Men's Lacrosse Prepares to Play Syracuse
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March 4, 1999
IN ITS LAST GAME: UVa(8-5, 2-1 ACC) played Syracuse(lost 17-14 ) in the 1998 NCAA quarterfinals at Hofstra stadium, May 16. Syracuse’ s(11-3) last game was this past Monday vs. Rutgers(John Desko’s coaching debut at SU).
IN THE SERIES: UVa is tied with Syracuse 5-5. The Orangemen have won the last three in the series including two games last year. UVa is 2-2 vs. Syracuse in NCAA play but has lost the last two. In road openers, UVa is 0-1 at SU. UVa is 1-1 at Syracuse. UVa’s last win here was a 15- 7 verdict in 1995.
IN THE NEXT GAME: UVa will travel to Princeton, March 13. SU’s next game will be vs. Yale in Florida, March 13
THE COACH: UVa’s head coach Dom Starsia finished his sixth season at UVa, and he hails from Brown University, where he had coached for ten years. He now has a 167-70(70.5%) career record, including 66-24(73.3%) at UVa. Ironically, his first college foe as a head coach here was a team whose name began with the letter V–Virginia(a 10-6 Brown loss at Hofstra), and his first game at UVa was against another V-team, Villanova(21-6 win). Starsia is 21-19 vs. the ACC(1-6 vs. UVa, 8-2 vs. Duke, 7-5 vs. UNC, and 5-6 vs.. Maryland). He is 8-5 vs. the Ivy League since coming to UVa(3-5 vs. Princeton, 2-0 vs. Brown,1-0 vs. Harvard, and 2-0 vs. Penn), including 3-1 vs. Princeton in the last four regular season games.
Starsia is twice a winner of the Morris Touchstone award(Division I Coach of the Year, 1985 and 1991). His 100th win came in 1992, when his Bruins topped Cornell to wrap up an NCAA bid. His Brown teams were Ivy League champions twice(1985 and 1991) and went to the NCAA’s four of his last six seasons(he is 9-10 overall in NCAA play). He has a 50-23 record vs. Ivy league teams, including 8-5 while at UVa. He had never played lacrosse prior to attending Brown. In 1992, Starsia was honored by the Rhode Island Organization of Sportswriters and Sportscasters with the Frank Lanning Award(lifetime achievement of overall contribution to the Rhode Island sports community).
Starsia was named ACC co-Coach of the year for 1995, and he was picked as the 1997 ACC Coach of the Year. Four of his six UVa squads have finished the regular season in first place in the ACC. Starsia is 3-4 vs. Syracuse at UVa(and 3-9 lifetime.
RANKINGS: UVa finished fifth-sixth behind Syracuse(third-fourth) in the pre-season polls.
UVA vs. NUMBER ONE: UVa defeated #1 Princeton March 7th at home . UVa has often played the number one ranked team in the ratings. Syracuse March 2 in 1996 was number one(as was Princeton in the 1996 finals–May 27). The last number one team that UVa played was in a 14-13 loss to Princeton on March 8, 1997(and prior to 1996 it was in 1995(Syracuse on March 14, 1995, when UVA won at Syracuse 15-7). The previous last time a number one team played UVA at home was UNC in 1993, April 10, when UVa rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the top-ranked Tar Heels on April 10, 1993, 13-12 on a Kevin Pehlke goal 1:13 in overtime at Scott Stadium. Princeton was ranked number one before the finals in 1996. Princeton was ranked first in 1997 when the Cavaliers played the Tigers.
UVA AS NUMBER ONE: UVa has been number one on a number of occasions, the last of which was much of March in 1996(March 23, after the Johns Hopkins game). In 1996, UVa defended its top spot with a 12-9 win over Princeton, followed by a 16-15 overtime win at Hofstra with Brown and a 15-9 win over UMass. Plus JHU, 14-9, then Radford 23-3, and then lost it after bowing to Maryland(13-11 loss, March 30, 1996).
