Shellenberger Sets UVA Assist Record in 19-15 Win at Towson

TOWSON, Md. – With his seventh assist of the day, Connor Shellenberger became the program’s all-time assists leader in Virginia’s 19-15 victory over Towson in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon (March 9) at Johnny Unitas Stadium. With the win, the No. 6 Cavaliers improved to 5-1, while the Tigers slipped to 4-3. The score was tied 10-10 before the Hoos broke open the game with nine consecutive goals in the second half.

In addition to his seven assists, Shellenberger scored three goals to tie his career high of 10 points, which he had achieved on two other occasions, the first of which was in last year’s 19-12 win over Towson at Klöckner Stadium. Shellenberger’s seven assists also tie his career best.

With his seventh point of the day, Shellenberger also moved to No. 2 on the Cavaliers’ career points list. He passed Steele Stanwick (269 pts) and needs only five more points to break the program record of 277, which is currently held by Matt Moore, Shellenberger’s former teammate. For his career, Shellenberger has 276 points (113g, 160a).

Payton Cormier also had a career day, scoring seven goals to match his career best. Additionally, Cormier dished out two assists to set his career high in points (9). In his sixth collegiate contest, fellow attackman McCabe Millon registered his fourth hat trick with three goals and one assist.

Defensively, Ben Wayer (2g, 6gb), Joey Terenzi (1a, 6gb) and Chase Yager (4ct) stood out for the Hoos. Matthew Nunes (5-1) earned the win in net for the Cavaliers, while Towson’s Luke Downs (4-3) suffered the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers claimed the first two goals of the game before scores from Griffin Schutz and Cormier evened the game [2-2]. Towson scored the next three goals to build a 5-2 lead with five minutes remaining. The Hoos answered with four straight goals to claim their first lead of the day. Wayer’s fifth career score came in transition to tie the game, 5-5. Will Cory’s third goal of the year put UVA ahead 6-5, but the Tigers found the back of the net with one tick remaining to tie the score for the fourth time in quarter No. 1. Nunes recorded four of his nine total saves in the opening period.

A three-goal run by the Hoos in the second put them up 9-7. Shellenberger’s second goal of the day came on a UVA man-up chance to ignite the run. After Millon’s second goal, Wayer buried his second score of the day on a feed from Shellenberger to cap the UVA run. The Tigers evened the game [9-9], once again by notching back-to-back man-up goals. Jack Boyden’s first score of the day concluded the first half, at which point the Hoos led 10-9.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, the Tigers tied the score [10-10] for the last time before UVA delivered an onslaught of nine consecutive goals. Six of Cormier’s seven goals came during that scoring spree, and four were assisted by Shellenberger. Virginia led 18-10 at the end of the third.

Shellenberger found Cormier for his seventh goal of the game, which put the Hoos up 19-10. The final Cormier goal also came, fittingly, on Shellenberger’s record-setting assist. The Cavaliers began to trickle in their reserves throughout the fourth, including goaltender Kyle Morris, who relieved Nunes with 5:35 remaining. The Tigers scored the last five goals of the game after UVA was shut out for the final 11:38 of game play.

WITH THE WIN…

• Virginia improved to 17-3 in the all-time series against the Tigers and it extended its win streak in the series to 14 games, dating back to 2001.
• The Cavaliers’ 14-game win streak over is their second-longest among all active Division I opponents. Only UVA’s 25-game win streak over VMI is longer than that against the Tigers.
• Virginia also won its seventh consecutive game of the series in games held in Towson, Md.
• UVA is off to a 5-1 start for the fifth time under Lars Tiffany, who is in his eighth season as Cavalier head coach.
• Tiffany improved to 198-100 for his head coaching career, including an 85-31 record at Virginia.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES

• With seven assists against the Tigers, Connor Shellenberger shattered Tim Whiteley’s program career record of 159 assists. Shellenberger now has 160 career assists, the most among all active Division I players.
• In addition to his seven assists, Shellenberger finished Saturday’s contest with three goals. His 10 points tied his career best, which he has now achieved on three occasions, the first of which was against the Tigers in last year’s 19-12 win at Klöckner Stadium.
• For his career, Shellenberger now has 113 goals and 160 assists. He needs just five more points to pass former teammate Matt Moore’s all-time record of 277 career points.
• With seven goals, Payton Cormier tied his career high.
• Cormier also dished out two assists. His nine points are a career best.
• Virginia went on a 9-0 scoring run in the second half, its best unanswered scoring run of the season.
• Joey Terezni and Ben Wayer each collected a career-high six ground balls.
• Wayer has now tallied at least five ground balls in four of UVA’s six games so far in 2024.
• Prior to Saturday’s game, there was moment of silence for Virginia’s first-ever All-American, Billy Hooper, who passed away earlier this year. Hooper also served as Towson’s first head coach in its inaugural season in 1959.

UP NEXT
The Cavaliers return to the Old Line State to challenge Maryland (5-1), which is ranked No. 7 in the most recent USILA coaches’ poll, on Saturday (March 16). Opening faceoff from SECU Stadium is set for 3 p.m. on Big Ten Network.