No. 2 Virginia Set to Clash with No. 5 Maryland for ACC Title on Sunday

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After a six-week stay atop of the national rankings, Virginia (12-1, 2-1 ACC) holds down the No. 2 position in both the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media and USILA coaches polls after falling to Duke, 13-9, on April 17. UVa earned the victory in the rematch versus Duke (16-12) on Friday, placing the Cavaliers in the ACC Championship game. The No. 1 seed, draws the No. 3 seed and host, Maryland Terrapins (9-2, 1-2 ACC) on Sunday afternoon, at Byrd Stadium on Capital One Field. Faceoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Live stats will be available at VirginiaSports.com

The game will also be broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA 1070 AM with John Freeman calling the action and Doug Tarring doing the color broadcast. The contest will be televised live on Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports South and CSN Mid-Atlantic with Leif Elsmo doing the play-by-play and Willie Scroggs providing color analysis. NESN and SunSports will televise the game on a Monday delay.

Virginia is 18-16 all-time in the ACC Tournament since the inception of the event in 1989, including Friday’s win over the Duke Blue Devils. The Cavaliers are 6-6 against Maryland all-time in the ACC Tournament and have defeated the Terrapins the last three times, including an 11-5 triumph in the 2006 ACC title game. The 2006 victory was the last time UVa faced Maryland in the ACC title game.

2010 marks the 62nd straight-season the Cavaliers and the Terripans have clashed in an all-time series that began in 1926. Maryland holds the all-time advantage with a 44-40 mark, however Virginia has won eight of the last nine meetings, including April 3rd’s 11-10 triumph at Byrd Stadium.

Virginia opened up ACC play for the second-straight year 2-0, defeating then No. 4 Maryland (April 3) in College Park, Md., 11-10, and topping then No. 2 North Carolina (April 10) at the Big City Classic, 7-5, inside the New Meadowlands. Goalie Adam Ghitelman made 12 saves on 47 UNC shots taken, allowing only five goals, a season low for the Tar Heels. Ghitelman was named ACC Player of the Week for his exploits while Steele Stanwick scored a game-high three goals and four points. The victory over the Tar Heels cinched the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, despite falling to Duke on April 17.

Chris Bocklet leads Virginia with 36 goals, while Stanwick holds the team lead with 21 assists and is second on the team with 23 goals. The sophomore tandem leads the team with 45 and 44 points respectively. Rhamel Bratton is third on the team with 18 goals, while Brian Carroll is fourth on the team with 17 scores. Freshman Matt White has 15 goals and has tallied at least one point in every game of his young collegiate career. Shamel Bratton is tied with the rookie with 15 goals, while adding 11 assists of his own for 26 points, also tying White. Ken Clausen has a team-best 42 ground balls and his 2.17 caused turnovers per game ranks No. 7 nationally. Ghitelman is saving 53.3 percent of the shots against him, while posting a 8.25 goals-against average.

Maryland head coach Dave Cottle is in his ninth year at Maryland and returns 28 letterwinners and seven starters off of last year’s 10-7 squad who lost to eventual national champion Syracuse in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Terripans sit at No. 4 in the media poll and No. 5 in the coaches poll.

Grant Catalino leads the attack for Maryland with team highs of 26 goals and 43 points. Ryan Young has added 12 goals and 35 points, all marks are second-best on the squad. His 23 assists lead the team. Rounding out the top scorers for the Terrapins are Travis Reed with 25 points (13 goals and 12 assists), and Will Yeatman with 15 points (12 goals and three assists). Bryn Holmes has picked up a team-high 50 ground balls and Brian Phipps is saving 54.4 percent of shot attempts between the pipes. Phipps also has an 8.59 goals-against average.

Virginia concludes the regular season on May 1 when Robert Morris invades Klöckner Stadium for Senior Day. Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Tickets for Virginia lacrosse games can be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone at (800) 542-8821 or in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Single-game tickets to lacrosse games are $7 (adult general admission), and $5 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).

All reserved seats are sold out for the 2010 season.