Second chance at QB a happy return for U.Va.‘s Hall

U.VA. SPRING FOOTBALL GAME
Saturday:2 p.m., at Scott Stadium

By Jeff White
Published: April 15, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE The man who coached Vic Hall at Gretna High keeps up with his former pupil, but Rob Senseney did not travel to Blacksburg for last year's Virginia Tech-University of Virginia football game.

He watched on TV, though, and Senseney was as shocked as most observers when U.Va.'s offense came out for its first series.

"I was like, 'Whoa, there's Vic at quarterback,'" said Senseney, now the coach at William Fleming High in Roanoke.

After starting U.Va.'s first 11 games at cornerback, Hall moved to quarterback -- the position at which he'd been a Virginia High School League legend at Gretna -- for the regular-season finale against Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers lost 17-14, but Hall dazzled, rushing 16 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns. One TD covered 40 yards and the other 16.

"I was excited," recalled Jameel Sewell, one of Hall's roommates. "I kind of said, 'Finally, he's back to where he needs to be.'"

Hall has started 24 games at cornerback for U.Va., but his days on defense may be over. The 5-9 190-pounder arrived at Virginia as a quarterback, and that's where he's likely to play as a fifth-year senior this fall.

"The main thing that I wanted to prove coming to college is that I could just work hard and I could help my team in any way," Hall said. "It wasn't about proving to people that I could do this or do that."

That said, Hall acknowledges that he considers this "a second chance to be what I aspired to be when I came to Virginia as a quarterback."

As the Cavaliers' spring game approaches, Hall is battling Sewell and Marc Verica for the starting job in the spread offense installed by new coordinator Gregg Brandon. Sewell, U.Va.'s starter for most of 2006 and all of '07, was suspended from school in '08. Verica started nine of the Cavaliers' final 10 games last season.

"With the new offense, everybody's in a learning process from top to bottom, so we encourage each other each snap, each rep that we get," Hall said. "Everybody's just cheering everybody else on. The best man will win, and we know that, and we work hard together, and whoever wins will win."

Al Groh had hoped to use Hall on offense at least part time in 2008, but unexpected attrition at cornerback forced Virginia's coach to scrap that plan. Before the Virginia Tech game, however, the coaching staff, its faith in the mistake-prone Verica shaken, turned in desperation to Hall. He had little time to prepare and was asked mostly to hand off or run himself -- Hall was 0 for 1 passing against Tech -- but his coaches liked what they saw from No. 4 at quarterback.

"Once Vic did play a game there, then we were going to continue through with it," Groh said.

Hall, who redshirted in 2005, moved to cornerback midway through that season to shore up a position where the Wahoos had few options. If he longed to be back on offense, Hall never let on.

"My opinion in talking to Vic was, I think he was always at peace with what happened," Senseney said. "He never told me he was unhappy."

Hall said: "I just wanted to help my team in any way possible. If it was on defense, it was on defense. If it was at quarterback, it was at quarterback."

He was thrilled, though, to learn in January that Groh wanted him at quarterback full time. He's having to work on his footwork and other fundamentals, and his throwing arm isn't yet as strong as it once was, but Hall says he's making steady progress.

With Hall behind center, Gretna went 47-5 and won two state Group AA, Division 3 titles. He threw 104 touchdown passes and piled up 8,725 yards passing and 5,026 rushing to set a VHSL record for total offense.

At 5-9, he's short for a major-college quarterback, and Hall admits that seeing over towering linemen can be a challenge. Still, those who saw Hall work magic at Gretna are confident he'll find a way to succeed at U.Va.

"You can't coach height, I agree with that," Senseney said. "But you also can't coach winning, and he's always been a winner."

 

Spring Football Q & A with Denzel Burrell
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/14/2009

Question: Your role changed last year early in the season and you ended up getting more playing time than you might have expected going in with Aaron Clark’s injury. How would you assess your play last year, particularly given that the situation ended differently than what you would have otherwise expected?
Burrell: Going into last spring Aaron and I knew we both were battling for the outside linebacker spot and our thing every day was just competing and working hard to get better. I think we made each other much better players throughout the spring and throughout the summer camp. Then with his unfortunate injury early in the season, the first game, I just really knew that I had to step up and take hold of the position. I got a lot of positive response from Aaron, he was always there for me and helped in any way he could. I just knew I had to step up, being a younger linebacker on the team, and that I just had to relax and do everything I could. I got real comfortable due to the linebackers that were out there. Their leadership on the team was tremendous, and I felt like that was a big part of me being able to perform out there on the field with them.

