'A Great Day for Lacrosse Here'
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
By Jeff White
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Dom Starsia grew hotter and hotter on the UVa sideline, and
not because of the sun shining down on Klôckner Stadium.
His lacrosse team ultimately prevailed in its much-anticipated showdown with
top-ranked Syracuse, winning 11-10 before an overflow crowd of 7,501 on a
stunning Sunday afternoon.
For more than a quarter, though, the second-ranked Cavaliers seemed determined
to hand the game to the 'Cuse, which doesn't require assistance in this sport.
And that's why Starsia was steaming.
The two-time defending NCAA champion Orange scored five goals in the first 16
minutes and 29 seconds. Each came with Virginia a man down after a penalty.
"I've never been that close to having my head pop off as it did in the first
quarter," Starsia said. "I thought we did a couple of really silly things there,
took a couple of really, really dumb fouls. Older guys, and they knew it
immediately.
"The one thing you don't want to do against Syracuse is be playing man-down.
They're just so good with the ball."
Starsia made that point to his players, not bothering to mince words, and they
tightened their games. In the final 33:47, the Cavaliers committed only one
penalty.
"I think we felt like if we could play them six on six we were going to have a
good opportunity," senior defenseman Ken Clausen said. "We cut down on the
penalties the last three quarters, and it showed."
Starsia said: "After we got through that first quarter, those silly fouls, I
thought we demonstrated the poise that we needed to in order to win a one-game
goal against Syracuse this early in the season."
The Wahoos (4-0) opened the scoring on a goal by junior midfielder Rhamel
Bratton, assisted by freshman middie Chris LaPierre, but found themselves
trailing 5-2 early in the second quarter.
"We were just really shooting ourselves in the foot," said fifth-year senior Max
Pomper, one of UVa's starting defensive midfielders. "There were a couple stupid
fouls on older guys that are kind of unacceptable, myself included."
By halftime, though, the 'Hoos were up 7-5, thanks to an offensive onslaught led
by Bratton and sophomore attackman Chris Bocklet, each of whom had 2 goals
during the run.
Rhamel Bratton has sometimes been overshadowed by his twin Shamel at UVa. Shamel,
also a midfielder, was a first-team All-American in 2009, a season in which
Rhamel struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
In his third year, though, Rhamel has shown why he was such a heralded recruit,
too. On an afternoon when Shamel, who's been slowed by a hamstring injury,
played little, and none in the first half, Rhamel had a career-high 4 goals
against Syracuse (2-1).
"I would describe his play up until today as consistent, which I have always
felt like he's needed to reach the next level," Starsia said.
"All of the sudden today, he begins to approach spectacular. On a day like today
when Shamel's not playing and Rhamel picks up the pole, the big-boy middies in
our sport are the ones that make plays when they've covered by [defenders with
long sticks], and that's what Rhamel did.
"I didn't know where we were going to get offense today, with Shamel not
playing, and Rhamel stepped in and filled that void for us."
The Cavaliers, who'll ascend to No. 1 in the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse
Association rankings Monday, have won seven of their past eight meetings with
the Orange. Games in this series, which UVa leads 14-12, are expected to be
close, and the rivals didn't disappoint Sunday.
"If I had to predict it, this is exactly what I would have predicted," UVa
midfielder Brian Carroll said. "Both teams in double figures, one-goal game,
both teams went on runs throughout the game."
Sophomore attackman Steele Stanwick's second goal, off a quick restart in the
Syracuse end, gave UVa an 11-8 lead with 7:27 left. Nobody in white doubted the
Orange would rally.
"We knew that team came here to play 60 minutes," Rhamel Bratton said, "and we
knew it wasn't over till that last horn went off."
Sure enough, Chris Daniello scored at the 5:26 mark to pull the 'Cuse to 11-9.
Five seconds later, Jeremy Thompson made it 11-10 on an unassisted goal that
followed an illegal-procedure call on UVa faceoff specialist Ryan Benincasa.
The teams traded turnovers until Syracuse took possession and called a timeout.
Sixty-five seconds separated UVa and victory, and the time didn't pass quickly.
"It feels like it's forever, actually," Pomper said.
The Orange, needing a goal to tie the game, never got off a shot. Long-stick
midfielder Bray Malphrus and defensemen Clausen, Matt Lovejoy and Ryan Nizolek
blanketed their men, and the ball ended up in the stick of Syracuse middie Josh
Amidon.
He tried to dodge Pomper, who doggedly stuck to Amidon. Pomper forced a turnover
with 14 seconds left, and, after a timeout, UVa ran out the clock.
"Coach Starsia had had us all week trying to force these middies to their off
hand, and I just took a good angle on the approach and forced him down to his
weak side, and I think he made a poor decision at the end," Pomper said.
"I think he was actually going to shoot, and I dug my stick into his hands, and
at the last second he tried to pass it away, and he made an errant pass."
Like the Orange, UVa is known more for its offense than its defense. On Sunday,
however, Virginia held Syracuse scoreless for 28:23, a decisive stretch that
started early in the second quarter and ended late in the third.
"I think it's big for our defense," Clausen said. "We've caught a lot of [flak]
over the years. We want to make a point that we can play with the best, we can
shut teams down, and I think we made strides toward doing that today."
Were it not spring break at Virginia, the crowd might have swelled to 8,000 on
Sunday. Even without a lot of UVa students, the atmosphere was memorable for
Syracuse's visit to Charlottesville in four years.
"Absolutely amazing," Pomper said. "I would say last year going up to the 'Cuse
is my favorite game I've ever played in, but today rivals that, and I think
today was basically my favorite game at Klockner."
Starsia said: "This was just a great day for lacrosse here."
No. 2 Virginia Stays Perfect with 11-10 Victory Over No. 1
Syracuse
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
ESPNU will tape delay the game at 12:30 a.m. on Monday morning (March 8) and
again at 10:30 p.m. on Monday (March 8) evening. Times are Eastern Standard
Time.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Rhamel Bratton scored a career-high four goals to pace
the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (4-0) to a narrow triumph over the No. 1 Syracuse
Orange (2-1), 11-10, on Sunday in front of 7,501 raucous fans at Klöckner
Stadium.
The last four meetings between Syracuse and Virginia in the series each have
been determined by one goal, with UVa holding the 3-1 advantage during the span.
The victory is also UVa's second consecutive over Syracuse when the Orange are
ranked No. 1 in the nation and the Cavaliers are No. 2. UVa topped Syracuse on
Feb. 27, 2009 in the Carrier Dome 13-12 in the last meeting between the two
teams.
"I thought once we got over the silliness of the first quarter we did a really
nice job defensively almost the entire rest of the game," said Virginia head
coach Dom Starsia. "Coming into the game I was a little concerned about where we
were going to get our offense. Rhamel [Bratton] and Brian Carroll really got us
going."
Bratton (Huntington Station, N.Y.) scored the game's first goal at 13:54 on a
transition pass from Chris LaPierre (Medford, N.J.).
Syracuse then took a 3-1 lead via three man-up goals. The first two scores came
on an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Ryan Nizolek (Madison, Conn.) at 9:17. Tim
Desko scored at 9:04 on a pass from Chris Daniello on the man-up chance. The
Nizolek foul was non-releaseable, allowing the Daniello to Desko tandem to score
another man-up score at 8:13.
LaPierre was tagged for pushing at 5:37, allowing Stephen Keogh to take a
Daniello pass for a third straight man-up score, capping the 3-0 run.
Virginia cut into its deficit via a Steele Stanwick (Baltimore, Md.) unassisted
goal at 4:44. Stanwick wrapped around from the X position and scored going to
his left, cutting into the Orange's lead, 3-2.
Daniello would tally the final goal of the first quarter via a Josh Amidon pass
at 2:58. The man-up score came after a Max Pomper (Huntington, N.Y.) pushing
penalty, giving Syracuse the 4-2 lead after one quarter of play.
