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March 8, 2001
Charlottesville, Va. –
#6 Virginia Cavaliers (1-1) vs. #2 Princeton Tigers (1-0)
March 10, 2001
1:00 p.m.
Class of 1952 Stadium
Princeton, N.J.
Television Coverage–Saturday’s game is being televised on a tape-delayed basis on several cable outlets throughout the mid-atlantic and southeastern parts of the country. The game will be aired on Sunday (March 11) at 1:00 p.m. on HTS, Comcast Philadelphia, Comcast Southeast (Atlanta), at 5:00 p.m. on Madison Square Garden network, and on Wednesday (March 14) at 5:00 p.m. on Empire Sports in Buffalo.
The Series vs. the Tigers
Princeton holds a slim 8-7 advantage in the series with Virginia in what is one of the most hotly contested series in recent collegiate lacrosse action.
Although the first meeting occurred in 1948, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the two schools began to meet with regularity. The two teams had met only three times before beginning an annual series in 1992.
In addition to meeting during the regular season every year since 1992, the two teams have battled in the NCAA Tournament’s title game twice (1994, `96) and in the semifinals once (2000).Princeton has been proficient at “losing the battle, but winning the war” vs. UVa since 1995. The Tigers have lost five of the last six regular season meetings to Virginia, but have rebounded to win twice when the teams tangled in the NCAA playoffs (1996, 2000).
The Cavaliers’ last four losses to the Tigers, including three in NCAA Tournament action, have been by one goal each. Princeton’s last win by more than one goal was a 14-6 win in the 1994 regular season.
The Cavaliers have never won by fewer than two goals, while their 15-7 win in the regular season last year is one of two seven-goal victories for them recently. The other was an 11-4 triumph in 1995.
The Cavaliers have used both defense and offense in their last three wins. UVa turned the tables on the Tigers by adopting their ball-control offense in a 6-4 win in 1999, while last season UVa posted a 15-8 win in Charlottesville.
The Tigers have scored at least five goals in every game they’ve played since 1990 except three and two of those games have come against UVa when they scored just four times (1995, `99).
Cavaliers Hand Tigers Rare Losses
Since 1995 Princeton has lost just 13 games, including 10 regular season contests. Of those 13 losses, five have come against Virginia. Princeton’s other losses have come to Syracuse (4), Johns Hopkins (2), and Cornell and North Carolina (1 each).
The Tigers lost just once during their NCAA championship seasons in 1996 and 1998–both times to Virginia.
Of Princeton’s 10 regular season losses since 1995, half have been to the Cavaliers. (Syracuse has one regular season win over Princeton in that span.)
Virginia’s 9-7 win over Princeton in 1998 ended the Tigers’ 29-game winning streak.
Not What You’d Expect
Dom Starsia’s Cavaliers have a reputation as an explosive offensive squad and have led the nation in scoring twice since 1997. Princeton, on the other hand, has favored taking a more methodical approach to offense and relying on a strong defense to slow the opponent.
Given the differing philosophies between the two schools, you might assume the Cavaliers would want to get into a fast-paced offensive game, while the Tigers would rather slow the pace.
However, you should remember what your mother said about assuming things because in this rivalry it’s not good to assume. Despite Virginia’s 15-8 win last season, the recent history of the series indicates that the Cavaliers fare better against Princeton in a low-scoring affair.
Two recent wins by Virginia illustrate this pattern. The Cavaliers won 9-7 at home in 1998 and followed that with a 6-4 win in Princeton the next season. Their 6-4 win marked the first time since 1973 the Cavaliers won a game with as few as six goals.
Princeton won last season’s NCAA playoff match-up in a relative “shootout” by the score of 12-11. The win marked the first time since 1997 that the Tigers scored more than eight goals vs. UVa.
Perhaps it’s interesting to note that Princeton is the only opponent where the Cavaliers do well against when the score is low. Since 1993 Virginia is just 5-12 when scoring fewer than 10 goals, with two of the five wins coming against the Tigers.
The chart below shows the average score in this series since 1993 when UVa wins and loses.
avg. UVa score avg. Princeton score avg. total goals
UVa wins 10.6 6.4 17.0
UVa loses 9.3 11.8 21.1
History Suggests a Tight Contest
This is the 13th meeting between Virginia and Princeton since the two began playing each other on an annual basis in 1992. They have also faced each other in the NCAA Tournament on three occasions (`94, `96, `00).