Question: How comforting was it to you as a first-time starter last year to have older, more experienced players such as Jon Copper, Antonio Appleby and Clint Sintim out there to give you some direction?
Burrell: It was real comforting; between them there were hundreds of tackles and sacks. They had been in the system for so long it was real comforting. Even out on the field, on the practice field and everyday you see them as the leaders of the team and to be able to be out there with three major leaders on the team was second to none. It was very, very amazing and I was able to further my game and it just gave me more time to really sit back and work on my game and work on things like footwork and little things that can get me better.

Question: This year the roles have kind of reversed to where you’re the experienced player in the linebackers group. Is it the case that now you have to coach some of these younger players?
Burrell: It’s interesting how I can go from one of the middlemen to one of the elders in a matter of months. I’ve basically just taken on the same things that Clint and them did for us, preaching teamwork and things like that, and really just talking about the competition and how spring is all about competition and those spots are set.

It’s time for you to become better as a player and to work on footwork and things that you feel that you feel are lacking in your game. Between me and Aaron Clark and everybody else out there, we just keep constantly talking and reiterating the fact that it’s just competition, work hard every play, play it just like every play is your last. You never know when things happen, obviously. I went down with a knee injury one year and Aaron Clark went down once, so you can’t take any snaps for granted. That is what we try to preach everyday because you never know when it’ll be your last snap and you just want to play them all to the best of your ability.

Question: Now you’ve got a new coach this year in Bob Trott. What is it like to be playing for him this year?
Burrell: I think a lot of the linebackers really like Coach Trott; we’ve taken a real liking to him. Coming from an NFL system, he is a great coach. What he does is, he tells you what you need to know and he is not a super in-your-face-guy. I think that helps, especially a lot of the younger linebackers. They’re not really nervous to make mistakes out there and being more comfortable I think they‘re able to play to the best of their abilities. He really just tells you what you need to know and he gets you to think smart like a football player and that’s what we need. We work on so much footwork, technique and hands right now, which I think is one of the biggest things for an outside linebacker. The drills he sets up and how he carries us during practice, and carries himself, is second to none. I think he has done a really good job to just step in here and take over the linebackers like he has.

Question: What were some of the things you wanted to work on this spring, and how do you think you’ve progressed in that effort to improve yourself during the spring?
Burrell: I think some of my biggest things are footwork and hands, the use of hands. At outside linebacker it’s so important to have good footwork whether you’re rerouting or trying to lock out tight ends on the line of scrimmage. I feel like those are the two things that needed the most work and I feel like those are the two things that have definitely gotten the most work during this spring. Due to a lot of drills that we do now, there is so much emphasis placed on hand placement and the use of hands. Coach Trott always says we work out, we bench press for a reason, you might as well use it. That is obviously what we’re doing now. I think it’s helped my game a lot and I feel like it could be something that is going to be very useful during the season.

Question: Last year Clint Sintim was the player that provided a lot of pass rush from the outside linebacker spot. Do you see that as something that is going to be your role this year or is it going to fall to someone else?
Burrell: Right now I guess you can’t say. We’re all working to be a great pass rushers as well as great in coverage and everything like that, but it’s too early to tell. I feel like we’re all working on the things that we needed to work on this year to become better and I feel like our pass rushing has been one of them. Obviously losing a home run hitter like Clint who can just excite the crowd in one play, it’s definitely going to be difficult to replace him, but we’ve been working this spring to replace all the sacks that we’re going to be missing from him.