Jeremy Thompson extended the Syracuse lead to three goals, 5-2, after Jeremy
Thompson scored a man-up goal on an Amidon pass. The Orange had the man-up
opportunity after Bray Malphrus (Chevy Chase, Md.) was penalized for slashing.
Syracuse would not score for the next 28:23 of play as UVa rallied off seven
straight goals to take a 9-5 lead.
Matt White (Ridgefield, Conn.) scored at 10:54 on a LaPierre helper. Chris
Bocklet (South Salem, N.Y.) scored two straight man-up goals, the first on an
assist from Brian Carroll (Towson, Md.) at 7:09 after the Orange's Tim Harder
was penalized for an illegal body check. Bocklet scored again at 6:05 on a pass
from White after the Orange's Jovan Miller was also penalized for an illegal
body check.
Bratton scored unassisted at 5:46, followed by a Carroll score on a Stanwick
pass at 2:31. Bratton capped the first half scoring when he scored unassisted at
2:01, sending UVa into the intermission with the three-goal lead, 8-5.
Carroll scored in transition from Nizolek at 12:49, capping UVa's scoring streak
and giving the Cavaliers the 9-5 advantage.
After a tremendous save on a John Haldy (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) shot in a one-on-one
situation, Syracuse goalie John Galloway started a successful clear that led to
the Orange breaking their scoreless drought with eight seconds remaining in the
third quarter. Miller came over the middle and drilled the goal, cutting UVa's
lead to three goals, 9-6.
Bratton started the fourth quarter off with his final goal, unassisted at 13:46,
pushing the UVa lead back to four goals, 10-6.
Syracuse scored two consecutive unassisted goals, the first by Keogh at 9:22,
quickly followed after the following faceoff by Cody Jamieson at 8:58.
Stanwick gave UVa the insurance goal it needed at 7:27 when he scored
unassisted, pushing the UVa advantage to three goals, 11-8.
Syracuse made one final push by scoring the game's final two goals. Daniello
scored his second goal at 5:26 on a Jamieson pass. After winning the ensuing
faceoff, the Orange scored five seconds later on a Thompson score.
The Orange possessed the ball for the final minute of play, but an Amidon
turnover secured the triumph for UVa. Amidon was looking for one of his
attackmen, but sailed the pass way over his head and out of bounds with 14
seconds left. UVa ran out the clock, securing the 11-10 victory.
Virginia won a few team categories over Syracuse, including shots (43-34),
ground balls (37-36) and turnovers (14-15). The Cavaliers cleared on 17-of-19
opportunities.
Bratton led the way for UVa with four goals.
"Rhamel has been our most improved player since September," said Starsia. "He
has been much more consistent. With his brother not playing much today, a lot of
responsibility fell on Rhamel's shoulders. He made plays despite the fact that
they have one of the best long stick midfielders."
After Bratton, UVa received Stanwick's two scores and three points, while
Carroll chipped in two goals and three points. White and Bocklet added two
points apiece. Adam Ghitelman finished with seven saves between the pipes.
Daniello paced Syracuse with two goals and five points, while Keogh and Thompson
each added a couple goals in the losing effort. Galloway was under attack most
of the day, saving 18 shots while allowing the 11 goals.
Virginia is back in action on Tuesday when the Cavaliers host VMI. Faceoff is
set for 7 p.m., inside Klöckner Stadium.
Syracuse 4-1-1-4-10 record 2-1
Virginia 2-6-1-2-11 record: 4-0
Att-7501
Scoring (G-A)- S: Chris Daniello 2-3, Stephen Keogh 2-0, Jeremy Thompson 2-0,
Tim Desko 2-0, Cody Jamieson 1-1, Jovan Miller 1-0, Josh Amidon 0-2 V: Rhamel
Bratton 4-0, Steele Stanwick 2-1, Brian Carroll 2-1, Chris Bocklet 2-0, Matt
White 1-1, Chris LaPierre 0-2, Ryan Nizolek 0-1
Goalie Summary- S: John Galloway 60 mins., 18 saves, 11 goals allowed V: Adam
Ghitelman 60 mins., 7 saves, 10 goals allowed
Shots: S-34, V-43
Ground Balls: S-35, V-37
Clearing: S-16x18, V-17x19
Faceoffs: S-13, V-12
Penalties: S-3-2:30, V-6-4:00
EMO:S-5x6, V-2x3
Rhamel Bratton Picks Up Slack for Injured Brother
by Scott Racliffe | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online | Game Blog
Virginia midfielders Rhamel Bratton (left) and Brian Carroll celebrate after one
of Bratton's four goals in the second-ranked Cavaliers' 11-10 victory over
top-ranked Syracuse.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With his twin brother Shamel nursing a leg injury and
still not at full strength, Virginia midfielder Rhamel Bratton had the game of
his life Sunday against the nation’s top-ranked team.
The Huntington Station, N.Y., native scored a career-high four goals to lead the
No. 2-ranked Cavaliers to a thrilling 11-10 win over No. 1-ranked Syracuse in
front of 7,501 fans at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville. Virginia knocked off
the two-time Division I champs for the second straight year when the Orange was
the only team ahead of it in the polls.
Bratton recorded a hat trick in the first half alone, as the Cavs stormed back
from an early 5-2 deficit. The explosively quick junior playmaker -- who has
often been overshadowed by his brother, Shamel, a first team All-American -- was
an offensive force. UVA rattled off seven unanswered goals against one of the
nation’s stingiest defenses.
“[Rhamel] has been one of our most improved players since September,” said
Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. “I would have described his play up until today
as consistent... Today, he was close to spectacular.”
Bratton, a two-time high school All-American, started the scoring just over a
minute in on a pretty assist from Chris LaPierre, but Syracuse took advantage of
UVA penalties by scoring five extra-man goals, four in the first quarter. The
Orange (2-1) was 83 percent for the day on such opportunities.
“The one thing you don’t want to do against Syracuse is play them man-down,”
admitted Starsia, who has won nine of 16 against Syracuse coach John Desko since
Desko took over the program in 1999. “I felt that we just lost our minds in the
beginning of the game, in the first quarter of the game. That’s as close as I’ve
had the top of my head blow off in some time, but I thought then that we settled
down.”
The Cavaliers bounced back thanks to the play of Rhamel Bratton, Brian Carroll
and Chris Bocklet. Each scored twice during a 7-0 eun, as Syracuse spent a lot
of time on defense, thanks in large part to UVA winning 10 of 15 faceoffs in the
first half.
“We were up 4-2 in the second quarter and I remember thinking we hadn’t even had
the ball, and the reason for that was they did a tremendous job on the faceoff,”
Desko said. “It gave them all those possessions and kept the pressure on our
defense. We played a lot of defense. We did force things a little bit, but we
had good fast-breaking opportunities. It’s hard to say no if we’re running a
5-on-4 break, to say pull it out.”
Rhamel Bratton has already tallied eight goals this season after battling a
midseason injury himself in his sophomore campaign. Starsia has seen his share
of talent, and believes that Rhamel is hitting his stride at just the right
time.
“When you’re talking about the real middies in our sport, you’re talking about
the middies that make plays that are covered by the pole,” Starsia said of
Bratton’s performance. “With Joel White on him, he was still able to make some
plays.”
Syracuse made a late run after almost going scoreless in the third quarter.
Jovan Miller scored with eight seconds left to stop the bleeding. The run
continued into the fourth quarter, as the Orange scored back-to-back goals
within five seconds of each other. Syracuse trailed by one with 5:21 remaining.
Virginia’s defense, led by Ken Clausen, clamped down from there. The Cavaliers
did not allow anything easy in the box and held on by a single goal in a series
that has been decided by the same margin in the previous three contests.
Chris Daniello, Jeremy Thompson, Tim Desko and Stephen Keogh each had two goals
to lead the Orange, whose 11-game winning streak (the longest in Division I) was
snapped. Syracuse will look to bounce back Saturday back at the Carrier Dome
against Georgetown.
