No. 2 Virginia Hosts No. 9 Syracuse Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 2 Virginia (3-0) returns to Klöckner Stadium to host No. 9 Syracuse (1-1) in its ACC opener on Saturday (Feb. 26). Opening faceoff is set for noon on ACC Network. Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Quint Kessenich (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (analyst) will have the call.

PARKING INFORMATION
Due to the men’s basketball game against Florida State at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday afternoon, men’s lacrosse fans without a men’s basketball parking pass will have to vacate the JPJ South lot by 2:30 p.m. Vehicles that are not vacated will be subject to towing.

Men’s lacrosse fans are also encouraged to utilize the Emmett/Ivy garage for free parking with no vacate times. The ParkMobile app is needed to take advantage of free parking. Use the access code “GOHOOS226” for Saturday. Those who do not have the ParkMobile app, can register for free parking in advance online at https://uva.pmreserve.com/ and follow the instructions here.

Virginia athletics will provide a shuttle from Emmett/Ivy Garage to Klöckner Stadium. The shuttle will run from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., with a break at 3 p.m. for half an hour. Click here for a map of the shuttle route.

SEASON OVERVIEW

• The 2022 season marks the 93rd season for the Virginia men’s lacrosse program, which boasts an all-time record of 678-376-1.
• Virginia is seeking its third consecutive national championship, having won titles in 2019 and 2021. No national championship was held in 2020 after the NCAA announced on March 12, 2020 that it had canceled all remaining winter and spring championships due to the onset of COVID-19.
• The Cavaliers are also seeking to become just the third program in NCAA in Division-I men’s lacrosse history to capture three consecutive NCAA titles. Only Princeton (1996-98) and Johns Hopkins (1978-80) have won three straight NCAA championships. Syracuse won NCAA titles from 1988-90, but the 1990 championship was later vacated by the NCAA.

LAST TIME OUT

• Virginia won its first road contest of the season in an 18-9 decision at Towson (Feb. 19).
• Jack Simmons poured in a career-high four goals on seven shots. Payton Cormier also added four goals to notch his 13th career hat trick. With two goals and three assists against the Tigers, Connor Shellenberger has scored at least five points in all three of the Cavaliers’ games so far this season.
• Petey LaSalla (12-22 FO) tied Jack deVilliers’ program record of 604 career faceoff wins. LaSalla did so in just 47 games.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

1. Faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla needs just one victory at the faceoff-X to become the program’s all-time leader in career faceoff wins. LaSalla is currently tied with Jack deVilliers for the program record with 604 career faceoff wins.

3. Virginia is seeking to become just the third NCAA men’s lacrosse program to win three consecutive national titles in 2022, which would put itself in a category with Princeton (1996-98) and Johns Hopkins (1978-80).

38. Graduate attackman Matt Moore needs just 38 points to become the all-time leading point leader in program history. Moore currently has 232 points (121 goal & 111 assists). Steele Stanwick currently holds the program record with 269 points.

THE SERIES VS. SYRACUSE

• Syracuse leads the series by a slim margin, 20-18, which mimics the back-and-forth scoring characteristic of the games between the two teams.
• Entering the 2021 season the series was tied, 18-18, and so was the all-time score when you combine all the games, 466-466, before the Orange swept both games last season.
• Nearly one year ago (Feb. 27, 2021), Syracuse won, 20-10, at the Carrier Dome, which served as UVA’s worst loss of the series. Prior to 2021, the previous five games in the series were decided by one goal, three of which were won by Syracuse.
• The two schools battled only three times between 1938-93, but have met at least once each season between 1994 and 2019 before COVID-19 snapped the streak in 2020.
• In the last 20 meetings, both teams are 10-10.
• The regular-season series began in 1995.
• The two schools have also met six times in the NCAA Tournament since 1995.

