Virginia Men's Lacrosse Travels to Maryland Riding Four-Game Winning Streak
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March 29, 2002
Charlottesville, Va. –
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#2 Virginia (5-1) vs. #5 Maryland (6-1)
March 30, 2002
1:00 p.m.
Byrd Stadium
College Park, Md.
Radio: You can listen to the game on the internet by clicking here for the WMUC (88.1 FM) broadcast.
The Series vs. the Terrapins
Maryland leads the all-time series with Virginia by a 39-29 margin. The rivalry between the two schools goes all the way back to 1926, the second year of the Virginia program. The teams have met at least once every season since 1950, making this the second-longest current series of any Virginia opponent (behind Johns Hopkins, 1948).
The Cavaliers have not had much success on the Terrapins’ home field, winning just 12 of 33 meetings in College Park. Their luck has been better recently due to wins the last two times the teams have met at Byrd Stadium. Both wins occurred in 1999.
Maryland won the most recent meeting-a 12-8 win in the semifinals of last season’s ACC Tournament in Orlando, but the Cavaliers have won five of the last six.
The Cavaliers knocked off the top-ranked Terps 7-2 at UVa’s Kl?ckner Stadium in last season’s regular season match-up. The Terps’ two goals are their fewest since 1948.
Throughout the early 1990s the series was characterized by many tight games, including one stretch from 1991-1997 where 10 of 11 games were decided by one or two goals.
However, things have changed recently. The last eight games going back to 1998 have been decided by at least three goals, including the last six that have all been decided by four-or-more goals.
Maryland’s 39 wins over Virginia are the second-most wins by any school over the Cavaliers. Johns Hopkins has defeated UVa 51 times.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s 29 wins in the series make the Terps fourth on UVa’s list of most beaten opponents (UVa has defeated Duke 44 times, Washington & Lee 42 times and North Carolina 36 times).
Rankings Don’t Mean Much When Virginia & Maryland Meet
Virginia and Maryland have met 28 times since 1983 and one of the characteristics of the series since then is the inability to use rankings as a predictor of victory.
The lower ranked team has won 14 of the 28 games, although things have turned around somewhat in the last few years with the higher ranked team winning six of the last eight match-ups.
Virginia is 8-5 as the lower ranked team since 1983. The Cavaliers have won the last two regular season games when they have been ranked lower-13-4 in 1999 and 7-2 last season.
Maryland, on the other hand, is just 6-9 since ’83 as the lower ranked team.
Cavaliers Open ACC Play vs. Maryland
Virginia opens its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule Saturday afternoon against Maryland. Curiously, the other ACC schools have completed their conference schedule except for playing Virginia, while the Cavaliers are just starting.
Virginia is 37-11 all-time in ACC openers. When their ACC opener is on the road the Cavaliers are 18-6 all-time.
Looking for Longest Winning Streak in Two Years
The Cavaliers have been playing well lately and are riding a four-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s match-up vs. Maryland.
The four-game winning streak is Virginia’s longest since a similar streak at this same point last season.
A win over Maryland would push the Cavaliers’ winning streak to five games, their longest in two years. Virginia won 13 games in a row during the 2000 season. Curiously that winning streak ended at Maryland’s Byrd Stadium with a loss to Princeton in the national semifinals.
Offense Records Most Goals vs. Four Opponents
Despite playing against some excellent defensive squads, the Virginia offense is averaging almost three goals per game more this season compared to last year.
Last week the Cavaliers scored 12 goals against then #1 Johns Hopkins, the only game this season when the Blue Jays have allowed more than 10 goals.
That performance isn’t the only time this season Virginia has scored the most goals against a particular opponent.
The Cavaliers have also scored the most goals allowed by Drexel this season (20), Syracuse (13), and Princeton (13). Their 13 goals vs. Towson is the second-highest total allowed by the Tigers this spring.
Holding Last Two Opponents in Check
Just as the Virginia offense has accounted for the most goals allowed by four opponents this season, the Cavalier defense has relinquished the fewest goals scored by its last two opponents.Virginia held then #1 Johns Hopkins to six goals in a six-goal win last weekend, the Blue Jays’ lowest goal total in 15 games.
Two weeks ago the Cavaliers held a high powered Towson offense to just eight goals, half its season average. The Tigers’ eight goals is their lowest output in 17 games.