One of the most obvious characteristics of the series is how close the games have been. A game decided by more than three goals qualifies as a blow out.
Among the last 12 meetings there have been four games decided by one goal (three were overtime contests), three decided by two goals and two decided by three.
Tough Time Picking Winner Based on Rankings
Virginia is ranked sixth in this week’s USILA poll, while Princeton comes in ranked second.For much of the series, the higher-ranked team had its way when these two teams clashed. In the nine meetings between 1992-1998, the higher-ranked team won each time (Princeton-6, UVa-3).However, since 1999 the team that has been ranked lower as prevailed.
In their most recent visit to Princeton the #6 Cavaliers eked out a 6-4 win over the #5 Tigers.Last season the third-ranked Cavaliers handed Princeton its worst loss in five years with a 15-8 win over the #2 Tigers in Charlottesville.
The rankings were reversed when the two teams met in the semifinals of last year’s NCAA Tournament as the Tigers gained a 12-11 come-from-behind win over #2 Virginia in College Park, Md.
Syracuse Uses Five Extra-Man Goals to Top Cavaliers
Top-ranked Syracuse used an illegal stick penalty on Conor Gill at the start of the second quarter to erase an early 2-1 deficit with three extra-man goals en route to a 13-7 win over the visiting Cavaliers before 10,496 fans at the Carrier Dome last Saturday.
The first quarter was played at a relatively deliberate pace as both teams used good defense to stifle the other’s attack before Gill and Chris Rotelli scored 21 seconds apart to give Virginia the early momentum and a 2-0 lead.
Virginia’s momentum vanished quickly, however, with the three-minute non-releaseable infraction assessed to Gill. The Orangemen took a 4-2 advantage at the 13:28 mark of the second period when midfielder Spencer Wright tallied their third-straight man-up goal during the span.
Rotelli’s extra man goal at the 9:52 mark of the second quarter put Virginia within one (4-3), but Syracuse closed out the half with two goals to go ahead 6-3 at intermission.
The Orangemen used a 5-1 run to push the lead to 13-5 midway through the final quarter before the Cavaliers scored two fourth quarter goals to cut the lead.
The loss marked Virginia’s worst since the 1995 NCAA semifinals, when the Cavaliers lost to Syracuse 20-13.
Rotelli paced the UVa offense with a career-high three goals.
Cavaliers Down Towson 12-8 in Opener
Getting seven goals combined from the first midfield unit of Hanley Holcomb, Billy Glading and Chris Rotelli, the Cavaliers defeated Towson 12-8 in the season opener two weeks ago at the University Hall Turf Field.
Holcomb dispatched last season’s disappointment with three goals to share the scoring honors with Glading, who scored just once last spring.
Rookie goalie Tillman Johnson started slowly but recorded 12 saves in his first collegiate start. He was rarely tested in the first three quarters before giving up three scores in the final 15 minutes.
The Cavaliers raced out to a 7-1 lead with 13:37 remaining in the second quarter, paced by two Holcomb goals and two scored by midfielder Andrew Faraone. The Towson defense slowed the Cavaliers for the remainder of the quarter, as Virginia was limited to one Holcomb goal with 1:38 left. Towson midfielder Hunter Lochte scored twice as the Tigers narrowed the Virginia lead to 8-4 at the half.
Towson turned up its offensive intensity in the second half, putting 19 of its 35 shots on the Virginia goal in the last 30 minutes. While the Tigers scored four times, including one goal and one assist by defenseman Brad Reppert, Johnson collected seven saves for the half.
Three Towson goals in the fourth quarter helped trim the Tigers’ deficit to four, but the Cavaliers ran out the clock after Towson midfielder Brad Monaco scored with 2:05 remaining.
Senior midfielder David Jenkins won 15 of 23 faceoff attempts in the game and scooped up a game-high 12 ground balls and was named ACC Player of the Week.
Rotelli Records First Hat Trick vs. Top-Ranked Squad
Chris Rotelli was moved from the midfield to attack for the Syracuse game in an effort to get more scoring punch on the field and the moved seems to have paid off. The sophomore from Rumford, R.I., responded by scoring a career-high three goals against the top-ranked Orangemen and was one of the few bright spots for the Cavaliers.