VIRGINIA IN THE POLLS

• Virginia has been ranked in the top five of the USILA Coaches poll in 303 weeks all-time, including in the most recent edition of the poll.
• UVA has been ranked in the top 10 in 455 polls all-time, including in the most recent edition of the poll.
• UVA has been ranked No. 1 in the nation in 71 all-time polls, including in the 2022 preseason poll.
• The USILA Poll began in 1973.

VIRGINIA, MARYLAND SET FOR ’21 TITLE REMATCH AT AUDI FIELD

• On Feb. 22, Big Ten Network announced it would broadcast a rematch of the 2021 national championship between Virginia and Maryland at Audi Field (Washington D.C.) on Saturday, March 19 at 3 p.m.
• BTN’s men’s lacrosse coverage is led by Joe Beninati (play-by-play) and Mark Dixon (analyst).
• This year’s rematch between Virginia and the Terrapins marks the first collegiate men’s lacrosse game to be played at Audi Field.
• Virginia and Maryland’s men’s soccer teams have gone head-to-head at Audi Field three times (2018-19, 21).

SLOW STARTS, STRONG FINISHES

• Virginia has not led at the end of the first period in any of its three games so far this season.
• UVA opponents have out-scored the Cavaliers 9-3 in first periods.
• However, Virginia has out-scored its opponents 20-7 in second periods and 18-4 in third periods.
• So far, the Cavaliers have led their 2022 foes in scoring 50-30, producing a 6.33 average margin of victory.

CONNOR SHELLENBERGER, THE NATION’S LEADER IN ASSISTS

• Connor Shellenberger and Michigan’s Josh Zawada currently lead the nation in assists per game (4.33).
• Shellenberger tallied five assists against Air Force and High Point and three at Towson.
• Shellenberger, has posted at least five points in his last seven games, dating back to the Cavaliers’ NCAA Tournament first round matchup against Bryant (May 16, 2021).
• Shellenberger has dished out at least one assist in 20 of his 21 career games.

VIRGINIA IS A GROUND BALL MACHINE

• Virginia currently leads the nation in ground balls per game (44.33).
• In 2021, Virginia led the nation with 41.94 ground balls per game.
• Entering 2022, UVA has led the nation in ground balls eight of the last 13 years, including the last five seasons under Lars Tiffany.
• UVA is the only school in the nation to finish in the top-5 nationally in ground balls per game 12 times over the last 13 seasons.
• The only school in 2016 to finish with more ground balls per game was UVA head coach Lars Tiffany’s 2016 Brown team.
• Lars-Tiffany-coached teams have led the nation in ground balls in seven straight seasons, including the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Brown.

NUNES NAMED ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Virginia first-year Matthew Nunes was named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 15.
• Nunes turned in 16 saves in UVA’s 11-10 win over High Point.
• The Woodlands, Texas native stopped a Panthers shot with 20 seconds left in the contest to effectively seal the win for the Cavaliers.

THREE CAVALIERS NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST

• Virginia’s Petey LaSalla, Matt Moore and Connor Shellenberger were named to the Tewaaraton Watch List, the foundation announced Feb. 10.
• The award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation.

MATTHEW NUNES & GRIFFIN SCHUTZ NAMED IL’S TOP PROSPECTS

• Virginia first years Matthew Nunes (G) and Griffin Schutz (A/M) were both No. 1 incoming freshmen in the nation at their respective positions, according to Inside Lacrosse.
• In addition to being tabbed the No. 1 overall attackman in his class, Schutz was crowned the No. 1 overall prospect. Schutz will likely see time as an offensive midfielder in 2021 with the starting attack solidified for the Cavaliers.
• With the departure of 2021 starting goalie Alex Rode, Matthew Nunes will become the first true freshman to start a season under the direction of head coach Lars Tiffany in his 18 years of experience as head coach.

ON THE HORIZON

• Virginia hosts Johns Hopkins at Klöckner Stadium on Saturday, March 5. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m.
• Next Saturday’s contest against the Blue Jays is slated to stream on ACCNX.