No. 9 UVa Hosts No. 5 North Carolina in ACC Tilt Saturday in Klockner Stadium

Story Links

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia Cavaliers (7-3, 0-1 ACC) have fallen to the No. 9 spot in both the USILA coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll after dropping their first ACC opener since 2008, and losing back-to-back regular season games for the first time since 2004. UVa jumps back into action on Saturday when the North Carolina Tar Heels (7-3, 1-1 ACC) invade Klöckner Stadium. UNC, ranked No. 5 in the coaches poll and No. 8 in the media poll, visits Charlottesville for the first time since 2007 after the series was shifted for two seasons to East Rutherford, N.J., in 2009 and 2010. Faceoff is scheduled for noon. Live stats are available at VirginiaSports.com.

There will be a live radio broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA 1070 AM, which will be simulcast as an audio webcast on VirginiaSports.com through Virginia Sports Online Radio. John Freeman will bring the play-by-play and Doug Tarring will provide the analysis. ESPN will televise the game live in HD with Eamon McAnaney calling the play-by-play and Quint Kessenich providing analysis. There will be a live simulcast of the game on ESPN3.com.

Saturday marks the 72nd all-time meeting between the Cavaliers and the Tar Heels, a series the Cavaliers own a 47-24 advantage in since 1938. Facing the Tar Heels every year since 1964, UVa came away with a narrow 7-4 triumph over UNC in the last meeting, during the inaugural event at the New Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. UVa’s 11-10 win over UNC in 2009 came in the inaugural Big City Classic, which served as the first lacrosse games ever played in the Old Meadowlands, in the final year of a venue that originally opened in 1976.

Virginia head coach Dom Starsia brings 323 career victories into the contest, needing four more triumphs to pass Jack Emmer (326) for most victories by a head coach while at a NCAA Division I school.

Steele Stanwick leads UVa with 40 points and 19 assists, while scoring 21 goals. Chris Bocklet is tops on the team with 25 goals and 28 points. Bocklet currently leads the nation with his active consecutive game goal streak, tallying at least one score in his past 28 contests. Chris LaPierre leads the team with 58 ground balls through the first 10 games, which trails Adam Ghitelman’s 2010 team-best of 62 in 18 games.

Ghitelman has 44 career wins in the cage and is in a tie with UMBC’s Jeremy Blevins (2006-09) for No. 6 all-time at the NCAA Division I level. Ghitelman is saving 54.8 percent of shots against him and registering a 9.24 goals against average this season.

North Carolina head coach Joe Breschi is in his third season at North Carolina and returns 31 letterwinners from last year’s 13-3 squad, including player of the year candidate Billy Bitter. Nicky Galasso is setting the table for the Tar Heels, leading the team with 21 assists and 37 points. Marcus Holman leads the team with 20 goals, while Bitter and Galasso each have 16 scores.

Steven Rastivo has received the start in the goal the past three games and is saving 59.6 percent of shots, while posting a 7.67 goals against average. Chris Madalon started the first seven games for the Tar Heels, posting a 9.43 goals against average and saving 49.6 percent of shots.

Tickets for Virginia home 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. Virginia lacrosse season tickets for 2011 are $30 (adult general admission) and $20 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission). 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 2011 season.