five ground balls and launched a beautiful goal from beyond midfield that dropped into the empty net that had been vacated due to Lafayette’s 10-man ride. Wayer’s rainbow goal from nearly 60 yards out was also set up by Nunes’s playmaking for one of his three assists.
“[Nunes] is unreal,” Wayer said. “Coach gets on the defense for not wanting to run it over, but it’s like, sometimes you don’t need to if Nunes can do it himself.”
Virginia’s transition game built up a 6-1 cushion early in the second quarter, though the second half has been where the Cavaliers have typically faded this season, especially when early opportunities in transition have not presented themselves. Junior attackman Truitt Sunderland stepped up in the middle of Virginia’s six-on-six offense with two second-half goals, capping off a hat trick for the Cavaliers’ season-leader in goals.
Senior midfielder Griffin Schutz also played an integral role in initiating offense for Virginia in the attacking third, adding one goal and one assist. Schutz used all of his 6-foot-3 frame to overpower the Lafayette defensemen, leaving Leopards on the ground multiple times with his physical dodges. Schutz’s physicality up top created advantages closer to the net for himself and his teammates, an element that the Virginia offense has not consistently found.
The Cavaliers’ efforts on both sides of the ball kept their lead to no fewer than four goals for the entire second half on the way to a 13-8 victory.
With the win, Virginia earned just its third win over an opponent with a winning record this season, bringing its out-of-conference record to 6-4. Wins have been tough to come by this year for the Cavaliers, but Saturday’s victory was a reflection of the team’s resilience that gives it momentum to finish the season.
“It’s pulling teeth to get the wins, but this team believes, they come back to practice on Tuesdays, getting after each other, smashing each other, physical, being the aggressor,” Tiffany said. “I give a lot of credit to this upper class because they haven’t let anything go south.”
Despite its shortcomings, Virginia has a chance to make the ACC Tournament next week with a win over No. 13 Duke. It also has an opportunity to break a five-game losing streak against the Blue Devils.
“I’ve never beaten Duke,” Wayer said. “They’re obviously consistently doing things right. Got one last chance at it.”
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