THE STARTING LINEUP: The beginning of the season lineup looks like the following(’98 scoring totals )— Drew McKnight(19+24=43, Conor Gill (A, St. Paul’s{MD) and Timonium. MD}, and Tucker Radebaugh(30+26=56) on attack; Jay Jalbert(34+14=48), Hanley Holcomb(2, 4+1=5), and Michael Leahy (13+3=16 ) on midfield; and John Harvey(0 ), Ryan Curtis(0), and Doug Davies(0) on defense. The goalie could be Ben O’Neil(3rd, 24 saves, 12 goals allowed, .667 save %, 6.26 ga avg or Derek Kenney(1st, goal,Stony Brook HS in NY). The faceoff man used the most often will be Jason Hard(111 of 262 in 98) and David Jenkins(41 of 72 in 98). Peter Ragosa(2+1=3) will be the first long stick defender on the field.
FOR 1999 NEW FACES … are Todd Estrin(M, Cold Spring Harbor HS and Syosset, NY),Tyler Gilbert(M, Episcopal(VA) School and Wayne, PA), Conor Gill(A, St. Paul’s School and Timonium, MD), George Greczmiel(G, Fairfax HS and Fairfax), Derek Kenney(G, Stony Brook HS, Stony Brook, NY), Mark Koontz(D, Upper Arlington HS and Columbus, OH), Eric Leibowitz(A, Annandale HS and Annandale), Jason Leneau(D-M, Boy’s Latin School and Eldersburg, MD), Brenndan Mohler(M, Catonsville HS and Catonsville, MD), and Nick Russo(M, Comsewogue HS and Port Jefferson , NY).
SEASON OPENERS … had been solidly UVa until 1997. UVa had won its previous 14 season openers, before losing at Syracuse 22-21 in February of 1997. UVa has won 15 of its last 17 home openers (Princeton,1994, 14-6 loss; and Syracuse in 1998), 18-17 ot. UVa is 4-1 in its last five openers on the road(the one is 1997 at Syracuse).
Where home was a bit of heaven for UVa in 1993(9-0 at home), UVa only posted a 4-3 mark at home in 1994. In 1993 UVa was 1-5 on the road. BUT, in 1994, the reverse was true. UVa played ten games away from home and won nine of them. UVa had not done anything like that since 1952(that year, UVa won its first national championship). In 1994, UVa was 4-3 at home and 9-1 away from Charlottesville. In 1995, UVa won all eight home games. UVa had won 15 straight games at home(UNC, ACC finals in 1994, 15-7). UVa finished with a 6-1 home record in 1996. UVa finished 7-0 at home in 1997(also the current home win string. Starsia is 37-7(84.1%) at home at UVa(Princeton, Duke, North Carolina twice, Syracuse, JHU, and Maryland). Prior to the Syracuse loss, UVa was unbeaten on the U-Hall Turf Field.(now 8-1, 88.9%). UVa is 26-5(83.9%) at Klckner Stadium(1994 losses to Duke and North Carolina and 1996 loss to UNC; with the two UNC losses coming in the ACC finals, plus JHU and Maryland in 1998). Duke’s loss was the regular season game in 1996.
SCORING … in UVa’s games over Starsia’s six seasons is up. In 1994 five games saw UVa offense at or over the 20-goal mark, a UVa record. The team figure of 255 goals in 1997 had not previously been topped(1972, 213 was the old mark). The per-game average was 15 goals per game, and the UVa mark was 16.1(1982). UVa averaged 17.5 goals per game in 1995(another school mark and the top figure in Division I in the NCAA). In 1994, UVa scored 51 goals 30 seconds or less following a faceoff. In 1997, UVa had runs of 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 9, 9, 9, 12, 13, and 16(Mercyhurst and Bucknell). The consecutive goals scored record is 24 vs. Radford in 1995. In 1998, UVa scored 26 times in under 30 second goal situations and had runs of 5,5,5,8, 8, 12. and 12 straight scores(Mercyhurst, and Bucknell).
UVa opened its 1995 and 1996 seasons with two straight 20-goal games, a school record. UVa scored more than 20 goals in five games in 1995 and 1997, which tied the school mark(1994). UVa did not score fewer than 10 goals in a game in 1995 or 1996(a record). UVa’s 273 goals in 1996 was a new team mark. UVA had a school-record string of 44 straight games having scored 10 or more goals in a game snapped by Maryland in the NCAA quarterfinals in 1997. It was the longest such streak in ACC history. The string began in 1995, with the season-opener with Navy 24-13. During that string, UVa exceeded 10 goals 44 times, topped 20 goals 14 times, and surpassed the 30 goal mark three times(including the school mark of 38, set vs. VMI in 1996). UVa has scored 20 goals in a game 64 times(including 22 times under Starsia). UVa’s 1997 average of 18.21 goals per game and scoring margin of 8.50 goals per game were not only school records but also NCAA leading marks for 1997.
