Cavalier Men's Lacrosse Squad to Scrimmage Navy in Virginia Beach Saturday

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Sept. 29, 2005

Virginia Beach, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team plays its first fall ball scrimmage against the Midshipmen of Navy on Saturday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Va. The men’s game will be preceded by a women’s game with Old Dominion facing William and Mary.

All proceeds from the games will benefit the family of former UVa All-American player John Driscoll who succumbed to cancer in 2002 at the age of 44. Driscoll lettered four years as a midfielder (1977-80) under head coach Jim Adams. He was named the nation’s top middie as a senior in 1980 after leading the Cavaliers to the finals of the NCAA Tournament. He was an assistant coach at Notre Dame at the time of his death.

The women’s game starts at 12:30 p.m., with the men’s slated begin at 5 p.m. Virginia defeated Navy 10-8 in the quarterfinals of last season’s playoffs.

The game brings two of the top coaches in the sport, Richie Meade of Navy and Dom Starsia of Virginia to the Sportsplex. Meade, the Navy coach since 1995, has revitalized the program and brought the Midshipmen to the last two NCAA tournaments. Starsia, with 242 wins, has guided his Virginia team to the NCAA tournament final four three of the last four years. His Cavalier teams won the NCAA championships in 1999 and 2003.

A highlight of this year’s event will be a clinic for youth players prior to the game. Navy and Virginia players will participate in a short training session. Hampton Roads Youth League players will be able to benefit from this direct contact with the Virginia and Navy players. Virginia brings three 2005 All-Americans with attackman Matt Ward, midfielder Kyle Dixon and defenseman Michael Culver. Navy is expected to bring four All-Americans, including goalie Matt Russell, the midfield brother combination of Steve and Billy Looney, and attackman Jon Birsner.

Funds raised from this event will go to support the family of John Driscoll. Over 4,000 people attended last year’s event which supported the children of former Navy player Kevin Bianchi and his crewmember Peter Ober who were killed in a Navy helicopter accident.

Tickets and sponsorships are available by contacting Hampton Roads Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse at (757) 318-9444 or Info@hrlax.com. Donations can be mailed directly to the Chapter at 1373 Air Rail Avenue Virginia Beach VA 23455

Additional information is available at www.HRLAX.com or contact Mark Kelly at 757 318-9444 (office), 757 318-7050 (fax) or 757 619-6996 (cell).