With Shamel Bratton banged up and such a young offense left to produce in his
stead, Starsia admitted that he wasn’t sure where the scoring was going to come
from in Sunday’s big tilt. When asked if Rhamel could continue to step up while
his twin is banged up, Starsia offered an alternative.
“It may be that he’ll help his brother heal a little bit by playing like that,“
he said with a chuckle. “When you lose a player like Shamel, everyone knows that
they’ve got to pick it up a little bit, and Rhamel has given every indication
that he understands what’s going on here, and is ready to take that next step.”
The next step that the Cavaliers (4-0) will likely take is claiming the nation’s
top ranking when the polls come out Monday. They only stand to get better with
Shamel Bratton's return to good health, especially if his brother continues to
excel. Virginia hosts VMI on Tuesday night.
Notes & Quotes
Syracuse goalie John Galloway looked solid early on, but Virginia found kinks in
his armor. The junior finished with 18 saves. His counterpart, Adam Ghitelman,
didn’t have his best day, but managed seven saves.... Said Desko: “We showed our
heart in the second half, got a little smarter in the fourth quarter, looked a
little bit more like ourselves. I think we grew up a lot today. We also learned
a lot about ourselves in game situations...” Virginia now leads the all-time
series 14-12, with UVA taking seven of the last eight. Eleven of those meetings
have been decided by a single goal… With two goals and an assist on Sunday,
Steele Stanwick now has 15 points on the year, tied with Bocklet for the team
lead.
Virginia weathers furious charge from Syracuse lacrosse team
By Dave Rahme / The Post-Standard
March 07, 2010, 2:40PM
Charlottesville, Va. — It has happened so many times — the most recent and
perhaps most memorable in last season’s national championship game — that nobody
should be surprised when they witness it.
Virginia coach Dom Starsia certainly wasn’t. Nor was SU head coach John Desko.
Wait a minute. The No. 1 Syracuse lacrosse team scored one — repeat, one —
even-strength goal against No. 2 Virginia’s defense in the first three quarters
of an 11-10 loss before a crowd of 7,501 on a glorious 60-degree Sunday
afternoon at Klockner Stadium. It trailed 10-6 with 13:46 to play and had only
junior goaltender John Galloway and his 18 marvelous saves standing in the way
of a rout.
Eleven minutes later the score was 11-10 and the Orange (2-1) had the ball and a
chance to tie. Make that two chances. Amazing. Again. It never happened, though,
as an errant shot and a fatal turnover allowed the Cavs (4-0) to weather a storm
few envisioned brewing and defeated Syracuse for the seventh times in the last
eight meetings between the rivals.
“We’re just never going to give up until it says 0:00 on the clock,” said senior
attackman Chris Daniello, who led the Orange with two goals and three assists
for a career-high five points. “We’re just going to keep going and keep going,
and whatever happens, happens.”
What nearly happened was another epic SU comeback. Virginia, playing on its home
field vs. SU for the first time since 2006, went on a 6-0 tear in the second
quarter to turn a 5-2 deficit — all five SU goals came on the man up — into an
8-5 lead at the half. It was 10-6 with less than 10 minutes left, although SU
midfielder Jovan Miller finally broke a 28½-minute scoring drought with a
running right-handed shot from 12 yards with 12 seconds left in the third
quarter, SU’s first even-strength goal of the game.
The Cavs were in command thanks to a 10-for-15 first-half performance at the
faceoff X. Midfielders Rhamel Bratton (a game-high four goals) and Brian Carroll
(2-1) were finding the range despite Galloway’s brilliance, and Virginia was
scoring unsettled goals left and right while SU’s transition game sputtered. Had
UVA not come out intent on mugging SU rather than defeating it, it might have
been a rare rout in this evenly played series.
“I thought we just lost our mind in the beginning of the game,” Starsia said,
describing the infractions that led to five SU man-up goals in the game’s first
16:29. “That’s the closest I’ve come to having the top of my head blow off.”
Still, Starsia’s club settled down and smothered SU with superb defense for the
next 28-plus minutes. There was no way the Orange could mount a comeback as
dramatic as last season’s fourth-quarter gem against Cornell in the title tilt,
was there? No way.
“Sometimes you’re on the sideline and you think, ‘OK, we’ve got this game under
control.’ You never feel that way with the Orange,” Starsia said. “You know
they’re going to make a run at you. We just needed to be able to stand up to the
charge. We’ve been around this block enough to know you have to play these guys
for 60 full minutes. If you play for 59 you’re likely going to lose.”
As it was, Virginia played for a full 60 minutes and came precariously close to
blowing its advantage before holding on to deal SU only its fifth loss in the
last two-plus seasons — three of them by the Cavs. Goals by Stephen Keogh and
Cody Jamieson midway through the period made it 10-8. Another pair from Daniello
and Jeremy Thompson five seconds apart made it 11-10 with 5:21 to play.
SU missed one great chance to tie it when a pass found true freshman JoJo
Marasco open with his back to the goal with 1:53 left, but Marasco’s blind
turnaround shot was well wide. SU close defender Tom Guadagnolo gave his team a
final chance when he checked the ball out of a UVA stick and over the end line
behind Galloway. SU moved the ball into the Virginia box and called timeout with
1:29 left. There, Desko decided to let Marasco run the offense from behind the
cage and try to find Keogh or Jamieson breaking free off a pick.
“Those guys are great finishers on the inside and really work well together,”
Desko said. “A lot of offense they run in the box is picking and re-picking. So
we’re looking to shake something free there, and hoping they (UVA defenders)
would be slow to go and dodge to our middies.”
Starsia had UVA’s defense waiting for such a ploy, and the middle stayed clogged
with defenders. Finally, the ball was passed across the top of the box to
midfielder Josh Amidon. He tried to go back behind the cage with a pass, but the
ball flew out of his stick high and soared out of bound with 14 seconds to play.
“It happens,” Daniello said, taking the philosophical approach to the sour
finish. “It could happen to anyone.”
Virginia senior close defender Ken Clausen had a different reaction.
“I could not be happier,” he said. “For our defense, I thought we played tough
all day. Having them score five the rest of the game after those man-down goals
and then throw that one away at the end. ... I was just so proud of our defense
today.”
The Orange also had reasons to be proud. It figured out the faceff X and bounced
back there to win eight of 10 in the second half. It finally found a way to dent
UVA’s staunch defense and get back in the game. Its defense settled down and
held UVA to three goals in the second half. And Galloway was fantastic.
“John has really evolved into more of a stopper,” Starsia said. “Today I thought
he showed indications in the cage we haven’t seen. ... that is, he really
stopped the ball. I thought we had a couple of chances to perhaps bury that
game, and he stoned us a couple times and kept that from happening.”
Instead, SU nearly came all the way back. Again.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Desko said. “We showed our heart in the second half,
got a little smarter in the fourth quarter, looked a little bit more like
ourselves. I think we grew up a lot today.”
In the long run, not enough, but there is plenty of season remaining.
Faceoff struggles lead to 2-quarter scoring drought for Orange
in loss to Virginia
By: Zach Brown and Rachel Stern
Posted: 3/8/10
Syracuse head coach John Desko's explanation as to why his team went through a
nearly two-quarter scoring drought was simple.
"Not having the ball," he said. "When you don't have the ball, you can't score."
Much of that lack of possession stemmed from the faceoff X, a spot the Orange
had dominated until its meeting with Virginia Sunday. Through the first two
quarters of the game, the Cavaliers built up a 10-5 advantage at the X.
Desko attributed part of the early faceoff struggles to a different style of
officiating.
"All officials in different areas officiate differently," Desko said. "And they
were letting the guys roll through. Our guys hadn't been used to it in the first
couple of games. They were holding us back a little bit. Not to say (Virginia's
faceoff men) aren't terrific faceoff guys. They are, but the whole timing set us
off."
Through its first two games, Syracuse had won 68 percent of its faceoffs. But it
took time for junior Jeremy Thompson and senior Gavin Jenkinson to adjust to the
new referees.