Rotelli has scored a team-high four goals during the young season and is already more than halfway to his total of seven goals last season.
He has also assisted on two goals in two games and is second on the team with six points (two away from his total of last season).
Holcomb Tallies Three in Opener vs. Towson
Hanley Holcomb scored 27 goals two years ago and was one of the unsung Cavaliers during their championship season. But last season was a trying one for the lefty from Ridgewood, N.J. Hampered for much of the season with a nagging hamstring injury, his goal output dropped to 10 as he pressed to regain his scoring touch. He scored just once in the first six games (missed two due to injury) and he failed to score more than two goals in any game.
Owner of one of the hardest shots in the game today, Holcomb has worked hard on both ends of the field during the preseason to become a more complete player and put last season behind him. An outstanding fall caught the notice of some of the preseason All-American pickers who named him to their preseason squads.
He got his season off to an outstanding start in the season opener vs. Towson by scoring three goals to share scoring honors with Billy Glading. His three goals are the most he’s scored since notching three vs. Syracuse in the 1999 national championship game.
In the Towson contest, Virginia’s first midfield unit of Holcomb, Billy Glading and Chris Rotelli combined for seven goals and two assists. Holcomb and Glading scored three goals apiece, while Rotelli passed off for a career-high two assists and chipped in with one goal.
Glading Records Hat Trick in First Extended Action
Billy Glading got caught behind an experienced group of midfielders as a rookie last season and didn’t see much action (just seven games). But with David Bruce, Jason Hard and Jay Jalbert having graduated, there are plenty of opportunities for Glading and a host of other youngsters (including Andrew Faraone, Ted Lamade, Brett Wagner among others) to see significant time in the midfield.
Based on an outstanding fall season, Glading has been chosen to several preseason All-America teams and he quickly seems to be justifying the selection. In the season opener against Towson late last month, he scored three goals to tie Hanley Holcomb for the team scoring lead. He also scored three goals combined in the two scrimmages vs. Georgetown and Loyola the week before the Towson game. Not bad for a player who only took three shots and scored one goal last spring.
Jenkins Named ACC Lacrosse Player of the Week
Midfielder David Jenkins was named the ACC’s Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week for his efforts in leading the Cavaliers to a 12-8 season-opening win vs. Towson on Feb. 24.Jenkins was outstanding as UVa’s faceoff man, winning 15 of 23 draws in the game. His efforts were especially important early in the game as he won six of seven attempts in the first quarter to help UVa jump to a 5-1 lead. The Cavaliers built an 8-4 halftime lead as the senior tri-captain from Dedham, Mass., claimed 12 of 14 first half faceoffs. Unheralded as a defensive midfielder, Jenkins also led the team with 12 ground balls.
A preseason All-American, Jenkins is one of the nation’s top faceoff specialists. He ranked ninth in Division I last season, winning 62.1 percent of his faceoffs.
Three Named Co-captains
Midfielder David Jenkins, attackman Conor Gill and defenseman Mark Koontz were elected captains for this season in a vote of their teammates.
Jenkins, a senior from Dedham, Mass., has been among the nation’s top faceoff men the last two years and a stalwart defensive midfielder. He was ninth in the country in faceoffs last season, winning 62.1 percent of his draws. Jenkins also added a career-high five goals and three assists as UVa advanced to the national semifinals for the second year in a row.
Gill, a junior from Lutherville, Md., is considered by many as the top player in the nation. He led the ACC in scoring (4.40 ppg) and assists (2.67) last season. Gill was the only non-senior named a first-team All-America last spring after scoring 26 goals and assisting on 40 others.
Koontz was named a second-team All-American last season, his first as a starter. The junior, a native of Upper Arlington, Ohio, led the team’s long sticks with 72 ground balls in 2000 and joined Gill as the only sophomores on the All-ACC squad.
Koontz Replaces Curtis as UVa’s Marquee Defensive Stalwart
Junior defenseman Mark Koontz has quickly established himself as one of the top defensemen in the nation. A preseason All-America choice this season, Koontz was one of only three sophomores named first- or second-team All-America in 2000 (joining teammate Conor Gill and Syracuse’s Josh Coffman).
