COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Virginia men’s lacrosse team’s 2022 season came to an end Sunday afternoon as the Cavaliers (12-4) fell 18-9 to top-seeded Maryland (16-0) at Ohio Stadium.
Virginia was led on the offensive end by Jeff Conner (3 goals, 1 assist), Payton Cormier (2 goals, 1 assist) and Griffin Schutz (2 goals, 1 assist). Defensively, Cole Kastner tallied five ground balls and tied for a team-high two caused turnovers.
UVA goalie Matthew Nunes (11-4) made 11 saves in 59:08 of action. Maryland starting netminder Logan McNaney (16-0) earned win after making 14 saves while surrendering eight of UVA’s nine goals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Schutz kicked off the scoring at the 11:12 mark of the opening period after he beat his defender from behind the cage and buried a shot while curling around the crease. The Terrapins responded by scoring the next four goals, including three from Anthony DeMaio, to hold a 3-1 lead at the end of the first. Conner scored his first of three goals on an unassisted finish two minutes into the second. After Conner’s first goal, Maryland proceeded to close out the second quarter on a 5-2 run to lead it 9-4 at the break. Conner’s second score came on an assist from Cormier. The Cavaliers concluded the period on a high note after Matt Moore found Cormier on the doorstep, who with scored with 1:33 to play in the half.
Coming out of the break, the Terrapins scored the first four goals of the half to extend their lead to 13-4 midway through the third. Moore’s lone goal of the contest broke up the Maryland run. After Moore’s goal, both teams scored back-to-back as UVA trailed 15-7 heading into the fourth. Neither team scored for the first 6:30 of the fourth before the Terrapins found the back of the net to go up, 16-7. Cormier registered the Cavaliers’ only man-up goal of the game in the fourth period and midfielder Evan Zinn scored Virginia’s final goal of the season with just under 1:00 to play.
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
Lars Tiffany’s opening statement …
“I coach great men. I’m very fortunate to coach warriors. And that’s why this hurts because the ride’s over. We’ve been fortunate the last two full seasons in ‘19 and ‘21 to finish our seasons holding up the national championship trophy. And so, it’s hard to not have the Final Four be a part of the Virginia lacrosse season. But there’s a reason it’s ended and it’s because we’ve just faced – in my opinion – the best team in the last 16 years.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- This year’s NCAA Tournament appearance was the 41st in program history for the Cavaliers. Only Johns Hopkins (47) and the Terrapins (44) have been to the tournament more times than UVA.
- Virginia is now 57-34 (.626) all-time in NCAA Tournament games. Only Johns Hopkins (71), Maryland (67) and Syracuse (65) have more NCAA Tournament wins than UVA.
- With the win, Maryland snapped a five-game losing streak to the Cavaliers in NCAA Tournament games, which began in 2003. UVA had ended Maryland’s season in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and 2021.
- Virginia attackman Matt Moore (143 goals, 134 assists) concluded his career as UVA’s all-time leading point scorer with 277 points in 73 games played.
- Moore’s 143 career goals are good for second in program history, while his 134 assists stand at No. 5 all-time.
- Moore also rounds out his career on a 64-game point streak, which began March 31, 2018 – in his freshman season. During that span he posted 133 goals and 128 assists.
- For his career he appeared in 11 NCAA Tournament games in which posted 23 goals and 20 assists. His 23 goals are tied for sixth all-time with Steele Stanwick, while his 20 assists are good for fourth. Moore’s 42 points are tied for third all-time in UVA history with Matt Ward.
- With 11 saves Sunday, goalie Matthew Nunes finished his freshman campaign with 159 saves, the most by a freshman goalie in UVA history.
- UVA’s Matt Moore, Regan Quinn, Jack Peele, Paul Rodriguez, Jack Simmons, and Miles Thompson concluded their collegiate careers on Sunday.