MORE FIRSTS: UVa played its first men’s lacrosse games under the Klckner lights in 1996. The first time was a March 22, 1996 14-9 win over Johns Hopkins. UVa has frequently played night games at home, but this was the first such occasion at Klckner. UVa’s 17-14 win at Duke(first game) in 1997 was the 400th for the program(64th season, 400-268-6, 59.8%)(now 411-274-6, 59.9%). It (1997) was UVa’s first win over UNC in ACC tournament play. It was the first ACC Tournament title for UVa. The last ACC crown for UVa had been in 1986.
In one-goal games, Starsia is 8-10 at UVa(18-24 overall)—-
1993 UMass. 10-9 hw 1994 Syracuse 15-14 nl ncaa ot 1997 Syracuse 21-22 al1993 Maryland 11-10 hw ot 1994 Princeton 8-9 nl ncaa ot 1997 Princeton 13-14 al ot 1993 No. Carolina 13-12 ot hw 1995 Maryland 12-11 hw ot 1997 Maryland 15-14 hw 2ot1993 Hofstra 5-6 al ot 1996 Brown 16-15 nw 1997 Maryland 9-10 al ncaa1993 Maryland 8-9 al acc ot 1996 No. Carolina 18-19 al 1998 Syracuse 17-18 hl ot1994 Duke 8-9 hl 1996 Princeton 12-13 nl ncaa ot 1998 Duke 12-11 hw
This chart also includes overtime games(Starsia is 5-6 at UVa in overtime, 1-0 in two overtimes). He is 7-10 lifetime in overtime.
RECORDS: UVa set school marks of 38 goals vs. VMI in 1996 and for record margin of victory(33, 38-5). In that game, 25 assists and 105 ground balls were records also. The 31 goals in the VMI game in 1997 is UVa’s third best of all time. The 12 goals in the first period duplicates 1996’s record of 12 in the first period of the VMI game. UVa’s 20 goals vs. UNC(1997 I)is a series high and the biggest margin in UVa ACC play.
David Bruce and Jamie Leachman set personal marks in 1996 . Bruce(4+3=7) and Leachman(1+7=8) set those standards vs. VMI. Bruce had four goals vs. Mercyhurst in 1997. Bruce had 4+2=6 vs. VMI in 1997. Bruce suffered a serious knee injury in a pre-season scrimmage and missed the entire season. Leachman had a career best with five vs. Bucknell and then added four goal s vs. Hobart.
Mark Murphy and Josh Bradstreet scored the first goals of their UVa careers against VMI in 1996. Each had three. Murphy added three scores vs. Mercyhurst, 1997. Murphy set personal career marks vs. VMI in 1997, 4+4=8.
Jason Hard had a record-caliber faceoff day against his hometown rivals at Syracuse in the 1997 opening game. He took 29 of 40 faceoffs. The second year middie hails from Cicero/North Syracuse High School and Bridgeport, NY. He finished the season with 176 wins and only 109 losses. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year for 1997. He was 13 of 14 vs. Mercyhurst. His 1998 figures were 111 of 262.
Tucker Radebaugh set a new career standard for himself with a four goal performance against UMass in 1997. He also had one assist in that game. He scored 2+2=4 in the Duke(II) game, all four points coming in the last six goals of the game. He was named Honorable Mention All American in 1997, his first AA award and again in 1998. He started on attack vs. Syracuse and notched a career high seven points(3+4=7). He scored four times vs. Mercyhurst and Princeton, UNC, and Duke. His career high assists is four vs. Bucknell. He led the Cavaliers in scoring with 30+26=56 points.
Drew McKnight also had a fine rookie opening day vs. Syracuse in 1997. The (now) third year attackman from Norfolk Academy notched 2+4=6 vs. the Orangemen. He duplicated those numbers against Mercyhurst. He had a personal high of three goals vs. Penn. He scored the game-winner in the second overtime of the Maryland game in 1997. He had 3+3=6 vs. Bucknell. in 1997. He scored 3+3=6 vs. Penn. Against Duke(I)he had 1+5=6 and (II) he had 5+0=5. He was an HM AA in 1998.
