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Sophomore midfielder Shamel Bratton came to UVa last season with remarkably high expectations. A starter on last season’s team that advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship, he scored 14 goals to rank fourth in the country among freshmen. This season he has been a major contributor as the Cavaliers have vaulted to the No. 1 spot in the polls with a 12-0 record (2-0 ACC). He has scored 21 goals already this season, including three in Virginia’s 11-10 win over North Carolina in the Inside Lacrosse Big City Classic last weekend at Giants Stadium. His big game earned him ACC Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. This Saturday the Cavaliers travel to Durham, N.C., to face No. 8 Duke. The Blue Devils are 8-3 overall this season and 1-1 in the ACC. If the Cavaliers win, they would claim the ACC regular-season title and be the top seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. Saturday’s game features a 4 pm start and will be televised on ESPN2.
Bratton took some time this week to talk about his play this spring as well as the match-up with Duke.
Question: You seem to be play your best in the big games and the big stages such as games against Syracuse, John Hopkins and last Saturday against North Carolina at the Giants Stadium. What is it about the big games that seem to bring out the best in you?
Bratton: I don’t know, maybe I get a little bit more excited before them. I wouldn’t say I was playing my best for the big games, I just happen to be scoring in those games.
Question: Last Saturday against North Carolina at Giants Stadium, the team fell behind by four goals in the second quarter. You scored three straight goals just before halftime to bring the team within one goal at halftime. Did you feel that stage of the game was the time you needed to make a play?
Bratton: Yes. I felt like in the first quarter that I wasn’t really doing too much and we had a match up that (assistant coach Marc) Van (Arsdale) said he liked me in that matchup and I felt like I really wasn’t taking advantage of it the way I could. In the second quarter I felt like the team needed me; we needed something to happen, and after I made one play I was kind of hot and Coach Van called a couple of more plays for me and I ended up finishing them.
Question: You seem to be obviously playing very well this year. Talk about your season so far and it seems like you are playing with a lot of confidence right now.
Bratton: I would say I am playing with a lot more confidence. Last year was my freshman year and I was kind of in awe I guess about starting, getting a lot of playing time on such a good team. This year I am more relaxed, and calm about it and not really too worried about what’s going to happen in the games. That’s the big thing about me this year, I feel like I am way more calm and not really too worried about rather I play well or bad, I just let the game come to me more.
Question: You talk about having a game come to you more. What can you attribute that to?
Bratton: I guess maturity. I talk to the coaches a lot in the offseason and they gave me some things I need to work on, like shooting percentage and ground ball play and understanding the offense a little bit more. I just kind of thought about that a lot this year. Last year I felt I could have played a lot better and helped the team win a couple more games even though we did make it to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
Question: You and your brother Rhamel came to UVa with a whole lot of attention. How were you able to handle all that attention and still remain focused on what you had to do?
Bratton: I don’t even know. I just kind of looked at it as a challenge. I am real competitive. If you ask any of the guys that have played with me or knew me in high school, I am a real competitive guy. I kind of like the fact that everyone is expecting so much out of me, so I can kind of make it a challenge for myself and just hopefully help the team.
Question: This year you are drawing the pole more frequently. Do you look at that as a compliment in that the other team’s defense sees you as a threat?
Bratton: Oh yeah, definitely. You kind of expect to get the pole if you feel like you are a good player. It’s kind of tough because Brian Carroll is so good, too. As a player individually you’ve got to look at it as kind of disrespectful if you don’t get the pole, because they don’t see you as too much of a threat. But I feel like I am drawing the pole and that’s helping my teammates tremendously.
Question: In the instances where you and Brian Carroll both get the pole, it’s kind of unusual for two middies to get the pole, how does that open up the offense and enable some of the guys on the attack to do their thing?
Bratton: That makes it a lot easier, especially on the attack because Steele (Stanwick) usually or (Garrett) Billings will get the short(stick) if they do decide to double pole us, that makes it a lot easier on the attackmen. They are so used to having a pole and not having their hands free as much and it makes it a lot easier on an attackmen and creates so much more offense. It’s kind of a disadvantage for a team to do that, especially with our attackmen, they’re so good. It’s kind of tough to do that to us.
Question: Your brother Rhamel was hurt a little bit earlier in the season and now he’s getting back into the flow of things. How excited are you for him to be able to be successful as the team comes down the home stretch of the regular season?
Bratton: I am really excited. I can’t wait for him getting back out there. He’ll get it going once he is a 100 percent; he is about 95 percent I would say now. I am excited for him to start playing; he’s ready to start stepping up and start making plays for us.
Question: How did you two first get into lacrosse?
Bratton: In the fourth grade we were at our two other friends’ birthday party and they brought out the sticks and after playing catch for like an hour we decided we wanted to start up a team that spring.
Question: You mentioned that you’re pretty competitive guy. Who would you say is more competitive you or Rhamel?
Bratton: I don’t know. We’re both really pretty competitive. I don’t think there is anyone more competitive than I am. You can ask (coach Starsia) and he’ll say that he thinks that I played well and I say I don’t really know. I never agree with him when he says he thinks I played well. I’m always thinking I could play a little bit better every game.
Question: The team plays Duke on Saturday. You’ve got a couple of friends on the Duke team. Have you had a chance to talk to them about the game?
Bratton: Not really. We don’t really talk trash to each other. I am actually really good friends with Zack Howell. I ate dinner with his parents and a few of his family members before the North Carolina game (last week), because they came up to it since it’s really close for them. There’s no real jawing, it’s just kind of fun to see each other play. It’s such a great thing to see guys from the same high school, we grew up together playing the sport. I am just so happy seeing him play and doing well for Duke and obviously we’re doing well over here. It’s just nice to see him. Over the summer we’ll hang out and add some memories.
Question: I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but the team hasn’t beaten Duke in five years. What do you think it is going to take to beat the Blue Devils this Saturday?
Bratton: If we just play our game we should be fine. Offensively and defensively if we could put a full game together I think we’ll end up coming out on top. This one’s kind of circled on my calendar, definitely, because last year that was just kind of the biggest butt whipping I’ve ever taken, losing by 10 goals. I am really going to come out hard against these guys.