Question: What gets you more excited, making a sack or getting an interception?
Burrell: Honestly, I think I would have to say an interception because in the linebacker corps we always argue and bicker between who has the best hands and things like that. To have an interception under my belt this year would definitely be real exciting for me. I think that would be one of the biggest things, especially being able have a chance to run it back after that. We always joke and mess around within the linebacker corps about who has the best hands between insides and outsides and whether the insides have better hands or worse hands than the outsides. I think that would be worse, but I definitely wouldn’t mind a sack or two. (chuckles)

Question: Now as the team has progressed throughout the spring, is there a guy who has jumped out at you, maybe surprised you or stepped up his game this spring?
Burrell: Defensively, Steve Greer has been performing really well this spring since he is such a young linebacker. Being behind Jon Copper, I feel he learned a lot last year watching and trying to mold things off of him. He’s very, very motivated out there. He’s a great teammate and he’s very communicative. He talks all the time, he gets the calls out to everybody, and I feel like he has a real confidence in his game right now, which is really important, especially at a younger age. I feel like coming off his redshirt year that he’s definitely going to be a player that we’re going to be looking forward to making plays this year. He’s done a great job in spring ball and I continue to talk to him every now and then about things and the effort with which he competes is definitely up there.

Also (Chris) Cook, who is coming back off a year that he missed. We’ve all known Cook’s abilities before he left, but coming back I feel he hasn’t missed a step. I feel like his maturity is second to none right now. He’s really vocal within the secondary and I think every day he just keeps getting better and better. We always watch film and see a play where Cook’s having a great play and I feel like his maturity is great right now.

 

Bengals searching for Day 2 gems
By Carlos "Big C" Holmes | Sunday, April 12, 2009, 09:44 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals will attempt to address key areas of need in the early rounds of the upcoming NFL draft, but understand the importance of finding quality performers in the later rounds.

Running back is a position that the team could address early on, but with a fairly deep class they will have some options.

If the Bengals fail to address their need at running back on Day 1, the team could target Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman on Day 2.

Peerman was one of those prospects who responded well to Bengals running backs coach Jim Anderson during the week of practice at the Senior Bowl. The way I hear it, the Bengals coaching staff was quite smitten with the runner in Mobile.

“Coach Anderson helped me with my footwork and gave me pointers of things to work on while in Mobile,” Peerman said in a recent phone interview. “What he told me has really helped me out thus far. Coach was very good to talk to because he was so real. He was so truthful and wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything. I just enjoyed being around him and that whole experience.”

Coach Anderson’s words apparently went a long way with Peerman because he lit it up at the Combine a month later.

The running back answered all questions about his top-end speed when he smoked the track running a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash. He recorded the fastest time among the running backs in Indy. Many scouts thought of Peerman as being a mid 4.5 guy coming into the event.

The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Peerman showed good upper and lower body strength by doing 27 reps on the bench press and posting a 40-inch vertical. He also fared well during position drills.

However, NFL scouts have some concerns with Peerman’s short arms and small hands which translate into a possible fumbling problem. Scouts also had the same reservations about Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew coming into the 2006 draft.

Peerman has a thick build and is a tough inside runner with speed to run outside. He has good vision and shows good lateral mobility in the hole. He demonstrates good balance, body control after initial contact and is a great short-yardage runner. Peerman is a reliable receiver out of the backfield, catching 44 passes as a senior. He also does an exceptional job picking up the blitz.

Peerman reminds you of a slightly smaller version of Bengals running back Kenny Watson. He would be a nice change-of-pace back in relief of starter Cedric Benson as well as a solid contributor on special teams.

Peerman is projected to come off the board anywhere between the third and fourth rounds. The Bengals currently have two third round selections; 70th and 98th overall and a fourth rounder; 106th overall.
 

Virginia hopes to bring down Highlanders
Squad looks to avoid another midweek miscue against Big South foe Radford
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, April 15 2009

Sophomore Dan Grovatt notched three hits in four appearances at the plate to lead the Cavaliers to a 4-4 tie against Georgia Tech Sunday on the road. To this point in the season, there has been a degree of frustration for a very young Virginia baseball team. In a three-game series against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, the Cavaliers suffered their fifth ACC loss by a single run Friday and had Sunday’s game end in a 4-4 tie because of time constraints.

As Virginia (28-7-1, 9-6-1 ACC) prepares to take on Radford (15-14) tonight, however, both coach Brian O’Connor and his players like where they stand. The Cavaliers have suffered through games decided in the final innings more often than they have triumphed. On the other hand, the fact that the Cavaliers, who were picked fourth in the Coastal Division preseason, are in every game suggests that Virginia is worthy of being called an elite team nationally.