He was also named to the All-ACC team, recognition that is even harder to receive than All-American, to become the first UVa sophomore defenseman named All-ACC since Scott Lind in 1984.Playing in the shadow of two-time first-team All-American Ryan Curtis the last two years, Koontz very quietly led ACC long sticks with 72 ground balls (fifth overall) last spring.
A very athletic defenseman, Koontz will take over for Curtis in being assigned to the opposition’s top offensive threat.
He also possesses outstanding stick skills that enable him to be a potential threat on the fast break. As example of this occurred in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament against North Carolina. Following a Tar Heel miss, he scooped up the loose ball and raced down field. Spotting an open Ian Shure just past midfield, he hit Shure in stride who slid an off-balance shot into the net to give the Wahoos a double overtime win.
Steve Burman Adds Experience to Defense
Starting defenseman Steve Burman sports one of the most unusual backgrounds for a Cavalier in a long time.
A two-sport star (football, lacrosse) at Bucknell, Burman graduated from the Lewisburg, Pa., school last spring. He earned four letters as a linebacker for the football squad and three as a member of the Bison lacrosse team. Last season he was named All-Patriot league in lacrosse and finished second on the team in ground balls (42).
But with his undergraduate degree earned and a year of lacrosse eligibility remaining, Burman decided to venture south and join his younger brother David at UVa and compete as a graduate student. He is enrolled in the Curry School of Education and is expected to receive a master’s degree in social foundations this summer.
His presence in Charlottesville is welcomed by head coach Dom Starsia, who is faced with having to replace five of his top-seven defensemen from last season.
Colbeck Shares Award at Nation’s Top Assistant
UVa assistant coach Chris Colbeck and Syracuse assistant Kevin Donahue shared the Jay Gallagher Award as the nation’s outstanding assistant lacrosse coach awarded at the annual coaches’ convention earlier this year.
Colbeck is entering his fifth year on head coach Dom Starsia’s staff. He serves as the offensive coordinator and is nationally recognized as one of the brightest, most innovative offensive coaches in the game today. Under his guidance, Virginia has led the NCAA in scoring in both 1997 and 1999 and is annually one of the most explosive offenses in the country. He has coached four first-team All-America attackmen, two ACC Players of the Year and one ACC Rookie of the Year.
Jenkins Assumes Primary Face-off Duty
For the last three years David Jenkins and Jason Hard shared UVa’s face-offs responsibilities and gave Dom Starsia the luxury of having two outstanding face-off specialists. In fact, both were ranked in the top 10 in the nation the last two seasons. But with Hard’s graduation, Jenkins will be taking most of the team’s draws this season.
So far this season Jenkins is winning 52.4 percent of his draws (22 of 42).
The senior tri-captain was ninth nationallly in winning percentage last spring, claiming 62.1 percent of his opportunities (105 of 169). He is the seventh-leading returnee this season in terms of winning percentage.
Jenkins has won 61.4 percent of his career face-offs, the second-highest total in school history. Steve Kraus holds the school record with a 68.0 winning percentage.
Jenkins is also nearing UVa’s top five in face-off wins in his career. Virginia’s winningest face-off men are listed below.
name, years taken W L Pct. 1. Jason Hard, 1997-00 949 539 410 .568 2. Brad Wood, 1984-87 707 423 284 .598 3. Tony Nugent, 1992-95 668 362 306 .542 4. Steve Kraus, 1978-81 478 325 153 .680 5. Greg Montgomery, 1971-74 537 309 228 .575 6. David Jenkins, 1998-01 479 294 185 .614
Freshman Takes Over Between the Pipes
Tillman Johnson, one of the top goalies in the country in last year’s recruiting class, has started both games this season. His start marks the second time in the last three seasons that Dom Starsia has started a rookie in goal. Derek Kenney, the starter the last two seasons, became the first freshman to start in the cage for Virginia since 1979. Kenney moved to the midfield this season, but he has been out of action since the first day in pads due to a severe hamstring injury. Kenney returned to practice this week and is expected to be ready for action today.
Johnson got off to a shaky start in the opener over Towson two weeks ago–a 12-8 win. The rookie from Annapolis, Md., failed to make a save in the first quarter, but once settled in he finished with 12 saves. His play in man down situations was stellar as Towson failed to score in six extra-man opportunities.
