No. 7 UVA Extends Win Streak to Seven Games After Topping Utah, 17-6
The No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers (8-2) cruised to a 17-6 triumph over the visiting Utah Utes (4-7) on Sunday afternoon at Klöckner Stadium.
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers (8-2) cruised to a 17-6 triumph over the visiting Utah Utes (4-7) on Sunday afternoon at Klöckner Stadium. The victory is the seventh in a row for UVA, giving the Cavaliers their first seven-game winning streak since starting the 2012 season 8-0.
Virginia got after Utah early, opening the game on a 6-0 run before the Utes managed to get their first shot off. Utah, a first-year program, didn’t record its first shot until the 3:03 mark in the first quarter. During that span Matt Moore scored three goals and Michael Kraus scored two, while adding an assist. In the first quarter the Cavaliers picked up 19 ground balls and made 19 shots, while Utah managed just four shots and picked up 11 ground balls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Kraus started the game’s scoring at 13:03 in the first quarter. A shot by Moore was blocked and Kraus picked up the ground ball in front of the cage and scored easily. The goal was the 100th career goal of his career. Kraus is the 16th different Cavalier to reach 100 career goals and in career game No. 42 he is the third fastest. Only Doug Knight (39 games) and Kevin Pehlke (40 games) reached the milestone quicker.
The Cavaliers opened the game on a 9-0 run. Ryan Lamb capped the streak with an unassisted goal at 8:46 left in the second quarter. After Utah scored its first goal with 2:35 left before the intermission, UVA finished the quarter on a 4-1 streak, which included scoring two goals in the final eight seconds.
After Jack Peele scored his first career goal unassisted with eight seconds left, Ryan Conrad picked up the ensuing faceoff’s ground ball win. From the V-sabre at midfield Conrad shucked a shot and found nylon with 0.7 seconds left on the clock, sending UVA into the break with a 13-2 lead.
UVA started the third quarter on a 4-0 run, which was capped by back-to-back goals by Mikey Herring at 3:53 in the third quarter. Halfway through the third quarter UVA head coach Lars Tiffany began to empty his bench as for the second game in a row 35 different Cavaliers saw action.
With 1 second left on the clock, Ryan Conrad picks up the ball from the face off and scores from about 30-40 yards out!! Virginia heads into half time with a 13-2 lead over the Utah Utes!!#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/f0gU4a5j82
— Virginia Men’s Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) March 31, 2019
UVA STAT LEADERS
• A Michael Kraus
3 goals, 2 assists
• A Ian Laviano
4 goals
• A Matt Moore
3 goals, 1 assist
• M Ryan Conrad
1 goal, 2 assists, 7 GBs
• M Petey LaSalla
12-of-15 FOs, 6 GBs
NOTES
• UVA’s seven-game winning streak is its longest since opening the 2012 season 8-0.
• For the second game in a row UVA played 35 different Cavaliers.
• Playing Utah, UVA has now faced at least one lacrosse program from 19 different states.
• Michael Kraus extends his streak of games with at least one point to 42, which ranked No. 4 in the nation entering the weekend among active streaks.
• Kraus scored his 100th career goal in the first quarter. He is the 16th Cavalier to reach the milestone and the first since Mark Cockerton in 2014. He is the third-fastest Cavalier to reach 100 career goals, doing so in 42 career games.
• With one goal, Dox Aitken is No. 3 all-time at UVA among midfielders with 91 career goals.
• Aitken now has 116 career points, which ties him with Pete Eldredge (1969-72) for No. 4 all-time among UVA midfielders.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
“I’m grateful that our men are excited to play any chance they get. The game today, just after beating Richmond, we came out excited and full of energy so I’m just really grateful. It’s wonderful to be a part of this program. I feel very fortunate. The passion we’re bringing with the ride, when we lose the ball we get that ball back right away and create transition out of that. Our team defense, with our slides and our hedges off our man to support the ball, we’ve improved our decision making there. And boy It really helps when you have Petey LaSalla and our wings just getting us the ball so often.” – Lars Tiffany
UP NEXT
Virginia returns to ACC play on Sat., April 6 when the North Carolina Tar Heels come to Klöckner Stadium. Faceoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.