It's Dox o'clock, baby! Aitken splits the double and rips one past the goalie to put the score at 10-8 Virginia!!#GoHoos
Watch the game LIVE on @accnetwork: https://t.co/FEyzMx362d pic.twitter.com/qZTho6eWtT
— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) March 20, 2021
No. 9 Virginia Outlasts Feisty Robert Morris, 14-12
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 9 Virginia Cavaliers (6-2) scored four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to fend off the Robert Morris Colonials (3-4) on Saturday afternoon, 14-12, at Klöckner Stadium.
With the score tied, 10-10, and 9:05 left to play, Dox Aitken dodged and stuck a left-handed shot high to complete his hat-trick and start a decisive 4-0 run to secure the win. Matt Moore assisted the next three UVA goals, one by Jared Conners, another on a stepdown by Peter Garno and a transition goal by Scott Bower capped the run to solidify the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Robert Morris took its only lead of the game, 2-1, after scoring back-to-back goals in the first quarter. Ryan Smith’s unassisted goal at 7:21 capped the mini spurt. RMU’s lead lasted seven seconds as Petey LaSalla won the ensuing faceoff and found Payton Cormier for an easy score, tying the game at 2-2.
Cormier’s goal, his second of the game, started a 6-1 Virginia streak as the Cavaliers took a 7-3 lead. Cormier scored three times in the run, including the last two. Cormier’s fourth goal of the game came with 7:08 left to play in the second quarter.
RMU started a 7-3 run of their own to tie the game at 10-10. Corson Kealey scored with 12:24 left to play, tying the game for the final time. But UVA went on the final 4-0 run to pick up the non-conference win.
UVA STAT LEADERS
• A Payton Cormier
5 goals, 1 assist
• A Matt Moore
1 goals, 4 assists
• A Connor Shellenberger
1 goals, 3 assists
• M Petey LaSalla
1 assist, 23-of-28 FO
• M Dox Aitken
3 goals
NOTES
• Charlie Bertrand’s 65-game goal and point scoring streak was snapped. Both were the longest in the nation. His goal-scoring streak is a collegiate record.
• Petey LaSalla had a career-high 23 faceoff wins, which ties him for No. 4 on UVA’s single-game list. He joins former teammate Justin Schwenk as the only two Cavaliers to win 20+ faceoffs in multiple game. LaSalla won 21 faceoffs in UVA’s previous game against then-No. 1 North Carolina.
• With his 23 faceoff wins, LaSalla passed Mick Parks (395; 2012-14) for No. 5 all-time at UVA in career faceoff wins. LaSalla became just the fifth Cavalier to record 400+ career faceoff wins. He currently has 413 career wins.
• With three goals, Dox Aitken now has 127 for his career. He passed Steele Stanwick (126) for No. 8 all-time in program history. Also in the game he passed Garrett Billings (125) and Mark Cockerton (125) who are both were tied for No. 9 entering the game.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
“Petey is one of the grittiest people I know. He’s a very talented faceoff man, but what makes Petey one of the best faceoff men in the nation is his ability to make plays with the ball in his stick on offense and in those transitions. Not only feeding the ball, but we throw the ball to Petey. He has so much talent as a lacrosse player. Certainly, at the faceoff X today, Petey was critical. He was able to draw some man-ups to give us an extra-man situations several times during the fourth quarter when possessions were so critical to keep Robert Morris off the scoreboard. I’m feeling very grateful that Petey LaSalla is a Virginia Cavalier.” -Lars Tiffany
UP NEXT
UVA returns to ACC play on Saturday, March 27 at No. 8 Notre Dame. The ACC tilt will start at noon and be televised live on ESPNU.