The pair ultimately went 13-of-25 from the X, but most of those wins did not
come until late in the second half.
"We didn't have possession of the ball," junior attack Stephen Keogh said,
explaining the Orange's offensive woes. "They did a good job winning faceoffs,
keeping control down in their offensive end. So that kept the ball away from
us."
Close game, nothing new
Even after his Cavaliers took a 10-6 early lead in the fourth quarter, head
coach Dom Starsia never believed his team had an insurmountable lead -
especially against Syracuse.
"I never felt like the game was over," he said. "Sometimes you're on the
sideline in a game and you feel like, 'OK, we've got this game under control.'
You never feel that way with the Orange. You know that they're going to make a
run at you."
And sure enough, the Orange rallied back before falling 11-10, giving Virginia
its seventh win in the last eight meetings between the two legendary programs.
The one-goal margin sums up just how close this series has been. The Cavaliers
now hold a 14-12 advantage in the rivalry with the Orange. Even more remarkable
is the goal differential through those 26 games. With this win, Virginia takes a
345-344 scoring edge over Syracuse.
So despite the Cavaliers' dominating performance through the first three
quarters, Starsia said he knew SU wasn't done just yet.
"We've been around this block long enough to know that you have to play these
guys for 60 full minutes," he said. "You play them for 59:59 and you're likely
to lose as much as anything else."
The power of the yellow flag
Virginia head coach Dom Starsia was furious.
Syracuse had just scored its fifth man-up goal and took a 5-2 lead just 16
minutes into the game. Despite Virginia dominating the possession of the ball,
the Cavaliers had nothing to show for it. They committed penalty after penalty
leading to easy Syracuse goals.
"We lost our mind in the beginning of the game," Starsia said. "That is as close
as I have felt to having the top of my head blow off in some time. Even the
older guys were picking up penalties. It was ridiculous."
Just six minutes into the game, Virginia senior defenseman Ryan Nizolek was
called for an unsportsmanlike penalty. He was sent to the box for a minute and
Syracuse capitalized. Twice.
Tim Desko checked in and fired a bullet from the right wing to tie the game at
one. The penalty was un-releasable and Nizolek was stuck in the box for another
34 seconds. Gavin Jenkinson won the faceoff and Syracuse continued with its
advantage.
Chris Daniello fed Desko again and he buried a low shot to the left side of the
goal. Stephen Keogh, Daniello and Jeremy Thompson would all score goals on
man-up situations.
"I look up at the scoreboard and we were up 4-2 without any real possessions,"
said Syracuse head coach John Desko. "We had no possessions and were up just
because of the man-up situations."
Syracuse did not convert an even goal until Jovan Miller scored with eight
seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Starsia made it clear to his guys at halftime that they could not afford to give
Syracuse so many advantages.
"One thing you don't want to do against Syracuse is play them man-down and let
them have that extra guy out there," Starsia said. "Luckily we settled down
after that first half."
Despite early lead, SU surrenders 7-goal Virginia run, comeback
falls 1 goal shy
By: Zach Brown
Posted: 3/8/10
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Syracuse had one last chance to complete its comeback
against Virginia.
After a timeout by head coach John Desko with 1:15 remaining, freshman
midfielder JoJo Marasco and Tim Desko started passing back and forth behind the
net. Marasco eventually worked the ball to the front, and the Orange continued
working it around the perimeter.
But as the clock wound down below 30 seconds, SU still couldn't find any
openings. Attack Stephen Keogh tried to post up his defender 15 yards out before
dishing across the field to teammate Josh Amidon. Amidon quickly cycled the ball
to Marasco behind the net, but his pass sailed over the freshman's head and out
of play.
After that, No. 2 Virginia (4-0) held the ball as the final 12 seconds ticked
off the clock, securing an 11-10 win Sunday over top-ranked Syracuse (2-1) in
front of 7,501 in Klockner Stadium. The Cavaliers held the Orange offense
scoreless for nearly half of the game and staved off a late rally to seal the
win. The loss marks SU's sixth consecutive regular-season defeat at the hands of
UVa.
"When we did get the ball, we threw some turnovers away," Keogh said. "We shot
pretty poorly. We didn't change the plan at all, and they just kept playing
strong. They're a great team and they showed it today."
After a Rhamel Bratton goal just more than a minute into the game, junior goalie
John Galloway held the Cavaliers at bay for much of the first period. He tallied
eight of his 18 saves in the quarter, as SU's extra-man offense shined on the
other end of the field.
But after midfielder Jeremy Thompson scored the Orange's fifth man-up goal with
13:31 remaining in the second to give Syracuse a 5-2 lead, the UVa defense put
SU on lockdown.
"I think it was just discipline at the defensive end," Virginia head coach Dom
Starsia said. "We did a good job of identifying the things we thought were
important going into the game. When we stopped taking the stupid fouls after the
first quarter, I thought we settled down and just played good defense."
SU struggled to gain possession from the Cavaliers during the scoreless stretch.
But even when it did have the ball, the Orange couldn't find any room to get
shots off against the stingy Virginia defense. UVa scored seven straight goals
to take a 9-5 lead before junior midfielder Jovan Miller finally beat goalie
Adam Ghitelman with eight seconds left in the third quarter.
John Desko said that even with the lack of possession for Syracuse, the Orange
still had its chances during that drought.
"I still thought we had plenty of unsettled situations that we just didn't
capitalize on," he said. "We needed to get better on settled situations in the
second half and we did. We slowly got better."
Despite the offensive woes through most of the second and third quarters, the
Orange did wake up in the final period. Keogh and senior attack Cody Jamieson,
who had been non-factors for most of the game, scored less than thirty seconds
apart to pull Syracuse within two goals.
After another Virginia goal put the Cavaliers up 11-8, Jamieson found senior
midfielder Chris Daniello just outside the crease. Daniello, who tallied five
points on the day, buried the shot with just less than five and a half minutes
left.
Seconds later, Thompson won the faceoff and took off toward the UVa cage. He
fired a laser shot from 15 yards out to pull Syracuse within 11-10.
But the fourth-quarter spurt was not enough. The Orange's even-strength attack
had been stymied for most of the day and was once again shut down in its last
chance at comeback.
Desko said he set up a play to free Jamieson or Keogh in front, but neither
could shake their defenders. The Orange was forced to cycle the ball around the
outside before Amidon's turnover with 12 seconds left sealed the Virginia win.
Keogh said afterward that while it was a tough loss, Syracuse will need to move
on and learn from its toughest test so far.
"We've done this every year," he said. "We lose to Virginia early in the season.
We're going to see our mistakes on film, offensively, defensively. It's still
early in the season, so we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
With twin brother sidelined, Bratton steps up, leads Cavaliers
to victory
By: Rachel Stern
Posted: 3/8/10
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Rahmel Bratton knew it was his time.
Living in the enormous shadow of his brother Shamel year after year, the junior
midfielder felt it was his responsibility to step up. Shamel was limited with a
hamstring injury. But even Rahmel was a bit surprised with just how much he rose
to the occasion.
"I definitely could not have predicted it would be a day like today," Rahmel
said. "I knew I would have to play better and take more control of the offense
with Shamel being down on the attack. But I didn't think it would go like that."
The way it went was a four-goal performance for the junior midfielder, three of
which came during a game-changing 8-1 run over three quarters that brought the
Cavaliers back from a 5-2 deficit. And a run that ultimately secured an 11-10
victory over the No. 1 Orange.
Even though Rahmel surprised himself, this was a performance Virginia head coach
Dom Starsia saw coming.
"Rahmel has been one of our most improved players since September," Starsia
said. "I would have described his play up until today as consistent. But today
he was spectacular."
With longstick midfielder Joel White and middie Jovan Miller breathing down his
neck all day, Rahmel dodged his way free time and time again. He knew how the
Orange liked to defend and knew what he could do to counter that. Rahmel chose
an early-season game with playoff-like intensity to show the lacrosse world that
there is another Bratton very capable of putting the ball in the back of the
net.
