UVa meets Maryland, Duke draws UNC in semis

By Whitey Reid

Published: April 24, 2008

It’s been a while since a Virginia men’s lacrosse team headed into the ACC Tournament as an underdog.
That, though, will be exactly the case when play kicks off tonight at Klockner Stadium. Top-seeded Duke plays No. 4 North Carolina at 5 p.m., while No. 2 Maryland faces No. 3 UVa in the nightcap.
During the regular season, UVa (11-2) was hammered by both the Blue Devils and Terrapins.
The role of underdog must feel a little strange to Virginia senior Ben Rubeor. After all, he was a member of UVa’s 2006 NCAA championship team - one of the most dominant squads in the sport’s history.
“It’s the position we’ve earned in the ACC,” said Rubeor, who was named first-team all-conference on Thursday with teammates Brian Carroll and Danny Glading. “It’s indicative of how we played. We were blown out twice by two talented teams.”
Virginia’s one win in the ACC this season didn’t come easy. By all rights, the Cavaliers should have lost in Chapel Hill on April 5. UNC blew a three-goal with four minutes to play.
UVa had a nine-game winning streak to start the season, but that seemed a bit like fool’s gold after a 13-7 loss to Maryland in College Park.
“When you go in the locker room at halftime and everyone’s screaming, ‘Let’s go!’ then by that point you’ve probably already missed the boat there,” said UVa senior Pete Lamade. “You have to hold yourself accountable for how you’re going to play the whole game.”
That was something that seemed ingrained in the players on Virginia’s undefeated title squad two years ago.
“I think we were more talented than most teams we played, but I think what’s overlooked is how hard we worked,” Rubeor said. “The reason we were able to play so consistently well and not ever really have a bad game was because we outworked everyone else. I think that’s a lesson.”
Rubeor admitted that the team embarrassed itself in the loss at Maryland.
“Win or lose, we pride ourselves on playing good lacrosse and coming our prepared in games,” he said. “We didn’t do that. I don’t think there was a point in the game where we weren’t outplayed.
“I think we all know we haven’t played to our potential [this season], but at the same time it’s a gut-check and that brings out people’s personalities when you have to work for everything you get. It’s why you play sports I think.”
One major positive for Virginia heading into this weekend has been the play of Rubeor. The ACC Co-Player of the Week, who scored four goals in last Saturday’s win over Dartmouth, looks to be finding his groove after laboring through a good portion of the season with a balky knee.
Over the last three years, Rubeor’s role on the team has steadily increased. In 2006, he was simply a part of the juggernaut. Now, the senior is being counted on to lead the way.
“I don’t feel too much pressure,” he said. “I’ve learned how to give it everything I’ve got. If at the end of the day, that’s not good enough, then so be it.
“At the same time, I do feel responsibility to help this team as much as I can. Now that I’m feeling better, I think I have that opportunity and I’m going to make every effort I can to help.”
Groundballs
The Cavaliers lead the nation in man-up offense by converting on 56.2 percent of their extra-man opportunities…This is the fifth year in a row UVa and Maryland have met in the ACC Tournament, with the Cavaliers coming out victorious in the last two. They held off a late Maryland rally for an 11-10 win in last year’s semifinal and claimed the league crown with an 11-5 win two years ago.