Loss of its best players doesn’t stop Virginia
After Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely was charged with the murder of women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love, scrutiny of the Cavaliers’ men’s program was harsh. As a result, Virginia’s players agreed to stringent standards of behavior, but not all of the Cavaliers were on board.
When Virginia (11-5) plays Denver (15-2) on Saturday in the NCAA semifinals in Baltimore, the Cavaliers will be without their two most dynamic players, twin midfielders Shamel and Rhamel Bratton.
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Scuttling the two All-Americans was a difficult step for the Cavaliers, but after some trying times and more scrutiny, the team has developed chemistry with a less talented but more cohesive lineup.
“We struggled for a while midseason while we worked through some things,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “But it’s nice to see that the core of this team has been able to reap the benefits of their work.”
In a 13-9 victory over second-seeded Cornell on Saturday, seventh-seeded Virginia was outshot 40-30 and won only 10 of 26 faceoffs but won by making the most of its possessions. Virginia scored on 43.3 percent of its shots to advance to the Final Four.
Without the Brattons, Virginia has had to alter its uptempo, run-and-gun style, playing more conservatively at both ends of the field. Junior attack Steele Stanwick, who had three goals and four assists against Cornell, has emerged as the leader, directing the Cavaliers’ low-risk offense.
The task will be difficult against perhaps the hottest team in the tournament. Denver has emerged under Bill Tierney, making the semifinals for the first time in program history.
Win or lose, this season has been a personal triumph for Starsia, who won his 327th game on Saturday, most by a Division I coach at one school, and earned the admiration of his peers.
“He may have done his best coaching job ever this year,” Maryland coach John Tillman said. “He made some hard decisions. He stuck to his guns. I think he took feedback from his players. He did what he thought was best for his university and his team long term.”