Rahmel bounced a laser by Syracuse goalie John Galloway to give the Cavaliers
their first lead since 1-0 with six minutes to play in the second quarter.
Rahmel scored again just four minutes later to give the Cavaliers an 8-5 lead
heading into the half.
After a slow third quarter in which each team scored only once, Rahmel knew a
9-6 lead was not enough.
"In the second it was just a matter of staying out of the penalty box," Rahmel
said. "But the third was slow and then I knew we needed to set the tone early in
the fourth to get on them quick."
Shamel came out to start the fourth quarter. He fired a quick shot on the right
side, but it sailed out of bounds. Then it was Rahmel's turn to provide instant
offense when his brother could not.
Shamel set a pick for his brother, who turned the corner and raced toward the
net. He stopped on a dime 15 yards in front of the net and fired a bouncer past
the outstretched legs of Galloway. The Cavs took a 10-6 lead with 12:46 to play
in the game.
That was his fourth and final goal of the afternoon and left Syracuse defenders
frustrated.
"We knew what he was capable of, but we just didn't adjust," Miller said. "You
give him one goal and same on us, but it was one of those things where he kept
going. He was like a boulder rolling down a hill."
After playing Syracuse three times in his career and watching a fair share of
film, Rahmel felt prepared going into the game. He studied Syracuse's defense
and knew where he could get his chances. Rahmel doubled his career goals against
Syracuse in just one afternoon.
"They put the poll on me so when you dodge you have to go hard, and I knew I
would get shots late in the possession," Rahmel said. "After watching Syracuse
for years, I knew they usually don't slide someone to the poll, so once I dodged
I was just looking to shoot."
With his preseason first team All-American and All-ACC brother left with a
trainer stretching his left hamstring for the majority of the game, Rahmel's
performance is something Starsia thinks will help the Cavs both short term and
long term.
"Rahmel will definitely help his brother heal by playing like that," Starsia
said. "But Rahmel has given every indication that he is ready to take that next
step, and then with Shamel coming back we will be that much more dangerous on
offense."
Cavs set to assume No. 1
UVa tops Syracuse for the fifth straight time and should be No. 1 in today's
lacrosse poll.
Rhamel Bratton scores a career-high four goals, three in the first half, as
second-ranked Virginia defeats defending national champion and No. 1 Syracuse on
Sunday.
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Syracuse may be the reigning men's lacrosse national
champion, but the Orange wants no part of Virginia in the winter.
For the second year in a row, a second-ranked UVa team beat No. 1 Syracuse and
the Cavaliers also recorded their fifth straight victory over the Orange in the
regular season, 11-10 on Sunday at Klockner Stadium.
Virginia should move up to No. 1 when the men's lacrosse poll is announced
today, giving UVa its fourth No. 1 team of the 2009-10 school year. The others
have been men's soccer, men's tennis and baseball.
UVa (4-0) spotted Syracuse a 5-2 lead but roared back behind junior midfielder
Rhamel Bratton, who has spent much of his college career in the shadow of his
twin brother and fellow midfielder, Shamel, a first-team All-American in 2009.
Rhamel Bratton finished with a career-high four goals, three coming in the first
half, when UVa scored six unanswered goals and took an 8-5 lead into the locker
room at intermission.
"Rhamel has been our most improved player since September," UVa coach Dom
Starsia said. "He has been much more consistent. With his brother not playing
much today, a lot of responsibility fell on Rhamel's shoulders. He made plays
despite the fact that they have one of the [nation's] best long-stick
midfielders."
Syracuse (2-1) went more than 28 minutes without scoring during one stretch as
UVa increased its lead to 9-5. A late comeback got the Orange as close as one
goal with 5:21 left, but neither team scored the rest of the way.
"I thought once we got over the silliness of the first quarter, we did a really
nice job defensively almost the entire rest of the game," Starsia said.
"Coming into the game I was a little concerned about where we were going to get
our offense. Rhamel and Brian Carroll [two goals, one assist[ really got us
going."
The Cavaliers peppered Syracuse goalie John Galloway, who was credited with 18
saves. UVa's Adam Ghitelman had seven.
Big First Half Lifts No. 9 Virginia Over No. 13 Penn State, 13-8
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team notched the first
eight goals of the contest against No. 13 Penn State in Holuba Hall on Sunday to
lift the Cavaliers to a 13-8 victory. The win marks the fifth-straight win for
the Cavaliers over the Nittany Lions and the 13th in the last 14 meetings. It
also improves Virginia’s record to 3-2 on the season, while Penn State falls to
3-2.
Senior All-American Kaitlin Duff led the way tying a season-high six points on
three goals and three assists and was helped by sophomore Josie Owen - who
tallied two goals and dished out three helpers, and senior Caity Whiteley, who
contributed three goals and one assist. Sophomore Julie Gardner had two scores
for the Cavaliers, while senior All-American Brittany Kalkstein had one goal and
one assist. Redshirt senior Whitaker Hagerman and redshirt sophomore Ainsley
Baker rounded out the scoring with a goal each.
For Penn State, four Nittany Lions each contributed two goals, while two others
dished out an assist. Laura Lesnick and Stephanie Ellis each had four ground
balls, while Ellis also picked up a game-high 10 saves in cage.
The Cavaliers, rebounding from a scoreless second half against No. 2 Maryland on
Friday night, opened today’s game on a scoring spree. Virginia’s attack scored
the first eight goals of the game, while its defense – anchored by six
first-half saves from redshirt junior Lauren Benner – held Penn State’s offense
scoreless until the 6:37 mark, the slowest start for a Cavalier opponent this
season.
Duff opened Virginia’s scoring with a goal at 27:57, marking the 13th-straight
contest she’s scored in, dating back to last season. Baker, Kalkstein and
Gardner each then found the back of the net to give the Cavaliers a 4-0
advantage by the 19:43 mark, forcing Penn State to call a timeout.
Owen led the Cavaliers out of the break, dishing out consecutive assists - first
to Whiteley for a goal at 16:41 and then to Duff at 11:34. Whiteley then found
Gardner for a score, before Owen finished off a feed from Kalkstein for a goal
of her own to account for Virginia’s 8-0 advantage at 9:06.
Penn State eventually broke through and notched a goal at 6:37, sparking a 3-0
run that cut Virginia’s lead to five, at 8-3, with 1:35 remaining in the half.
Duff closed out the opening stanza with her third goal of the day with 20.4
ticks on the clock, giving Virginia a 9-3 advantage.
Throughout the second half, the two squads traded scores the entire time. The
Nittany Lions scored the first at 20:59, in which Owen responded to with a goal
from sophomore Charlie Finnigan at 19:16. Penn State then recorded their fifth
goal of the game at 16:51, before Whiteley connected with Duff – who was
credited with the helper – for a goal to give Virginia an 11-5 lead.
Penn State responded again, sandwiching goals around Whiteley’s third score,
before Hagerman notched her first goal of the season at 5:19, putting the
Cavaliers up 13-7.
The Nittany Lions closed out the game with a goal at 4:40, accounting for the
final score of 13-8.
Owen won a career-high four draw controls in the contest, while Kalkstein also
won four. The defense was anchored by Duff’s four ground balls, while juniors
Liz Downs and Marghi Walters each scooped up three. Duff and Gardner each caused
two turnovers for the Cavaliers.
In goal, Benner stopped a season-high eight shots to pick up her first win of
the season.
Up next, Virginia will return home for its second Atlantic Coast Conference
contest on Saturday, as it hosts No. 4 North Carolina at 1 p.m.
No. 1 Men’s Tennis Downs No. 4 Texas 9-4
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The top-ranked Virginia men’s tennis team won its 62nd
consecutive home match with a 9-4 win over No. 4 Texas Sunday afternoon at the
Snyder Tennis Center. The match featured an alternative scoring method agreed
upon by both coaches that involved four doubles and nine singles matches, all
worth one point each.
