CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Off to its best start since 2014, No. 2 Virginia (6-0) takes on No. 1 Maryland (6-0) in a rematch of the 2021 national championship at Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) on Saturday (March 19) in the inaugural Capitol Classic Lacrosse Tournament. Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Saturday’s contest at between UVA and the Terrapins marks the first Division-I lacrosse game in Audi Field history.

The event will also feature Hampden-Sydney vs. Catholic at noon and Duke vs. Towson at 6 p.m.

Virginia and Maryland’s men’s soccer teams have gone head-to-head at Audi Field three times (2018-19, 21).

NUMBERS TO KNOW

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).

6. This year’s 6-0 start is UVA’s best under head coach Lars Tiffany and best since 2014. The Cavaliers opened the 2014 season by winning its first six games.

26. Graduate attackman Matt Moore needs just 26 points to become the all-time point leader in program history. Moore currently has 244 points (128 goals & 116 assists). Steele Stanwick currently holds the program record with 269 points.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Virginia improved to 6-0 on the season after defeating then-No. 7/11 North Carolina 15-11 in UVA’s first ACC road contest of the season.
  • After trailing 10-9 at halftime, the Cavaliers held UNC to just one goal in the second half. The Virginia defense also held the Tar Heels scoreless for 21:11 of game time, including the entirety of the third period.
  • All three of Virginia’s attackmen in Connor Shellenberger (4 goals, 3 assists), Matt Moore (3 goals, 2 assists) and Payton Cormier (3 goals, 1 assist) notched hat tricks.
  • Defensively, Cole Kastner (3 CTs) helped limit the ACC’s top goal scorer in Chris Gray to just one goal.
  • For their efforts, Shellenberger and Kastner were named the ACC’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, the ACC announced on March 15.

THE SERIES VS. MARYLAND

  • Saturday’s contest against the Terrapins marks the 94th all-time meeting between UVA and former ACC Maryland.
  • Maryland leads the all-time series, 47-46, which began in 1926. At neutral sites, Virginia leads the Terrapins all-time, 10-4.
  • UVA and Maryland met for 65 straight seasons from 1950-2014, however the annual series went on hiatus after the Terrapins moved to the Big Ten.
  • Virginia has won 15 of the last 20 meetings, including NCAA title games in 2011 and 2021, both of which were won by the Cavaliers.

SHELLENBERGER, KASTNER SWEEP ACC WEEKLY AWARDS

  • For their performance at UNC, Virginia attackman Connor Shellenberger and defenseman Cole Kastner were named the ACC’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, on March 15.
  • Shellenberger (4 goals, 3 assists) posted a game-high seven points, including a season-high four goals.
  • Kastner garnered the honor for the second straight week after forcing three Tar Heel turnovers. He also anchored a UVA defense that held UNC to just one goal in the second half. Kastner was tasked with defending the ACC’s leading goal scorer in Chris Gray, who was held to just one goal – his season low.

CONNOR SHELLENBERGER, THE NATION’S LEADER IN ASSISTS

  • Connor Shellenberger currently leads the nation in assists (4.17/game).
  • Shellenberger has posted at least three assists in all five games this season and has tallied five assists – his career high – in three games so far this season.
  • Shellenberger has also registered at least five points in his last 10 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 22 of his 23 career games and had multi-assist games in 16 contests.

KASTNER NAMED TEWAARATON WATCH LIST FIRST ROUND ADDITION

  • Virginia defenseman Cole Kastner was added to the 2022 Tewaaraton Award’s Watch List, the foundation announced on March 10.
  • Kastner has consistently ranked in the top-5 in caused turnovers per game throughout the course of the 2022 season.

HOOS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS

  • Virginia is currently leading the nation in ground balls (41.50/gm), second in opponent clear percentage (.728) and scoring offense (17.33/gm), third in assists (10.00/gm), points (27.33/gm) and scoring margin (7.33/gm), fifth in shot percentage (.348) and eighth in turnovers (14.50/gm).
  • Connor Shellenberger leads the nation in assists (4.17/gm), is second in points (6.67/gm) and 12th in shot percentage (.500). Cole Kastner is second in caused turnovers (3.67/gm). Payton Cormier is eighth in goals (3.50/gm). Petey LaSalla is ninth in faceoff winning percentage (.635). Matthew Nunes is 12th in goals against (9.45/gm).

VIRGINIA IS A GROUND BALL MACHINE

  • Virginia currently leads the nation in ground balls per game (41.50).
  • 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.

ON THE HORIZON

  • Virginia returns to Klöckner Stadium to host Notre Dame on Saturday, March 26. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network.