No. 16 Virginia Begins ACC Road Swing at No. 7 Duke Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Coming off its 11-9 upset of then-No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 16 Virginia (6-4, 1-0 ACC) travels to No. 7 Duke (8-1, 0-1 ACC) Saturday (April 4) to open a two-game ACC road swing. 

Opening faceoff from Koskinen Stadium is set for noon on ACC Network and WINA (98.9 FM/1070 AM). 

Virginia is one of 11 Division I teams riding at least a three-game win streak. 

The Cavaliers are also aiming to snap a 20-game regular-season skid against Duke, a streak that dates back to 2005. 

A WIN FOR THE CAVALIERS WOULD... 

• Give UVA its first four-game win streak since tallying seven straight during the 2024 regular season. 

• Snap a six-game skid in the series with the Blue Devils, dating back to UVA's 13-12 overtime loss during the 2021 regular season. UVA's last win over Duke was in overtime at the 2019 NCAA semifinals.  

• End a 21-year drought in regular-season games against Duke and snap a 20-game skid in such contests. 

• Be UVA's second consecutive over a top-10 opponent, a first since 2024. 

• Mark UVA's first at Koskinen Stadium since April 12, 2003, when the Cavaliers won, 11-8. 

SERIES HISTORY 

• Virginia leads the all-time series over the Blue Devils, 51-39, but Duke has won the previous 20 regular-season meetings. 

• UVA's last regular-season win over the Blue Devils was its 13-4 victory on April 17, 2004. 

• Four of the last seven meetings, including three in overtime, have been decided by one goal. 

• The last time UVA defeated Duke at Koskinen Stadium was April 12, 2003. 

• In last year's meeting at Klöckner Stadium during the regular season, UVA's 2025 campaign ended in a 10-9 overtime loss after a late turnover led to Benn Johnston’s game-winning transition goal with 27 seconds left. 

• The Cavaliers rallied from an early deficit and held Duke scoreless for nearly 29 minutes, but 19 turnovers proved costly despite strong performances from Truitt Sunderland (3g) and John Schroter (5 ct).  

• Ian Laviano's game-winning goal in double overtime of the 2019 NCAA Tournament semifinals at Lincoln Financial Field marks the last time that the Cavaliers defeated Duke. 

• In the 2004 win, Matt Poskay, Joe Yevoli and Foster Gilbert scored three goals each, and Virginia's defense held the Blue Devils scoreless for more than 40 minutes to keep its postseason aspirations alive. The victory, which came on the final weekend of the regular season, marked UVA's first over an ACC opponent that year. 

VIRGINIA–DUKE CONNECTIONS 

• Virginia associate head coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Cassese is 2003 graduate of Duke and one of the program's most accomplished players.  

• A National Lacrosse Hall of Fame class of 2018 inductee, Cassese enjoyed an illustrious playing career at Duke from 2000-03, where he was twice team captain and Tewaaraton Award finalist (2002-03), a three-time All-American (2001-03), and the recipient of the Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Outstanding Midfielder award (2002). 

• He was named ACC Player of the Year in 2001 and garnered All-ACC honors three times (2001-03). 

• Cassese also served as an assistant at his alma mater from 2005-07. In 2007, Cassese and the Blue Devils reached the NCAA Championship game, which marked the program’s second national championship appearance. He also served as Duke’s interim head coach for part of the summer of 2006. 

• Following his coaching tenure in Durham, Cassese served as the head coach at Lehigh University from 2008-23, where he became the program’s all-time winningest coach and guided the Mountain Hawks to three Patriot League titles. 

• UVA attackman/midfielder Charles Balsamo played two seasons at Duke from 2023-24. In 2023, when the Blue Devils reached the national championship game, Balsamo contributed two goals in Duke's NCAA semifinal win over Penn State and one goal in the title game against Notre Dame. 

• Former UVA attackmen Thomas Mencke and Kyle Colsey transferred to Duke following the conclusion of the 2025 season. 