Virginia (17-1) took an early lead by winning three of the four doubles matches
from the Longhorns (13-2). At No. 4, Philippe Oudshoorn (Apeldoorn, The
Netherlands) and Steven Eelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) topped Vasko
Mladenov and Jon Wiegand 8-3. The Cavalier duo of Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel,
Calif.) and Jarmere Jenkins (College Park, Ga.) downed No. 19 Jean Andersen and
Daniel Whitehead 8-5 at the No. 3 position. Texas got on the board with an 8-5
win at No. 2, where No. 22 Ed Corrie and Kellen Damico topped No. 11 Houston
Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India). Virginia closed
out doubles play at No. 1 with a win, as No. 21 Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and
Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) upset fourth-ranked Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh
Zavala 9-7.
The Cavaliers extended their lead early in singles at No. 7, where Rooda topped
Ben Chen 6-3, 6-2. Singer made the score 5-1 in favor of Virginia with his 6-1,
6-4 victory over Mladenov at No. 6. Singh, the nation’s top ranked player,
downed 10th-ranked Corrie 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2. At No. 9, Wiegand defeated Milo
Johnson (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-3, 6-4 to cut the lead to 6-2 before Courtney clinched
the match at No. 4 with his 6-4, 6-2 win over Andersen that made the score 7-2.
Seventh-ranked Kutrovsky added a win for Texas at No. 1, topping second-ranked
Shabaz in straight sets. Virginia countered with three set wins at No. 8 and No.
3, as Oushoorn topped Whitehead and Jenkins downed Damico. Texas won the final
match on the courts, at No. 5, where Zavala defeated Barrick.
Had the match used traditional scoring, the final would have been a 5-2 win for
the Cavaliers. In tournament play, the match would have been a 4-0 Virginia
victory.
“I thought it was a great day for college tennis,” said Virginia head coach
Brian Boland. “I really appreciate Texas agreeing to play this match with this
format. I think this experience will help both teams as we continue our tough
schedules. I was really pleased with the hard work of our guys, especially
towards the bottom of the lineup, today. They continue to improve with each
match and that has been my goal all along. It has been a big positive for our
program.”
The Cavaliers will return to action on March 19 as they visit Maryland.
No. 1 Virginia 9, No. 4 Texas 4
Doubles:
1. #21 Shabaz/Courtney (UVa) def. #4 Kutrovsky/Zavala (UT) 9-7
2. #22 Corrie/Damico (UT) def. #11 Barrick/Singh (UVa) 8-5
3. Jenkins/Singer (UVa) def. #19 Andersen/Whitehead (UT) 8-5
4. Oudshoorn/Rooda (UVa) def. Mladenov/Wiegand (UT) 8-3
Singles:
1. #7 Dimitar Kutrovsky (UT) def. #5 Michael Shabaz (UVa) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
2. #1 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #10 Ed Corrie (UT) 6-2, 6-4
3. #27 Jarmere Jenkins (UVa) def. #95 Kellen Damico (UT) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
4. #45 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Jean Andersen (UT) 6-4, 6-2
5. #78 Josh Zavala (UT) def. #64 Houston Barrick (UVa) 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3
6. #102 Lee Singer (UVa) def. Vasko Mladenov (UT) 6-1, 6-4
7. #112 Steven Eelkman Rooda (UVa) def. Ben Chen (UT) 6-3, 6-2
8. #122 Philippe Oudshoorn (UVa) def. #98 Daniel Whitehead (UT) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
9. Jon Wiegand (UT) def. Milo Johnson (UVa) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 4,3,2,1
Singles: 7,6,2,9,4,1,8,3,5
UVa Takes Cavalier Classic Crown
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 03/07/2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia softball team improved to 8-7 this season
after shutting out Columbia 8-0 and Delaware State 9-0 Saturday at The Park. The
Cavaliers finished the round-robin tournament with a 4-0 record on the weekend.
Freshman Melanie Mitchell tossed a complete game in the win over the Lions,
allowing just two hits in five innings or work. She finished with five
strikeouts and one walk.
Virginia outhit Columbia (0-4) 13-2 for the game, led by two hits each from
Giannina Cipolloni, Sarah Tacke, Alex Skinkis, Kristen Hawkins, Abby Snyder and
Taylor Williams.
The Cavaliers came out swinging with six runs in the first inning. Cipolloni and
Koren each singled and scored on a Sarah Tacke double to left center. Tacke then
scored on a Skinkis RBI single to center. After Alexa Martinez reached on a
fielder's choice, Skinkis came home on a Hawkins RBI single to left an Abby
Snyder single then brought home Martinez and Hawkins scored on a single from
Williams.
Virginia added another run in the second and one in the fourth - a Hawkins solo
home run, her second of the season - to take a 9-0 advantage.
Senior Nicole Koren improved to 3-0 in the circle in the second win of the day
over Delaware State. She tossed a complete game and finished with four
strikeouts.
The Cavaliers compiled nine hits in the win, including multiple-hit efforts from
Cipolloni and Tacke. Koren also homered in the winning effort.
After Virginia took a 1-0 lead after the first inning, the Cavaliers piled on
seven runs in the second inning, all with two outs. UVa added another run in the
third. Delaware State (6-2) finished with six hits and three errors.
Virginia is back in action Tuesday at Longwood. The doubleheader is scheduled
for 1 p.m.
No. 1 Virginia Baseball Downs Dartmouth, 11-5
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The top-ranked Virginia baseball team piled up 18 hits in
an 11-5 victory over Dartmouth Sunday at Davenport Field. The game was the first
in a UVa doubleheader, with the Cavaliers facing Wright State next at 3 p.m.
Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) racked up four hits for the second
straight game and now has nine hits in the three games this weekend. He also
scored three times.
Kenny Swab (Jr., Kernersville, N.C.) added three hits and three RBI, while
Stephen Bruno (Fr., Audubon, N.J.), in his first career start, went 3-for-3,
drove in two and scored twice. Keith Werman (So., Vienna, Va.) had a pair of
hits plus three RBI.
Tyler Wilson (Jr., Midlothian, Va.) earned the win for Virginia with three
innings of relief. Wilson (1-0) allowed one earned run, three hits and a walk
while striking out one. Branden Kline (Fr., Frederick, Md.) tossed the final 2.1
innings to pick up his first college save. Kline allowed just a hit and a walk
in his stint on the mound.
UVa starter Will Roberts (So., Richmond, Va.) worked 3.2 innings, allowing four
earned runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four. Dartmouth starter
Kyle Hendricks (0-1) took the loss after giving up five earned runs, eight hits
and two walks in four innings.
Dartmouth (1-2) put three runs on the board in the first inning. The Big Green
put runners at second and third with none out before Roberts got Mike Sclafini
to strike out and Jim Wren to ground out to second to bring home the first run.
Jeff Onstott then ripped a single back up the box which ricocheted off Roberts
and into the left field, scoring Ennis Coble. After a single by Brett Gardner
put runners at first and third, Dartmouth successfully executed a double steal
of second and home, with Onstott swiping home, giving the Big Green a 3-0
advantage.
Dartmouth manufactured another run in the third inning, as Sclafani led off with
a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a flyout
to right by Wren and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Onstott.
Virginia (8-2) put a big dent in the Dartmouth lead with three runs in the
third. Stephen Bruno led off with a single up the middle. Gosselin followed with
a ground-rule double to left field, and Werman plated both runners with a triple
down the right-field line. Werman then scored on a Hendricks wild pitch.
The Cavaliers forged ahead in the next inning. John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.)
pulled the first pitch of the inning down the left-field line for a double. Swab
then hit a bullet past the second baseman into right-center field for a single,
scoring Hicks to tie the game. Swab then stole second and advanced to third on a
Franco Valdes (Sr., Miami, Fla.) groundout. Bruno followed with a fly ball to
the warning track in left field to score Swab and give UVa the 5-4 lead.
UVa tacked on a run in the fifth inning on a Swab fielder's choice which plated
Steven Proscia (So., Suffern, N.Y.), who doubled to lead off the frame.
