Virginia Welcomes Lafayette for Senior Day Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (5-7) welcomes Lafayette (8-4) for the third contest of the series and Senior Day on Saturday (April 19). Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

SENIOR DAY AT KLÖCKNER STADIUM

• Prior to Saturday’s opening faceoff, Virginia will honor 16 student-athletes and one student manager for Senior Day.
• The following fourth- and fifth-year student-athletes are expected to be recognized (subject to change): Dawson Chitwood, Noah Chizmar, George Fulton, Anthony Ghobriel, Mikie Harmeyer, Will Inderlied, Griffin Kology, Chase MacCartee, Burke McFarlane, Tommy McNeal, Thomas Mencke, Tucker Mullen, Matthew Nunes, Griffin Schutz, Ben Wayer and Max Wooten.
• Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany has historically included all fourth or fifth-year players (where possible) in the starting lineup on past Senior Days.

CAVALIERS PARTNER WITH UVA’S GORDIE CENTER

• In addition to Senior Day, Virginia men’s lacrosse will highlight the work of the UVA Gordie Center, whose mission is to end hazing and substance misuse among college and high school students nationwide.
• UVA student-athletes and coaching staff will wear t-shirts that read Save a life. Make the call. – which symbolizes the importance of calling 911 in the event of recognizing any of the PUBS signs of alcohol overdose.

SERIES HISTORY 

• Virginia leads the series with Lafayette, 2-0, which includes the inaugural matchup, a 20-10 win in 2022 on Senior Day at Klöckner Stadium. 
• In the 2022 regular-season meeting, former UVA attackman and current PLL star Matt Moore moved to No. 1 on UVA’s career points list. With two goals and six assists, Moore shattered 2011 Tewaaraton Award winner Steele Stanwick’s previous program record of 269 points. Connor Shellenberger then broke Moore’s record in 2024. 
• Also in the 2022 contest, backup goalie Miles Thompson played the entire game in net for Senior Day and earned his first career win after making 13 saves. Offensively, Payton Cormier tallied a game-high five goals and Regan Quinn scored a career-high four goals. 
• The second and most recent matchup of the series was contested in Easton, Pa., where UVA won 20-11. Despite Virginia leading 8-2 at the half, Lafayette had outshot the Cavaliers, 23-20. UVA goaltender Matthew Nunes made nine of his 13 total saves in the first 30 minutes. 
• Also in 2023, Petey LaSalla became the NCAA Division I all-time leader in career faceoff attempts after surpassing TD Ierlan’s previous record of 1,657, which he set in 2021. LaSalla finished his career with 1,781 attempts and holds UVA career records in faceoff wins (1,050) and ground balls (525). 
• Additionally, former attackman and PLL star Xander Dickson scored four goals – and dished out four assists – to become the sixth player in UVA history to tally at least 50 goals in a single season. Dickson went on to set the program’s then-single-season record with 61 goals in 2023. Cormier shattered Dickson’s record in 2024. 

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS 

• Lafayette has won five of its last six games, including its most recent contest, an 11-9 triumph over then-No. 15 Boston University last Saturday (April 12). 
• The Leopards are 4-3 in Patriot League action with one more conference game remaining, and their four wins in league play are a program single-single season record. 
• Lafayette is 6-1 at home, but only 2-3 in true road games this season. 
• UVA and Lafayette share one common opponent from each other’s schedules, Colgate. The Cavaliers defeated the Raiders 19-9 in UVA’s season opener, while the Leopards fell, 19-14. 
• The Leopards are led by Patrick Myers, who is in his seventh season as head coach. Myers graduated from Ohio State in 2003, where his brother, Nick, is currently head coach. 
• Lafayette has one of the nation’s top attackmen in Riley Sullivan, who leads the country in assists (3.36/gm) and is second in points (5.91/gm). Sullivan has recorded multiple points in all but one game this season, including against Colgate when he had five goals and seven assists. 
• Sullivan and Cornell’s CJ Kirst, who is arguably the nation’s top candidate for the Tewaaraton Award, are the only two Division I players to record at least 12 points in a game this season. 
• As a team, the Leopards are third nationally in opponent clear percentage (.729) and shot percentage (.336), and 13th in clearing (.880). All three marks lead the Patriot League. 
• Lafayette’s regular-season finale is next Saturday (April 19) against crosstown rival Lehigh, where current UVA associate head coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Cassese was head coach for 16 seasons (2008-23). As Lehigh head coach, Cassese won 16 of his 17 head-to-head matchups with the Leopards. His only shortcoming was by one goal [9-8] in his second season as head coach. 

VIRGINIA’S STINGY MAN-DOWN UNIT 

• Virginia’s man-down defense is much improved from last year to this.
• Through their first 12 games this season, the Cavaliers have only surrendered seven goals on 48 opponent extra-man opportunities, a clip of 85.4 percent, which leads the ACC and is good for second nationally. 
• UVA has held its opponent without a man-up goal in six of its 12 games played, and held Richmond (0-6), Towson (2-7) and Notre Dame (1-7) scoreless on at least five chances. Last year, UVA opponents scored on 50.9 percent (28-55) of their EMO chances. 
• The Cavaliers’ man-down unit is coached by assistant coach and former UVA close defenseman Logan Greco ’19. 

ON THE HORIZON 

• The Cavaliers conclude regular-season play by hosting No. 13 Duke (9-4, 0-2 ACC) next Saturday (April 26).
• Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for 3 p.m. on ACC Network and WINA (1070 AM/98.9 FM).
• A win over the Blue Devils would assure UVA of a berth in the four-team ACC Tournament in Charlotte (May 2 & 4).
• This Saturday, Duke hosts No. 8 Syracuse at 2 p.m. on ACC Network.