Virginia has 14 goals on 32 shots in victory
BALTIMORE – The University of Virginia lacrosse team makes its ninth appearance in the NCAA championship game on Monday. None has been more surprising, or likely more satisfying, than this year’s run to the title game.
Coming a year after the program was under heavy scrutiny following a murder charge against Cavalier George Huguely, and during a year in which it cast out a pair of misbehaving All-American midfielders, Virginia (12-5) is a game away from its fifth NCAA title.
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In dismantling Denver 14-8 Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Virginia continued its amazing run of offensive efficiency in the postseason, hitting 43.8 percent of its 32 shots.
“It’s been quite a ride for us,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “It’s a thrill for us to be playing on Monday.”
Playing in his hometown, junior Steele Stanwick (three goals, two assists) directed an offense that got 10 goals and five assists from attackmen, including freshman Mark Cockerton (three goals, one assist) and junior Chris Bocklet (three goals).
“We’re just moving quick, moving off the ball a lot,” Bocklet said. “We’re probably a pain to guard because we’re constantly moving, constantly setting picks for each other.”
| NCAA title game |
| When » Monday, 3:30 p.m. |
| Where » M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore |
| In the first All-ACC final since 1986, Virginia will play Maryland, who beat Duke, 9-4. |
Virginia also got strong work from senior faceoff specialist Brian McDermott, who won nine of 14, and senior goalie Adam Ghitelman (10 saves). Midfielders Rob Emery and Nick O’Reilly added a goal and an assist each, compensating for the loss of All-Americans Shamel and Rhamel Bratton, who were dismissed from the team, and starter Colin Briggs, out Saturday for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
“I try to stay away from blogs and all that stuff,” said senior defender Bray Malphrus (Georgetown Prep). “But [in March] someone wrote, it’s a nightmare season and I can’t wait for it to be over. [Now] it’s like, wow, this is awesome.”
In ending the 12-game winning streak of sixth-seeded Denver (15-3), No. 7 Virginia reaches the title game for the first time seeded lower than No. 5. This comes five weeks after the Cavaliers were embarrassed by Duke, 19-10, their fourth loss in five games. It was only the second time that had happened in the 19-year tenure of Starsia, the winningest coach in Division I history at one school.
After hitting 30.8 percent of its shots in the regular season, Virginia has connected on 43.5 percent in the postseason. The top shooting team in the NCAA this season, Stony Brook, hit 34.4 percent.
The Cavaliers never trailed on Saturday after getting early goals from Stanwick and Bocklet, 64 seconds apart, for a 2-0 lead. Denver scored with 5:25 left in the first period to make it 4-2, but Virginia held the Pioneers scoreless the rest of the first half.
On a hot day with sophomore Chase Carraro (11 of 24) taking all the faceoffs for Denver, Virginia dominated possession in the second period, winning all five draws and out-scoring the Pioneers 5-0. When Cockerton got space on a defender and flicked in a left-handed shot, Virginia had a 9-2 lead with 2:18 left in the half.
“Virginia is a great team and have tremendous shooters,” Denver freshman goalie Jamie Faus (eight saves) said. “They can shoot the lights out of the ball. Obviously, I didn’t have my best day today.”
Just 33 seconds into the second half, Denver broke a 20-minute, 58-second drought with the lone goal of the game from its top scorer, junior attack Mark Matthews. But Virginia responded with the next four. Stanwick ignited the run, scoring and drawing a late hit, which produced a man-up tally 39 seconds later from Bocklet.
Denver’s lone run against Virginia’s formidable zone defense came when it got four straight goals in a span of 3:39 that bridged the third and fourth periods. Freshman midfielder Jeremy Noble (three goals) and sophomore midfielder Eric Law (two goals, three assists) scored two each, but it was far from enough to challenge Virginia on a dominant afternoon.
“We just got beat by a better team today,” Denver coach Bill Tierney said. “Their team is so different than they’ve been since the whole Bratton thing. They were a transformed team four or five games ago.”