UVa added a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth Bruno
and Gosselin hit back-to-back singles to lead off, and both moved up on a Werman
sacrifice. With two out, Proscia cranked a single to center, scoring both
runners and pushing UVa to an 8-4 advantage.
In the seventh, Dartmouth scored its final run on a Jim Wren single to plate Sam
Bean. UVa countered in the bottom of the inning with RBI singles from Bruno and
Werman to stretch the lead to 10-5. The Cavaliers added one more tally in the
eighth on a Swab double to right-center to score Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford,
Va.) from first base.
No. 1 Cavaliers Pound Wright State for DH Sweep
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 03/07/2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 1 Virginia baseball team finished off a hot day
at the plate with a 13-3 victory over Wright State, Sunday afternoon, in the
second game of a doubleheader at Davenport Field. In the first game, UVa pounded
out 18 hits in an 11-5 win over Dartmouth.
Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) had a big game at the plate, going
3-for-5 with five RBI. He had a key two-run triple to break open a one-run game
in the seventh inning and then had a three-run double in the eighth inning.
Cannon had eight RBI over the weekend.
Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) went 2-for-6 against Wright State and
finished the weekend 11-for-20 with seven runs scored. Out of the nine-hole,
Reed Gragnani (Fr., Richmond, Va.) went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Eight of the
Cavaliers recorded hits, with seven posting at least two.
After struggling offensively in the opening game of the weekend against Wright
State, UVa (9-2) exploded over the final three games, scoring 38 runs while
racking up 52 hits, including 17 extra-base hits.
Neal Davis (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) fired 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and was
credited with the victory to improve to 2-0 this year. Kevin Arico (Jr.,
Flemington, N.J.) helped UVa out of a tight situation in the seventh inning and
pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn his fourth save.
Virginia starting pitcher Cody Winiarski (Jr., Franksville, Wis.) earned a no
decision after working 5.1 innings and giving up three earned runs, seven hits
and two walks while striking out a pair.
Wright State reliever Michael Schum (0-3) pitched one inning and gave up an
earned run and three hits to take the loss. The Raiders (3-7) used eight
pitchers in the contest, including four in the eighth inning.
Virginia opened the scoring in the second inning. Jarrett Parker (Jr., Stafford,
Va.) led off by crushing a double high off the Blue Monster in dead center
field. He advanced to third on a Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.)
groundout and scored on a John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) groundout.
Wright State responded with a pair of runs in the third to take the lead. With
one out Justin Kopale singled to right and he scored with two outs on a triple
to center by Jake Hibberd. Casey McGrew followed with a single to center to give
WSU a 2-1 lead.
The Cavaliers scored two of its own in the bottom of the third. Gosselin led off
with a single and stole second. Danny Hultzen (So., Bethesda, Md.) then drew a
walk and both runners scampered home on a triple to right-center by Dan Grovatt
(So., Tabernacle, N.J.).
Wright State knotted the score with a run in the sixth. McGrew led off with a
ground-rule double to left field. After Quentin Case sacrificed McGrew to third,
Tristan Moore walked, and Davis replaced Winiarski. Davis gave up a single to
left to Ryan Ashe to score McGrew with the tying run.
Virginia quickly took the lead back in its half of the sixth. With two out and
John Barr (Jr., Ivyland, Pa.) at second base after a double, Reed Gragnani (Fr.,
Richmond, Va.) singled to left, plating a sliding Barr for the go-ahead run.
The Cavaliers stretched their lead with three in the seventh inning. With one
out, Grovatt walked and Proscia singled. After a fly out by Parker, WSU brought
Jordan Marker in to face Cannon, who tripled to right field to score both
runners. Hicks followed with a single deep behind second base to plate Cannon
and push the UVa lead to 7-3.
Virginia took advantage of the Raiders' pitching wildness in the eighth inning,
scoring six times against four Wright State pitchers with two men retired.
Jordan Wolfe walked a pair of batters, and Michael Meintel came on and promptly
walked Proscia and Parker to force in a run. Cody Kopilchack entered and gave up
a first-pitch double to Cannon, which cleared the bases. Hicks was then hit by a
pitch and Barr walked to load the bases. Gragnani then singled to center to
plate Cannon and Hicks and push the UVa advantage to 13-3.
The Cavaliers will play five of their next six games away from Davenport Field.
UVa plays at William and Mary at 5 p.m. Wednesday before traveling to Florida
State over the weekend for an ACC-opening three-game series.
Meyinsse: What Might Have Been
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
March 7, 2010
12:48 p.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- His scoring average for the season is a modest 6.3 points,
but UVa center Jerome Meyinsse has become a low-post force as the end of his
college career nears.
The 6-9 senior from Baton Rouge, La., made 22 of 30 shots from the floor and
averaged 15.8 points in the Cavaliers' final four regular-season games.
You think he might be able to help the 'Hoos in 2010-11?
"We'll miss him, no doubt," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said Saturday afternoon
at John Paul Jones Arena.
Redshirting in college basketball is rare, but Meyinsse would have been a
perfect candidate. He hadn't played a lot of organized hoops before enrolling at
UVa, and he didn't turn 18 until December of his first year.
Meyinsse ended up playing a total of 100 minutes -- spread over 15 games -- as a
freshman.
Dave Leitao was the Cavaliers' coach when Meyinsse arrived, and they discussed
the possibility of Meyinsse's redshirting in 2006-07.
"It was definitely talked about, but we decided not to, and it is what it is,"
Meyinsse said scoring 17 points in UVa's loss to Maryland at JPJ.
"One more year would have been great, but my career has come to an end. I have
[at least] one more game left, and I'll try to extend the season as long as I
can."
In the ACC tournament, No. 9 seed UVa faces No. 8 seed Boston College in the
first round. They'll meet Thursday at noon in Greensboro, N.C.
-- Jeff White
A strong finale for Meyinsse
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 8, 2010
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During the 2006-07 season, a 17-year-old Jerome Meyinsse didn’t play in 15 of
Virginia’s games. In the other games that he did see action, Meyinsse averaged
6.7 minutes. The Baton Rouge, La., native had 17 points — the entire season.
Essentially, you could call Meyinsse’s first year on Grounds — as it pertained
to basketball — a waste.
However, it wouldn’t have been had Meyinsse been redshirted.
Doing so, would have given him time to develop. In a perfect world, Meyinsse
would be returning next season as a fifth-year senior.
“We talked about it because when I came in I was only 17 and didn’t turn 18
until halfway through the season,” said Meyinsse, referring to a conversation he
had with former Virginia coach Dave Leitao. “It was definitely talked about, but
we decided not to, and, you know, it is what it is.”
In Virginia’s Senior Day loss to Maryland on Saturday, Meyinsse continued his
string of strong play, scoring a team-high 17 points in his final regular-season
game at John Paul Jones Arena. Meyinsse, a team captain, has averaged 15.8
points and 5.5 rebounds in his last four games.
“He’s really evolved and he’s a good story because he’s a great kid who
certainly represents the university well,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett.
“He’s well balanced and has waited for his chance.
“He probably thought that maybe it wasn’t going to even come. It’s come and he’s
really done well.”
The thing that has been most impressive about Meyinsse — other than his work in
the classroom, where he has been a three-time first-team all-ACC academic team
selection — has been his increased aggression on the offensive end of the court.
Meyinsse’s most memorable play against Maryland was a two-handed baseline dunk
in traffic that ignited a second-half comeback.
“I knew without Sylven, I would have to be more aggressive, and that’s what I
tried to do,” said Meyinsse, referring to suspended teammate Sylven Landesberg.
“Over the course of the season, I think I got a lot better. This last month,
it’s just clicked. I feel like I can score when I get the ball. I’ve just tried
to be more aggressive and good things have happened.”
Before the game, Meyinsse and his parents, Joseph and Patricia, took part in a
Senior Day tribute. Highlights of Meyinsse were shown on the video board and he
was presented with a framed No. 55 jersey as the crowd roared.
