Cavaliers Down Maryland 11-10 in Men's Lacrosse ACC Opener
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March 30, 2002
College Park, Md. – Freshman John Christmas scored four goals to lead second-ranked Virginia to a tightly-contested 11-10 win over #5 Maryland in its ACC opener this afternoon at Byrd Stadium. The win is Virginia’s fifth in a row, which marks its longest winning streak in two years, as the Cavaliers move to 6-1 on the year. Maryland falls to 6-2 overall this season.
Maryland’s Nate Watkins scored the first of his three goals 45 seconds into the second quarter to put the homestanding Terps ahead 4-3, but the Cavaliers rallied with four goals, including two by freshman Joe Yevoli, to build a 7-4 halftime lead. Christmas and Yevoli scored six of the Cavaliers’ seven first half goals.
The Cavaliers pushed the lead to 8-4 just over three minutes into the second half as Christmas scored his second man-down goal of the afternoon following a feed from long stick middie Trey Whitty.
Virginia held the Terps scoreless for almost 18 minutes before Matt Urlock and Mike Morsell scored extra-man goals in the final minute of the third quarter to trim Virginia’s lead to 9-8.
Cavalier middie Chris Rotelli gave the Cavaliers some breathing room less than two minutes into the final stanza, but Watkins answered with his second goal of the day with nine minutes to play. Rotelli scored for the second time a minute later, while Watkins’ third goal of the day with 2:55 to play accounted for the final tally.
The Terrapins’ final chance to tie ended when Virginia goalie Tillman Johnson made a big save of Mike Mollot’s 12-yard shot in front with 25 seconds to play. Johnson recorded 11 saves on the afternoon, his fifth game in a row with at least 10 saves.
Yevoli scored three times and has scored 20 goals this season. Rotelli scored twice and added two assists, while A.J. Shannon scored twice in extra-man situations and had an assist.
Watkins’ three goals paced Maryland, while Dan LaMonica had a goal and three assists.
Virginia travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face North Carolina next Saturday (April 6) at 1:00 p.m.
Virginia 3-4-2-2-11Maryland 3-1-4-2-10att-3158
ShotsUM 38UVa 29
ClearingUM 26 of 29UVa 27 of 31
FaceoffsUM 15UVa 8
Ground ballsUM 48UVa 34
PenaltiesUM 5-4:30UVa 9-8:30
Extra-Man ScoringUM 3 of 7UVa 3 of 4
Goalie SummaryUM-Dan McCormick 8 saves, 11 goals, 60 mins.UVa-Tillman Johnson 11 saves, 10 goals, 60 mins.
UM scoringGoals-Nate Watkins 3, Craig Hochstadt, Dan LaMonica, Mike LaMonica, Mike Mollot, Mike Morsell, Willy Passavia, Matt Urlock.
Assists-D. LaMonica 3, Mollot, Passavia.
UVa scoringGoals-John Christmas 4, Joe Yevoli 3, Chris Rotelli 2, A.J. Shannon 2.
Assists- Conor Gill 2, Chris Rotelli 2, Trey Whitty 2, John Christmas, A.J. Shannon.