Faceoffs, Strong Second Half Propels Virginia in 16-11 Win Over Utah

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Andrew Greenspan won a career-high 15 faceoffs and Truitt Sunderland matched his career best with six goals to lead Virginia (4-4) to a 16-11 victory over Utah (5-3). The Cavaliers outscored the Utes 11-7 in the second on their way to snapping a two-game skid. 

The game was contested in bright and warm conditions at Scott Stadium, the home venue of UVA football and site of the upcoming NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships (May 23-25). 

With the help of Greenspan, the Hoos won 22 of the game’s 31 total faceoffs. UVA starting goaltender Jake Marek (3-3) finished with a season-high 14 saves. In addition to Sunderland, the Cavaliers were led on offense by McCabe Millon (2g, 3a), Ryan Colsey (4g) and Brendan Millon (1g, 3a). Defensively, John Schroter held his primary matchup and Utah’s leading scorer Ryan Stines (1g) to only one point, a season low. Stines entered Saturday’s game ninth among all Division I players in goals per game (3.29). 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
After Lindan Verville dislodged a Utah offensive player’s crosse on a stick-check from behind, Sunderland scored in transition moments later to put the Hoos on the board first. Utah claimed the next three goals to hold a 3-1 at the end of the first. 

The Cavaliers scored four of the next five goals in the second – a run that included back-to-back unassisted goals from midfielders Joey Terenzi (1g, 1a) and Ryan Duenkel (1g, 1a) – to retake the lead, 5-4, by the half. Marek had nine of his 14 saves at the intermission. 

The Utes tied the game three times to start the third, but a four-goal run by the Cavaliers gave them an 11-7 lead, which they did not relinquish.  Utah’s eighth goal came on a man-up chance after the Hoos were flagged for a push with possession. The Cavaliers totaled seven goals in the third quarter – including two each from Colsey and Sunderland – which tied for the most by UVA in a quarter this season. 

Consecutive goals from Sunderland toward the middle of the fourth stretched UVA’s lead to six [15-9], its largest of the game. The Cavaliers were 15 for 20 on faceoffs in the second half. 

FROM HEAD COACH LARS TIFFANY ... 
“I want to give credit to our administration, and certainly to Ana D'Ambrogi today. She has helped create a really special opportunity for Charlottesville and the state of Virginia to host the Final Four, and for us to be able to have a dry run today with a doubleheader. It's an exceptional opportunity for us to play in an elite facility.  

“I'm grateful for all the alumni from the early 70s to the early 90s who played every home game here at Scott Stadium and for all the messages this week. We could feel you pulling for us.” 

WITH THE WIN... 

• Virginia earned its first victory at Scott Stadium since March 8, 1995, when it defeated Penn State, 20-12. The Nittany Lions, who finished that season 11-2 overall, were led by former UVA head coach Glenn Thiel. 

• The Cavaliers claimed their fourth victory of the series with Utah in as many games. 

• UVA, now 4-4, got back to .500 on the season. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES 

• Virginia's 22 wins at the faceoff X are a season high and the most in a game since winning 23 at Johns Hopkins on March 7, 2023.
• For the third time of his career, Truitt Sunderland scored a career-high six goals. Sunderland also scored six goals in UVA’s 2025 and 2026 season openers, both of which were against Colgate. 
• Sunderland's six goals mark the third time this season a UVA player scored at least five in a game [Sunderland (6)vs. Colgate; B. Millon (5) at Stony Brook].

• Senior attackman Ryan Colsey extended his goal streak to 22 games dating back to last year’s season opener, a span in which he’s totaled 47 goals. 

• McCabe Millon (2g, 3a), who entered Saturday’s game as the Division I leader in assists and points per game, has recorded at least five points in all but one game so far this season. 

• Faceoff specialist Andrew Greenspan won a career-high 15 faceoffs on 19 attempts. His previous best was 13 wins against Syracuse last season.
• Greenspan is also the first UVA faceoff specialist to win at least 75% of his faceoffs (min. 10 attempts) since Petey LaSalla went 17 for 22 (.773) against Lafayette on April 28, 2022.

• UVA goaltender Jake Marek finished with a season-high 14 saves. 
• For the first time this season, a UVA opponent did not commit a penalty.

• Saturday’s contest marked the first lacrosse game held at Scott Stadium since April 2, 2011, when the No. 6 Cavaliers fell 12-7 to No. 10 Maryland. UVA went on to defeat the Terrapins 9-7 in the national championship game and capture the program’s fifth NCAA title. 
• It was also the third different home venue for the Cavaliers this season. In addition to playing two games at Klöckner Stadium so far – the primary home of Cavalier lacrosse – UVA hosted Colgate inside the George Welsh Indoor Football practice facility on Feb. 8 due to frigid temperatures.

• Scott Stadium is the host venue of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships, also known as Championship Weekend. For the 40th consecutive edition, Championship Weekend culminates with the Division I title game as a stand-alone finale on Memorial Day – Monday, May 25. 
• In keeping with longstanding tradition, Championship Weekend will unfold over Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-25) with three days of action at Scott Stadium. 
• Saturday's game was part of a doubleheader in conjunction with the UVA women's team, which fell 6-5 to No. 10 Syracuse. The men's game began at 11 a.m., the first men's game to start before noon since UVA's 2025 regular-season meeting against Richmond, when opening faceoff was at 11:30 a.m.

UP NEXT 
The Cavaliers are away from competition for only one day before hosting Dartmouth (4-3) on Monday (March 23). Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network. 

In its Ivy League opener Friday night (March 20), the Big Green fell to No. 4 Harvard 17-14 at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Crimson are one of five unbeaten Division I teams so far this season. 

Former Virginia associate head coach and offensive coordinator Sean Kirwan is in his third season as Dartmouth head coach. Kirwan, who served on Tiffany’s staff for seven seasons (2017-23), including when UVA captured back-to-back NCAA championships in 2019 and 2021.