“It was a great feeling,” Meyinsse said. “I would have loved to have come out
with a win, but it was a great ceremony.
“It’s been a great ride with my senior teammates and I have really enjoyed it.”
Meyinsse smiled when asked if he would have liked to have come back for another
season next year.
“One more year would have been great,” he said, “but my career has come to an
end. I have one more game left and I’ll try to extend the season as long as I
can.”
NBA scout: Landesberg a marginal pick
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 8, 2010
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In the wake of the season-ending suspension that he received on Saturday for
never showing up to a class, there has been speculation that Virginia sophomore
Sylven Landesberg has played his last college game and is headed to the NBA.
If this is true, Landesberg may not want to rush into things.
On Sunday, one NBA scout told The Daily Progress that Landesberg, as it stands
now, would not have a very good chance of getting selected in the first round.
The scout, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn’t permitted to
talk about college players, said that Landesberg, in all likelihood, would be a
second-round pick — in which case his contract would not be guaranteed.
However, the majority of NBA mock drafts don’t have Landesberg being selected in
either of the first two rounds.
“I don’t want to kill the kid, but he’d probably spend the next year or two in
the D-League,” said the scout, referring to the NBA’s minor league, “which is
not a better life than staying at UVa. I can tell you that.”
Making Landesberg’s NBA aspirations even dicier is the fact that the deadline to
withdraw from the draft has been moved up to May 8 this season. In the past,
college prospects, such as former Virginia guard Sean Singletary, had until June
to decide if they wanted to return.
As it stands now, Landesberg, depending on when he declared, would have a much
shorter amount of time to make his decision.
The rule is good for coaches, who won’t be kept in limbo as long as in the past,
but bad for fringe NBA prospects like Landesberg.
Of course, Landesberg could very well decide he is tired of school, hire an
agent and pursue his pro dreams with full force beginning now.
However, the scout doesn’t believe that would be in Landesberg’s best interests.
The scout, who has seen Landesberg play in person on a number of occasions over
the last two seasons, said Landesberg made improvement from his first year in
college, but still has work to do.
“His freshman year, it seemed like he went to his right almost every time,” the
scout said. “This year, there was a lot of growth in putting the ball on the
floor with either hand and making some perimeter shots.”
As a freshman, Landesberg connected on 31 percent of his 3-pointers. This
season, he shot at a 38-percent clip.
Now, the scout said Landesberg needs to improve his range.
“Obviously, if you’re going to play shooting guard in the NBA and the line is a
couple feet further back, he still has a lot of work to do.”
Defense is another area where Landesberg needs to get better. “He’s the not the
greatest athlete in the world,” the scout continued. “I think he plays hard, he
tries hard, but he has to really show that he can defend NBA-level athletes.
That’s not easy for the best athletes in the world to do.”
Bennett making tough calls early
March 7, 2010 12:36 am
SP0307VACOACH.jpg
Virginia coach Tony Bennett will try to resurrect the Cavaliers' program without
two highly recruited players.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--
Seeds of two completely different natures were on the minds of the opposing
coaches yesterday at John Paul Jones Arena.
Gary Williams' Maryland Terrapins completed a surprisingly strong regular season
with a 74-68 win over a scrappy Virginia team, securing at least a tie for the
Atlantic Coast Conference title and a shot at the No. 1 seed for this week's
tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
In his 21st season at his alma mater, Williams may have done his best coaching
job--even better than when he led the Terps to the 2002 national title.
On the other bench, Tony Bennett is planting seeds in his quest to build a
program that can challenge Maryland's (not to mention Duke's or North
Carolina's). And as anyone who's cultivated even a flower bed can attest, growth
doesn't come without work and sweat.
Bennett seemed almost as wistful about suspending leading scorer Sylven
Landesberg for the season as he was about his team's ninth straight loss.
According to Bennett, his sophomore star did not live up to his coach's academic
requirements.
"We know the value he has to our team," Bennett said after the game. "He's a
good kid, and it was a difficult decision. But there are some expectations and
standards that have to be adhered to. I hope it helps him. We're really trying
to establish this program with the right things."
Benching Landesberg won't keep the Cavaliers (14-15) out of the NCAA tournament.
The only effect it'll have on this year's team is to ensure that it can pack
light for what will surely be a short stay in Greensboro.
But Bennett made a clear statement yesterday about who's in charge--and it could
make the rebuilding process significantly more challenging.
Not only was Landesberg not in uniform--or in the arena--but No. 2 scorer Mike
Scott sat for nearly the entire second half. The junior forward had a prime seat
as the Cavaliers cut a 14-point deficit to one in the final minutes.
Moody and inconsistent, Scott went scoreless in two consecutive recent games and
doesn't always appear to give full effort. Yesterday was a prime example.
Neither Landesberg nor Scott was available to talk after the game, and none of
their teammates speculated on the future. But it's entirely possible that
neither player could return next season.
At 6-6, Landesberg has NBA potential and is reportedly considering a jump to the
pros, although it's unlikely he'd be a first-round pick this summer. He averages
17.3 points per game, but could use work on his defense and outside shooting, as
well as more strength.
Junior forward Will Sherrill calls Landesberg one of his best friends. Asked if
he expects Landesberg to return next season, Sherill paused.
"I haven't really talked to him since [the suspension]," Sherrill said. "I
really hope he will come back. I'm going to talk to him this afternoon and do
everything I can for him. I love him like a brother."
While Landesberg's and Scott's statuses are unknown, the Cavaliers know they
won't have Jerome Meyinsse next season.
The 6-9 senior is exactly the kind of player Bennett wants to build his program
around. He arrived as a skinny 17-year-old who should have been redshirted, but
has blossomed into one of the ACC's most improved players.
As a senior, he's scored nearly twice as many points as he did in three seasons
languishing under Dave Leitao. Six days ago, he scored a career-high 21 points
against Duke (also in Landesberg's absence). Yesterday, in his final home
appearance, Meyinsse thoroughly outplayed Maryland freshman Jordan Williams.
He also took what looked like a charge from the Terps' Sean Mosley with 38.6
seconds left and the Cavs trailing 66-65. But after getting an earful from Gary
Williams about an earlier charge call on Greivis Vasquez, official Jamie Luckie
called a block on Meyinsse.
The normally mild-mannered Bennett became livid and received the first technical
foul of his career for removing his suit coat and spiking it to the floor.
Maryland made all four free throws and never looked back.
"[Gary Williams] was getting in the refs' ears a lot," Sherrill said. "U.Va.
doesn't have quite the same level of respect as other programs. We have to go
out and get that level of respect.
"The ref made the call. You have to move on. That's how basketball is."
That's true of games and programs. And as the Cavaliers are discovering, there
are always growing pains.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
UVa adds DT from Beach
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: March 8, 2010
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The third time was the charm.
While the level of certainity remains unknown, Virginia football coach Mike
London landed a pair of commitments on Sunday for the Class of 2011 after the
third Junior Day in Charlottesville.
The new Cavaliers’ coaching staff landed defensive tackle David Dean from Green
Run High in Virginia Beach and running back Clifton Richardson from Menchville
High in Newport News, although it appears that both are committed to varying
degrees.
Dean, who picked Virginia over offers from Boston College, Duke and West
Virginia, stands firm in his decision.
“I have committed to Virginia,” Dean told a reporter. “It was the perfect fit
for me in terms of football and academics.”
Richardson, who rushed for 1,268 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, is not as
certain. But the top-tier athlete started calling potential recruits from inside
the Commonwealth to play at Virginia.
Clifton’s father, who shares the same name, said the recruiting process includes
Virginia as the frontrunner.
“He didn’t commit,” Richardson Sr. told the Daily Press. “He’s a soft
commitment. He said he’s interested in going there, but he didn’t commit yet.
We’re going to sit down and talk about what he’s going to do.
“He said he likes Virginia, but he didn’t commit yet. If I could predict the
future, I’d say he’ll go to UVa.”