MEN’S LACROSSE: UVa begins NCAA quest

By Whitey Reid

Published: May 10, 2008

Virginia’s loss to Delaware in the first round of last season’s NCAA Tournament shocked just about everyone in the lacrosse world.
The smart money says there won’t be another upset tonight when second-seeded UVa hosts Maryland-Baltimore County.
“We realize that the kind of effort we put in last year just won’t be good enough,” said Virginia senior Ben Rubeor. “I think we’ve learned from it, but at the same time I think we know this is a new team.
“I think there’s an energy and focus this year that wasn’t quite there last year.”
That’s a good thing considering UMBC is riding an 11-game winning streak. The Retrievers (12-3) are coming off a win over Albany in their conference championship game in which they overcame a nine-goal deficit.
“They’re one of the hottest teams in the country and are talented all over the field,” Rubeor said. “Everybody’s been very impressed with them. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Today’s winner faces the winner of the Denver-Maryland game in the quarterfinals at Navy on Saturday.
Virginia coach Dom Starsia says UMBC reminds him a lot of Maryland in terms of its style of play. UVa (12-3) defeated the Terps in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on April 25.
“They will push the break when the opportunity presents itself,” Starsia said, “but are also comfortable playing at a more deliberate pace once they get in the box and are settled.”
Starsia says he has talked to his team about the disappointment of bowing out early in the tournament last year.
“This is a different team and a different bunch of guys, but there are also lessons to be learned from everything we’ve been through,” he said. “We’ve had some great experiences — beating Syracuse in Baltimore, beating Princeton on the road, having a big crowd here to beat Johns Hopkins — but lacrosse people remember what happens in the month of May. That’s the lasting memory from each of these lacrosse seasons.
“I think we’re very proud of what we’ve done to get here, but I think this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Hopefully we’ll be ready to seize the opportunity.”
Groundballs
This is Virginia’s 31st tournament appearance overall, second behind Johns Hopkins (37). UVa has received a bid in 15 of the last 16 seasons. … This is UMBC’s third consecutive appearance in the NCAA championship and its fifth overall in the Division I tournament; the Retrievers played in seven Division II tournaments from 1974-80. … Virginia owns a 12-2 all-time record against UMBC. The Cavaliers have won the last five meetings, including a 20-9 win in 1996 in the most recent match-up … Reserved seat tickets offering stadium chair seating under cover are $9 each; general admission tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth 18-and-under, seniors 60-and-over and students of participating schools with a valid student ID. Parking is $5.