Men's Lacrosse to Battle Alumni Squad Friday Night
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- Head coach Dom Starsia’s 2011 Cavaliers will be on display for the first time Friday night in a scrimmage against a talented squad of former Cavalier lacrosse standouts. The scrimmage will faceoff at 9 p.m. and will be played at the UHall Turf Field. Admission is free.
“We all look forward to the alumni game every year,” said Starsia. “It is truly an exercise in finding the balance between having some fun and getting some work done.”
Starsia enters his 19th season at the helm of the program with 30 returning lettermen, including seven starters, from last season’s ACC championship squad. Inside Lacrosse also recently recognized UVa with the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class.
With 316 career victories, Starsia needs 11 wins to surpass Jack Emmer for most triumphs by a coach at a Division I school. Emmer coached 36 years at three different schools – Cortland State., Washington & Lee and Army. Cortland State and Washington & Lee were Division I schools at the time Emmer was the head coach. Starsia has a 215-67 career record at Virginia and a 101-46 mark at Brown. The 215 wins at Virginia are an ACC record.
Returning to the potent Virginia offense is the junior tandem of Steele Stanwick (29) and Chris Bocklet (53) who amassed 82 combined goals on attack in 2010, helping both second-year players to USILA All-America accolades and pace the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense.
Two-time first-team USILA All-American Shamel Bratton is coming off one of his more productive seasons that produced 24 scores and 17 assists from the midfield. Rhamel Bratton earned his first USILA All-America accolade (second-team) after tallying 23 goals and eight assists.
ACC Tournament MVP Adam Ghitelman returns in between the pipes after also earning his first USILA All-America honor (third-team). Ghitelman saved 54.8 percent of shots against him and allowed 8.24 goals per game, while UVa finished No. 1 in the final RPI standings, including having the toughest schedule in the nation. The senior brings a 38-6 all-time record into his final campaign as the starting goalie.
Matt Lovejoy is the lone returning starter on defense after causing 13 turnovers and picking up 32 ground balls in 2010.
“The alumni game is almost always just the right combination of history, fun and competition,” said Starsia. “It is important that some of our younger players can put a face to some of the stories, that our alums remember that they are always appreciated and welcome home, and that the two groups can ‘mix it up’ for a couple of hours on a Friday night. We look forward to seeing everyone back and to some of our new Cavaliers in their first outside competition.”