Cavaliers Ready for ACC Play, Look to Deal First Loss to Top-Ranked Notre Dame

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In search of its third straight win, Virginia (5-4) opens ACC play by hosting No. 1 Notre Dame (6-0) Saturday (March 28). Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for noon on ESPNU and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM). 

Saturday's game is dedicated to the Yellow Door Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide free, long-term “sanctuary” lodging for the families of pediatric patients undergoing cancer and transplant treatment at UVA Children’s hospital. 

A WIN FOR THE CAVALIERS WOULD... 

• Give UVA its first three-game win streak since winning seven consecutive during the 2024 regular season. 

• Snap a four-game skid in the series with Notre Dame, dating back to UVA's heartbreaking loss in overtime at the 2023 NCAA semifinals. 

• Be their first over a No. 1 ranked opponent since defeating top-ranked UND 12-8 at Arlotta Stadium on April, 30, 2023, when the Cavaliers were ranked No. 3 in the USILA coaches poll. 

• Snap an 11-game skid against ranked opponents, dating back to UVA's double-overtime thriller over Johns Hopkins at the 2024 NCAA quarterfinals on May 19, 2024. 

• Be the first for an unranked UVA team over a No. 1 opponent in program history. 

SERIES HISTORY 

• Notre Dame holds a 12-11 edge in the all-time series with Virginia, which began during the 1993 NCAA Tournament. 

• After UVA won six consecutive games from 2019-23, the Fighting Irish enter Saturday's contest on a four-game win streak over the Cavaliers. 

• In a physical battle that featured 12 total penalties, UND scored seven consecutive goals in the second half to seal a 12-7 win over the Hoos last season at Arlotta Stadium (South Bend, Ind.). 

• The last time these two teams met at Klöckner Stadium was in the 2024 regular-season finale, when the top-ranked Irish claimed the last three goals and held then-No. 6 UVA scoreless for the final 12:51 to earn an 11-9 win. 

• Virginia and Notre Dame have squared off five times in the NCAA Tournament ('93, '94, '06, '12, '23), with the Cavaliers leading 3-2 in such contests. 

• At Championship Weekend in 2023, UND scored four of the last five goals, including the game-winner in overtime, at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pa.).  

• In the 2019 ACC Tournament championship game, Virginia knocked off the Irish, 10-4, at Klöckner Stadium after holding UND scoreless for 42:12 of game time. 

• In 2006, the Cavaliers defeated the Irish 20-8 in the NCAA quarterfinals before capturing the program's fourth NCAA title in a 15-7 decision over UMass at Lincoln Financial Field  

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH 

• As of March 25, No. 1 Notre Dame (6-0) enters Saturday's contest as one of only five unbeaten Division I teams. 

• The Fighting Irish (2023 and 2024) and Cavaliers (2019 and 2021) are the only two DI teams to have won consecutive national championships in the last 10 years. 

• UND ranks in the top-10 nationally in a number of statistical categories, but perhaps most notably in scoring defense. On average, the Irish are allowing only 8.33 goals per game and have held their last three opponents – all of which were ranked – to single-digit goals. 

• Notre Dame is led by Charlottesville native and UVA alum Kevin Corrigan '82, who is in his 40th season as a collegiate head coach, which makes him the second-longest tenured active Division I head coach. 

LAST TIME OUT 

• In its second night game at Klöckner Stadium this season, Virginia erupted for eight unanswered first-half goals, powering an 18-7 rout of Dartmouth in crisp, windy conditions this past Monday (March 23).  

• True freshman Brendan Millon notched a whopping four goals and six assists His career-high 10 points are the most by an ACC player in a game this season and tied for fourth among all individual performances nationally. The last UVA player to record at least 10 points in a game was current UVA assistant coach Connor Shellenberger, who did so against Towson in 2024.  

• For the second straight game, Jake Marek (4-3) shined in net for the Cavaliers, who stopped 13 Big Green shots on cage and only allowed six goals in 52:40 of action. He also achieved a career-best 68.4 save percentage. 

• Defensively, UVA was led by John Schroter, who finished with a game-high three caused turnovers. The Big Green entered last Monday's game averaging 13.0 goals per game, but were held to their second-lowest goal total this season (7). 

McCABE MILLON'S IMPRESSIVE START 

• McCabe Millon's junior campaign is off to a hot start. 

• For games played through March 25, Millon leads the ACC and is second among all Division I players in both assists (3.44) and points (5.56) game. 

• He has notched at least five points in all but two games this season. 

• Millon achieved career highs in both points (9) and assists (5) in UVA's season opener, a 19-14 win over Colgate (Feb. 8). 

• He was named a Tewaaraton Award Preseason Watch List selection – along with teammate John Schroter – this past February. 

HOOS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS 

• For games played through March 25, Virginia leads the nation in assists (9.89). 

• UVA is also third in ground balls (37.89), fourth in caused turnovers (12.00) and points (24.56), sixth in scoring offense (14.67), and eighth shooting percentage (33.9). 

• Brendan Millon leads all Division I freshmen in assists (2.67) and points (4.89), good for fifth and 10th overall, respectively.  

• Both and McCabe and Brendan Millon are first and third, respectively, among all ACC players in points per game. UVA is the only DI team with two players averaging at least 4.89 points per game. 

• Truitt Sunderland is tied for 11th nationally in man-up goals (3) and 16th in goals per game (2.89). 

ON THE HORIZON 

• The Cavaliers travel to No. 4 Duke (8-0) for its ACC road opener. 

• Opening faceoff is scheduled for noon on ACC Network. 

• Virginia will look to snap a 20-game skid in the regular-season series with the Blue Devils, a streak that began in 2005. 

• Duke opens ACC play at No. 7 Syracuse on Saturday (March 28) at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU, following the conclusion of the Virginia–Notre Dame game.