Second-Half Cavalanche Propels Virginia to 17-10 Win at No. 8 Brown in NCAA First Round

For the primary 40 minutes of the sport, the Bears and Cavaliers went punch-for-punch and their first spherical matchup appeared destined to go right down to the wire to find out who would transfer on and whose season was over. With simply over 5 minutes left within the third quarter, the rating was knotted at 9-9, the product of 40 minutes of bodily, back-and-forth lacrosse in entrance of a packed crowd at Stevenson-Pincince Subject. 

Then, the Cavaliers confirmed why they’re the two-time defending nationwide champions. Virginia went on an 8-0 run over the subsequent quarter-hour of recreation time and took complete management, cruising to a 17-10 victory over No. 8 Brown within the first spherical of the NCAA Males’s Lacrosse Championship on Saturday night time in Windfall. 

Lars Tiffany, a Brown alum who spent ten years teaching his alma mater earlier than shifting on to UVA, ready his staff for the hostile surroundings they might face at Stevenson-Pincince Subject. The staff even invited a bunch of 40 UVA college students to observe this week and instructed them to heckle the staff as they practiced to simulate the environment at Brown. 

The gang lived as much as the hype, as did the sport itself (for the primary three quarters), which was billed as one of the entertaining matchups within the first spherical. 

Connor Shellenberger, the Most Excellent Participant of the 2021 NCAA Match and newly-minted Tewaaraton finalist, began off the sport sturdy and stayed sizzling, proving that he saves his finest lacrosse for the month of Might. The redshirt sophomore and Charlottesville native scored the sport’s first two objectives throughout the first three minutes of the sport. Shellenberger completed with eight factors, which tied a career-high, on 4 objectives and 4 assists. 

Brown answered Shellenberger’s quick begin with a 3-0 run, with every aim coming from a unique goal-scorer. Petey LaSalla received the making certain faceoff and took it the gap for a aim. LaSalla helped the Cavaliers take a hefty possession benefit, profitable 20 of the 31 faceoffs. 

Brian Antonelli scored to offer Brown a 4-3 lead on the finish of the opening quarter, however the Cavaliers responded with a 3-0 run of their very own to start out the second quarter. The run sparked by a formidable crease dive aim from Shellenberger and capped off by a spotlight pole aim by defenseman Scott Bower, his first aim of the season. 

The Bears as soon as once more had a solution for the Virginia run, scoring the subsequent three objectives to take a 7-6 lead. Jeff Conner discovered Payton Cormier on the within late within the half to ship the sport into halftime with the rating tied at seven objectives apiece. 

Shellenberger scored his fourth aim of the sport to open the second half and Ben Wayer adopted that up with one other pole aim simply 9 seconds later. 

Brown had yet one more response within the tank, as Adrian Enchill and Nolen Rockefeller discovered the again of the online to tie the sport up at 9-9. The Bears had no reply for what occurred subsequent. 

Behind an environment friendly and opportunistic effort from the UVA offense and a smothering defensive efficiency from goalie Matthew Nunes and the Virginia protection, the Cavaliers outscored the Bears 8-1 over the ultimate 23 minutes of regulation. 

Nunes was a brick wall in between the pipes for the Wahoos, making 5 saves within the third quarter and ending with 16 saves for the sport, tying a career-high. The Virginia protection brought on eight Brown turnovers and the Cavaliers displayed their nation-leading prowess at amassing floor balls, profitable the bottom ball battle 32-20. UVA additionally received the ultimate eight faceoffs of the sport. 

After being held with no level within the first half, UVA’s all-time chief in factors Matt Moore joined the fray late within the third quarter. Moore scored a aim and assisted on two extra as a part of a four-goal UVA burst to finish the interval with Virginia main 13-9. 

The run continued to start out the fourth, with Shellenberger connecting with Cormier on back-to-back objectives earlier than Moore scored once more on a formidable shot that painted the highest nook from a low angle. 

Shellenberger fed Xander Dickson for the ultimate aim of the run, giving Shellenberger his eighth level of the sport and increasing UVA’s result in 17-9 with simply over six minutes remaining. 

Lars Tiffany was content material to play maintain away after that and put the Hoos on cruise management as Virginia rolled to the 17-10 highway victory. Tiffany is now 9-1 within the NCAA Match as head coach of the Cavaliers, who’ve received every of their final 9 NCAA Match video games. 

Virginia advances to the NCAA quarterfinals for the third-straight season and retains the search for a three-peat alive. UVA will face the winner of Vermont and No. 1 seed Maryland subsequent Sunday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. 

See extra Virginia males’s lacrosse information and content material: Virginia Males’s Lacrosse on Sports activities Illustrated

See extra Virginia sports activities information and content material: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports activities Illustrated

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