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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 1 in the USILA coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse media polls, the Virginia Cavaliers (4-0) will clash with the Syracuse Orange (2-0), No. 3 in the USILA coaches poll and No. 6 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, on Sunday at Klöckner Stadium. Faceoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. This is the fourth year in a row that one of the two teams is ranked No. 1 in the nation during the regular season series matchup, including last year when the USILA ranked both teams No. 1. Live stats will be available on VirginiaSports.com.

UVa will raise its 2011 NCAA title flag prior to the game and honor Dom Starsia for becoming the all-time leader in Division I head coaching wins.

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 Cavaliers Live. John Freeman will bring the play-by-play, Doug Tarring will provide the analysis and Jack Bird will add insight from the sideline. ESPN will televise the game live in HD with Eamon McAnaney bringing the play-by-play, Quint Kessenich providing color analysis and Paul Carcaterra roaming the sidelines. There will be a web simulcast on ESPN3.

The Cavaliers had won six regular-season games in a row against Syracuse before losing 12-10 in the Carrier Dome last year. The setback broke a string of three-straight UVa victories inside the Carrier Dome, the most by any Syracuse opponent. UVa owns the narrow 14-13 margin in the all-time series, including an exciting 11-10 triumph the last time these two squads met in Charlottesville back in 2010. These two programs have captured four of the last six NCAA titles. Historically the series is as tight as they come as 15 of the last 21 games have been decided by one or two goals, including the last five matchups.

Chris Bocklet leads the way for UVa with 10 goals, while Steele Stanwick leads the team with 10 assists. Both Bocklet and Stanwick share the team high with 16 points. Colin Briggs boasts seven goals and six assists for 13 points, while Chris LaPierre has the team lead with 19 ground balls. Rob Fortunato is saving 64.8 percent of the shots against him and holds a 5.93 goals against average in between the pipes.

Sunday’s game also marks the fifth year in a row both squads have featured unblemished records at game time (during the regular season). Syracuse head coach John Desko enters his 14th year at Syracuse, where the Orange have won five NCAA national championships under his direction. Syracuse is coming off a 15-2 record in 2011 and an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. JoJo Marasco and Derek Maltz lead the Orange with four goals apiece. Tommy Palasek is setting the table with five assists, while Marasco leads the team with 11 ground balls. Matthew Lerman has gotten the starts in goal, but has spilt the time in the cage evenly with Dominic Lamolinara. Lerman is saving 58.8 percent of shots and posting a 7.00 goals against average, while Lamolinara is saving 62.5 percent of shots and registering a 9.00 goals against average.

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 2012 are $50 (adult general admission) and $40 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission). Single-game tickets to lacrosse games are $8 (adult general admission), and $6 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).



All reserved seats are sold out for the 2012 season.

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