Virginia’s Season Ends With Overtime Loss to No. 9 Duke

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia recorded four shots in overtime, including two that were saved in spectacular fashion, but the Blue Devils capitalized on a turnover in the midfield that led to a transition goal by Benn Johnston with 27 seconds remaining, which capped the Wahoos’ season Saturday afternoon (April 26) at Klöckner Stadium. 

With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 6-8 overall and 0-4 in ACC play, while the Blue Devils improved to 11-4, including 2-2 against league opponents. Duke also secured the final spot in next weekend’s four-team ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Virginia will miss the NCAA Tournament and finished with a losing record for the first time since 2016. 

The Cavaliers dominated the ground ball battle, 46-27, but their 19 turnovers proved to be too much to overcome. 

For the second consecutive game and seventh of the season, Truitt Sunderland (3g) recorded a hat trick to lead UVA on offense. Defensively, John Schroter stood out for the Hoos, holding his matchup – Duke attackman and reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Week – Eric Malever to one goal and one assist. Schroter also tallied a career-best five caused turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Duke scored three unanswered goals in the first two minutes of the game after the Cavaliers were whistled for three consecutive faceoff violations. UVA signaled for time and won the ensuing faceoff before McCabe Millon (1g, 3a) found Thomas Mencke (2g) behind the cage, who wrapped around the crease and buried his 13th goal of the year. Millon assisted on UVA’s first three goals. Despite its thunderous start, Duke clung to a 5-3 lead at the end of the first. The Cavaliers scooped 14 ground balls in the first 15 minutes of play in contrast to the Blue Devils’ seven.

Both teams netted two goals apiece in the second quarter as Duke carried a 7-5 lead heading into halftime. UVA received strikes from Johnny Hackett (1g) and Ryan Colsey (1g) while the Cavaliers were man-up. Blue Devil starting goalie Patrick Jameison (14 saves) made four stops in the second. After being doubled up at the faceoff X in the first period, 6-3, UVA won four of five draws in the second. 

The Hoos scored the first three goals of the second half, including a crafty backhander by Mencke with the shot clock winding down to grasp its first lead [9-8] of the contest. UVA went on to hold the Blue Devils scoreless for the entirety of the third and ultimately a span of 28:35, the second-longest scoring drought by a UVA opponent this year. A successful over-the-head check – and minutes later a huge bodycheck – from Schroter gave the Cavaliers a nice energy boost. UVA’s man-down killed a 1:00 non-releasable personal foul later in the third.

After Duke tied the game 8-8 in the fourth, Sunderland scored his third of the day on an assist from Jack Walshe (1a) to give the Hoos the lead one last time. With just under five minutes left in regulation, Duke midfielder Tomas Delgado game charging out of the box, eluded his defender and fired a shot from the alley that got past UVA netminder Matthew Nunes (11 saves) to tie things once again. Virginia committed two turnovers with under 2:30 to play in regulation. The Blue Devils gained possession and called timeout with 1:02 remaining in the fourth, but did not get off a shot after Schroter came up with his fifth caused turnover in the final few seconds.

UVA’s Andrew Greenspan won the final faceoff towards UVA’s offensive end, but his shot on the run was blocked in front. Both Hackett and Griffin Schutz (1g, 3a) were denied on the doorstep in overtime, including Schutz’s shot that fell plopped directly under a sitting Jameison with 1:40 left. After a successful UVA clear, LSM Ben Wayer had the ball poked out of his stick, which led to Johnston’s game-winning score in transition. 

NOTES 

• Virginia, which entered Saturday’s contest as the nation’s No. 2 man-down unit, held Duke scoreless on both of its EMO chances. UVA has now killed 46 of its 53 opposing EMO chances this season, a clip of 86.8 percent. 
• Goalie Matthew Nunes finished his career No. 2 on UVA’s career saves list (657) and tied for third in wins (39). 
• Griffin Schutz scored one goal and tied his career high of three assists. 
• Schutz finished his career with 86 goals and 44 assists. He is now sixth on UVA’s career goals list by a midfielder and fourth on both its assists and points lists by a midfielder. 
• Attackman Ryan Colsey scored at least one goal in each of UVA’s 14 games this year. Colsey finished the season with 29 goals, good for second on the team. 
• The matchup was UVA’s fourth against a top-10 foe in its last five games. 
• Virginia dropped its first contest of the season when leading to begin the fourth quarter. 
• Duke tallied its 20th consecutive win over UVA in the regular season. Virginia still leads the all-time series, 50-40. 
• In conjunction with its Alumni Welcome Weekend, Virginia recognized members of the 1970 national championship team, members of the 1990s and former longtime assistant coach Marc Van Arsdale at halftime. 
• UVA partnered with and dedicated Saturday’s game to non-profit organizations Morgan’s Message and Harlem Lacrosse.