CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia’s starting attack of Truitt Sunderland (6g, 2a), McCabe Millon (4g, 5a) and Ryan Colsey (4g, 1a) combined for 14 goals as the Cavaliers (1-0) pulled away in the second half of their season opener, defeating Colgate (0-2) 19–14 on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 8). The contest was the first-ever lacrosse game held at the George Welsh Indoor Football Practice Facility, which does not accommodate spectators.
The trio of Colsey, Sunderland and McCabe Millon also made up the Cavaliers’ starting attack in 2025. Sunderland’s six goals matched his career high, which he also achieved in last year’s season-opening win over Colgate. McCabe Millon’s five assists and nine points are also career highs. McCabe’s younger brother, freshman Brendan Millon, dished out five assists in his collegiate debut as a starting offensive midfielder. Fittingly, the first assist of his career came on a feed to his older brother in the first quarter, a goal that gave Virginia the lead.
After trailing 13-5 on faceoffs in the first half, UVA was able to out-maneuver the Raiders in the second half, 10-7. Griff Meyer (10-23 FO) and Henry Metz (5-9 FO) spearheaded the second-half effort for the Cavaliers.
UVA’s starting goalie Jake Marek (1-0), a transfer from Air Force, earned the win in net after stopping nine Raider shots and only allowed two goals in the fourth quarter. Colgate starting goaltender Andrew Lehrman (0-2) made 13 saves in his second start of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite winning two of the first quarter’s nine faceoffs, UVA found itself ahead 5-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Raiders also committed nine turnovers in the opening stanza. UVA closed out the period by scoring back-to-back goals – from Sunderland and Chase Band (1g, 1a) – in final three minutes.
Colgate continued to hold the advantage [6-3] at the facoeff X in the second quarter and ultimately doubled up UVA on the ground, 26-13, by the end of the first half. Sunderland scored three consecutive goals in the second and Johnny Hackett’s first goal of the game gave the Hoos a 9-7 lead with under four minutes in the second quarter. Colgate trimmed UVA’s lead to one [9-8] by the end of the first half.
The Raiders took the lead twice in the third, but McCabe Millon’s third goal of the afternoon put the Hoos up for good with 2:03 remaining. Twenty-two seconds later, UVA faceoff specialist Henry Metz notched his second career goal as the former high school hockey player batted a loose ball on the crease that got past Lehrman.
Early in the fourth, Sunderland netted his sixth goal of the day, which gave UVA a four-goal cushion (16-12), the largest lead by either team. Coming out of a called timeout with 1:35 remaining and Lehrman out of the crease to apply pressure, Colsey fired into the open net to seal his fourth goal of the afternoon. McCabe Millon’s fourth goal rounded out the day’s scoring and was assisted by Ryan Duenkel (2a), who made his collegiate debut after missing the 2025 season due to injury.
HEAD COACH LARS TIFFANY ON THE GROUND BALL BATTLE...
“Give [Colgate] a ton of credit, but what was a bit startling was Colgate's domination off the ground in the first half and for a lot of the third quarter. The game finally swung our way when we got some extra possessions, when Griff Meyer picked up a lot of faceoffs as the game went on into the fourth quarter. Having [those extra] possessions was so key, but I don't think I anticipated that we would get out-ground balled 2-1 in the first half. That's a scrappy, pesky group that [head coach] Matt Karweck has.”
TIFFANY ON UVA’S OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION...
“We were able to rotate some different people on attack and through the midfield. I know all the production’s probably still just with about three or four men, but one of the beautiful advantages of having the warm confines of the indoor practice facility is you can play a lot more guys and not worry how cold they are. Coach [Kevin] Cassese and Coach [Connor] Shellenberger really did a wonderful execution of the plan of rotating a lot of different men through.”
WITH THE WIN...
- The Cavaliers improved to 6-0 in the all-time series with Colgate.
- UVA won its seventh consecutive season opener.
- Lars Tiffany improved to 9-1 in season openers as UVA head coach.
- Tiffany, whose first season in Charlottesville was in 2017, earned his 99th win as UVA head coach.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Ben Boyer, Owen Crann, Ryan Duenkel, Robby Hopper, Luke Jamin, Jake Marek, Michael Meredith, Griff Meyer, Brendan Millon, Aidan Murnane and Lindan Verville made their UVA debuts.
- The contest was the first-ever lacrosse game played inside the George Welsh Indoor Football Practice facility and UVA’s first home game away from Klöckner Stadium since the 2021 Army game, which was held at the Lower Turf practice field.
- Excluding the JMA Wireless Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.), it was also UVA’s first indoor game since facing Notre Dame at the Loftus Sports Center in 2014.
- Colsey extended his scoring streak to 15 games, dating back to last year’s season opener, a span in which he’s totaled 33 goals.
- McCabe Millon set career highs in both assists (9) and points (9).
- Sunderland tied his career high of six goals.
- Against his former team, defenseman Murnane made 40th career start in his first game back since suffering a season-ending injury in the Raiders' 2025 opener against Penn State.
- Former UVA standout attackman Connor Shellenberger made his coaching debut as an assistant coach. Shellenberger primarily assists with the development of the program’s attackmen and offensive midfielders.
UP NEXT
In a game to air on ESPN+, the Cavaliers travel to in-state foe No. 9 Richmond (1-0) on Saturday (Feb. 14). Opening faceoff from Robins Stadium is set for noon.
The Spiders defeated Robert Morris, 17-7, at Robins Stadium Saturday afternoon.