Starsia hopes his play against top-ranked Syracuse last weekend is the type of learning experience that freshmen typically undergo. Against one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, Johnson relinquished 13 goals, while making six saves. After the game, Starsia admitted that Johnson’s play wasn’t typical of how he has played or practiced so far.
Gill, Koontz Tabbed Preseason First-Team All-Americans
First-team selections Conor Gill (A) and Mark Koontz (D) headline six Cavaliers named to the Face-off Yearbook preseason All-America squad. Joining them are third-team selections A.J. Shannon (A) and Hanley Holcomb (M), and honorable mention choices Billy Glading (M) and David Jenkins (FO).
Gill, a first-team All-America last season, is one of the most gifted attackmen in the country. He led the ACC (and placed 11th nationally) in scoring last season with 66 points (26g, 40a), an average of 4.40 ppg. He also led the ACC and finished eighth in the nation in assists with an average of 2.67 apg. In his career, the Lutherville, Md., native has scored 125 points and reached the century mark faster than any UVa player since Kevin Pehlke in the early 1990s.
Koontz was a second-team All-American in 2000, joining Gill and Syracuse’s Josh Coffman (2nd) as the only sophomores named first- or second-team All-Americans. A budding star, he and Gill were the only sophs named All-ACC last spring. A steadying influence on defense, Koontz has outstanding stick skills and led ACC long sticks with 72 ground balls a year ago. He tied his career high with eight ground balls in front of a record crowd at Ohio State in his hometown of Columbus.
Shannon, a sophomore from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, was UVa’s top freshman last spring, alternating between attack and the midfield. He scored 16 goals to lead all ACC freshmen, while his eight assists and 24 points led the league’s true freshmen. He is one of the most powerful players on the team and his continued development will go a long way toward the team’s offensive success.
Holcomb looks to bounce back from a frustrating season when he scored 10 goals and added two assists. The senior lefty from Ridgewood, N.J., was hampered for much of the season by a bad hamstring, but he had an outstanding fall season and looks to regain the form he displayed in 1999 when the Cavaliers claimed the national title. His experience solidifies the first midfield unit.
Glading saw limited action in seven games as a rookie last spring, but he got stronger during the offseason and turned in an excellent fall season on the first midfield with Holcomb. He is a versatile offensive player, who uses his quickness effectively.
Jenkins, a senior tri-captain with Gill and Koontz, is one of the top faceoff men in the country. He finished ninth in the nation last season, winning 62.1 percent of his draws. A very unheralded player, he led the team with 92 ground balls last spring. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he can score if needed as shown by his five goals and three assists (all career highs) in `00.
Three Named to CollegeLacrosseUSA.com Squad
Three Cavaliers have been named to the preseason All-America squad named by CollegeLacrosseUSA.com. Junior attackman Conor Gill and junior defenseman Mark Koontz were named to the first-team, while senior midfielder Hanley Holcomb was a second-team selection.
Gill Spearheads the Attack
Preseason All-American Conor Gill is expected to be the Cavaliers’ offensive catalyst again this season. He avoided the dreaded “sophomore slump” last spring by leading the ACC in scoring (66 pts., 4.40 ppg) and assists (40 ast., 2.67 apg). He also found the back of the net 26 times.He has been slowed somewhat during the preseason due to a sore knee, but you’d never know it based on his performance in the final two scrimmages or the season opener vs. Towson on Feb. 24.Against Georgetown on Feb. 16, he scored three goals and added three assists while playing just three quarters. One of his passes was of the behind-the-back variety right to Billy Glading’s stick who promptly rocketed a shot into the net.
Operating with just over 12 hours rest, Gill and the rest of the Cavaliers came back the next afternoon to face Loyola in the final preseason scrimmage. As usual Gill fed for three different Cavaliers for goals, while adding a goal of his own.
In the season opener against Towson last Saturday, Gill directed an efficient offense, leading the way with a game-high three assists, while adding a goal.
One characteristic Gill will no doubt try to avoid is a slow start to the season. He scored five goals and had eight assists in the first four games of last season. As a freshman two years ago, Gill scored eight goals and added five assists in the first four games, but five of the goals came in one game.
Once he gets going, though, he’s a hard man to stop. In last season’s final seven games, he recorded 24 assists and had at least three each time except when he was blanked by Duke in the national quarterfinals. In the semifinal loss to Princeton, Gill contributed a career-high tying five assists (to go along with two goals).