• Mencke appeared in 42 games in three seasons (2023-25). 

• As a true freshman, Kyle Colsey – the brother of UVA attackman Ryan Colsey – missed the 2025 season with a lower-body injury. 

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS 

• At 8-1 overall, Duke is tied for the fourth-best winning percentage (.889) among all Division I teams this season and is a perfect 6-0 in games contested at Koskinen Stadium. 

• After winning their first eight games of the year, the Blue Devils were edged 16-15 by then-No. 7 Syracuse in their ACC opener at the JMA Wireless Dome. 

• Duke leads the nation in scoring with an average of 16.89 goals per game. The Blue Devils have scored double-digit goals in all but one game this season, an 8-7 win over then-No. 14 Denver (March 22). 

• In addition to scoring offense, the Blue Devils rank inside the nation's top-10 in a number of other statistical categories, including second in points (26.11), third in man-up offense (.556), opponent clear percentage (72.9) and scoring defense (7.89), fourth in assists (9.22), and fifth in ground balls (37.33). 

• Duke is led by All-ACC returners Benn Johnston (midfield), Patrick Jamieson (goalie) and Aidan Maguire (SSDM). Both Johnston and Maguire were also USILA first-team preseason All-Americans. 

• Johnston leads the ACC and is fifth nationally in scoring with an average of 3.33 goals per game.  

• Jamieson leads the nation in goals-against average (6.90), but despite starting in net against the Orange, only played the first 23:15 after being pulled in the second quarter, when Cuse grasped a 7-6 lead. 

• In 2025, Maguire was the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin national midfielder of the year, a consensus first-team All-American and the ACC's Co-Defensive Player of the Year. As a short-stick defensive midfielder, Maguire has three goals and five assists in 2026. 

LAST TIME OUT 

• Virginia held then-No. 1 Notre Dame scoreless for the final 19:34 and Brendan Millon (2g, 2a) scored the game-winning goal with 3:29 remaining to give the Cavaliers their first lead since the opening quarter on the way to an 11-9 victory at Klöckner Stadium last Saturday (March 28). 

• The win marked the program’s first by an unranked UVA team over a No. 1 opponent. 

• After starting the season 3-4, the Cavaliers tallied their third straight victory and captured their first win over an ACC opponent since 2024. 

• UVA also handed the top-ranked Irish their first loss. Notre Dame entered last Saturday’s contest as one of only five undefeated Division I teams.  

• Virginia’s 11 goals also tied for the most by a Notre Dame opponent this year. The Irish had held their previous four opponents – the last three of which were ranked – to single-digit goals. 

• UVA goaltender Jake Marek (11 saves) recorded his third straight games with double-digit saves. 

• In addition to Brendan Millon, Truitt Sunderland (2g, 2a) and McCabe Millon (1g, 3a) also added four points apiece. 

McCABE MILLON'S IMPRESSIVE START 

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

• For games played through March 31, Millon leads the ACC and is second among all Division I players in both assists (3.40) and points (5.40) game. 

• He has notched at least four points in all but one game 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 – in February. 

HOOS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS 

• For games played through March 31, Virginia is second in assists (9.70), third in ground balls (37.80), fourth in caused turnovers (11.90) and points (24.00), and sixth in scoring offense (14.30) and shooting percentage (.335). 

• Brendan Millon leads all Division I freshmen in assists (2.60) and points (4.80), good for sixth and 11th 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 4.80 points per game. 

• Truitt Sunderland is tied for 20th nationally in goals per game (2.80) and tied for 15th in man-up goals (4). 

ON THE HORIZON 

• The Cavaliers play their second and final ACC road game at No. 3 Syracuse (9-2, 1-0 ACC) next Saturday (April 11). 

• Opening faceoff from the JMA Wireless Dome is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPNU. 

• The Orange travel to No. 2 North Carolina (9-1, 0-0 ACC) Saturday (April 4) for a 2 p.m. tilt on ESPNU.