Jay Jalbert also put up some good numbers in the first game of his career(Syracuse, 1997). He scored four goals. Jalbert’s step-brother Steve Anderson was a Cavalier midfielder and captain in 1986-89. His career high is 3+3=6 vs. Duke(I), for which he was named ACC player of the week. He started on attack, with three goals vs. Syracuse and Princeton. His five goals vs. UNC was a career mark 1998. He scored 23 goals in the last seven games of the season, including four vs. Maryland(II) and five vs. Hobart, on 78 shots.He had four assists vs. JHU and three vs. Bucknell.
Home grown Henry Oakey scored with abandon in 1996. He whistled a career high of three goals past Princeton goalies in 1996. He followed that hat trick with a four-goal effort vs. Brown. Oakey hails from Charlottesville, but he graduated(playing his final two prep seasons) from Deerfield Academy 1994. He had his first career assists vs. JHU. He had 23 goals in 1996. Although his rehabilitation(from a 1996 injury) was successful, he redshirted in 1997. He was fully recovered for 1998, scoring 2+2=4 in his first outing vs. Syracuse. He injured a hamstring in 98, missing most of the Maryland game, and it nagged for the rest of the year.
More home grown, third-year goalie BEN O’NEIL hails from Charlottesville, where he prepped at St. Anne’s/Belfield. He played in seven games in 1997 ( Mercyhurst, Penn, Hopkins, VMI, North Carolina(I), and Bucknell). In his first two games he took three saves and allowed one goal. The Johns Hopkins game was his first career start. He started vs. Penn in 1998, due to an injury to Sanderson’s shoulder, and he had 15 saves, giving up only seven goals. He was 5/3 starting vs, Bucknell(played in five games in 1998). His father is a former President of the University of Virginia. Red-shirt second year middie WILL QUAYLE is also a local talent. The Western Albemarle grad did not play last season. He saw midfield action in 1998(one assist vs. Bucknell). His father was an AA football and lacrosse player at UVa in the 1960’s.
All ACC choices for 1998 were Radebaugh and Drew Melchionni.
All ACC Tournament choices were Jalbert, Radebaugh, McKnight, Melchionni, and Curtis.
Pre-Season All American choices for UVa included David wren(first), Curtis(second), Melchionni(second), Jalbert(hm), McKnight(hm), Radebaugh(hm), and Karl Zeller(hm), who were pre-season All-Americans for 1998.
As it turned out, the 1998 All Americans were almost exactly as above. Curtis, and Melchionni were second team choices. Wren slipped to third team(because of his injury). The three attackmen were named Honorable Mention–McKnight, Jalbert, and Radebaugh.
The North-South selections for UVa were Wren and Melchionni. They played in the game in Rochester, NY.
Pre-Season 1999 All American choices are Ryan Curtis(first), Drew McKnight(hm), Jay Jalbert(hm), and Tucker Radebaugh(hm).
Captains for 1999 are fourth-year attackman Tucker Radebaugh, fourth-year defender Doug Davies, and third-year attackman Drew McKnight.
THE STARSIA LOG: at Brown: 101-46; at Virginia 66-24
at Brown: at UVa:Overall: 101-46(.643) 66-24(.733)Ivy: 42-18(.700) 8-5(.615)Ivy Overall: 42-18(.700) 8-5(.615)Virginia Schools: 1-6(.143) 9-0(1.000)ACC: 2-9(.182) 14-4(.778) ACC Overall: 2-9(.182) 19-10(.679)One-Goal games: 10-14(.417) 8-10(.444)In Overtime: 2-4(.333) 5-6(.454)When Brown scores more than 10 goals: 88-13(.872) 63-14(.818)When Opponents score more than 10 goals: 21-33(.389) 24-18(.571)When Brown scores fewer than 10 goals: 13-33(.283) 3-10(.231)When both teams score more than 10 goals: 21-13(.618) 26-14(.650)When neither team scores 10 goals: 12-13(.480) 3-5(.375)NCAA play: 2-5 8-6(.571)NCAA First Round: 2-3 3-0(1.000)NCAA Quarter-finals: 0-2 3-3(.500)NCAA Semi-finals 0-0 2-1(.667)NCAA Finals 0-0 0-2(.000)At home(UVa): 40-7(.851)Away(UVa) 19-11(.633)Neutral(UVa): 7-6(.538)
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