Unlike in past years, the best may be yet to come, O’Connor said.

“The exciting thing for me is that I feel like my team hasn’t peaked yet, and maybe in previous years we’ve peaked too early,” O’Connor said. “The good thing about these games is we’re in all of them with a chance to win. Once we figure out how to win ‘em consistently, we have a chance to be a really special team.”

The general pattern has been that Virginia has failed to come out on top in the final innings. In six conference games in which the score has been tied or within a one-run margin going into the eighth inning, Virginia is 2-4-1, with the two wins coming against Maryland and Wake Forest, the bottom two teams in the Atlantic Division.

Part of these late-inning woes can be attributed to junior closer Matt Packer’s struggles. As Virginia’s middle-inning stopper last year, Packer posted a nation-best 1.14 ERA, and entered this spring as the leader of a young, inexperienced bullpen. This season, Packer’s ERA has ballooned to 4.24, and on several occasions he has entered with runners on base in key situations but failed to secure the big out to pull Virginia out of a jam.

Packer’s most recent difficulties came against Georgia Tech. The junior entered Friday with Virginia in a 6-4 lead, but allowed three runs on six hits to earn his third loss of the season. Packer made another appearance Sunday with two outs and a runner on third with Virginia in a 3-1 lead, but the first batter he faced hit an RBI-single, and Packer was immediately removed.

O’Connor has suggested moving Packer into the starting rotation, particularly with the emergence of sophomore closer Kevin Arico as a viable option at closer; Arico has three saves on the year. Throughout Packer’s slump, though, O’Connor has shown confidence that Packer will rebound, and he did not change his stance after Sunday.

“I really feel like Matt is a pitch or two away,” O’Connor said. “I know this: for us to be a championship team, Matt Packer — whether it’s at the front of the game, or in the middle of the game, or at the end of the game — is going to need to pitch good baseball for us to have a chance to win a championship.”

On the other hand, the Cavaliers have been able to mount some impressive late-inning rallies, most notably in Saturday’s game against the Yellow Jackets. Down 10-5 going into the ninth inning, Virginia put the first five runners on base and ultimately scored six runs in the inning to take the lead, with little-used freshman infielder Keith Werman knocking in the go-ahead run. After Arico threw a scoreless ninth, Virginia found the most unlikely of victories.

“I can’t say there are very many times that I’ve been a part of something like that,” O’Connor said. “The thing that was special to watch for me was how each individual player stepped up there and was not going to let his team down. That was great to see.”

After yesterday’s scheduled game with Coastal Carolina was canceled in advance of forecast inclement weather, Virginia now has the rare opportunity for a rematch against a non-conference opponent tonight. The Cavaliers defeated Radford 12-2 March 31 in Salem, Va., spurred on by a season-best nine-run second inning.

Radford, however, has shown that it is capable of at least hanging with a ranked opponent. The Highlanders took Coastal Carolina to extra innings Friday, though they eventually fell 3-2 in the 10th.

What is more, O’Connor admitted that a little bit of luck contributed to the Cavaliers’ big second inning in the teams’ last matchup.
“That rarely ever happens — every guy comes to the plate and hits the ball hard and it finds a hole and you score nine runs in an inning,” O’Connor said. “That probably won’t happen the rest of the year. It’s just important that we play good, sound fundamental baseball.”

O’Connor said freshman pitcher Will Roberts will make his fifth start of the year tonight and his second against a non-conference opponent. Roberts has posted a 3.75 ERA this season; his best outing came in his only other midweek start against William & Mary Feb. 24, when he threw five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits in an 11-1 victory. O’Connor also noted that several other pitchers will need work against Radford after Tuesday’s cancellation.

Radford’s starter, meanwhile, has not yet been determined. The Highlander pitcher who had the most success against Virginia in the teams’ first meeting was senior Josh Hammonds, who followed the Cavaliers’ nine-run burst with six scoreless innings of work before he ran out of steam, allowing two runs in the ninth. It would appear that Hammonds is available for another extended appearance if needed, having thrown just two-thirds of an inning during the weekend series against Coastal Carolina.

After each contest that Virginia has lost or won in startling fashion, O’Connor has said his young team returns the next game with the same bounce in its step — which is why sophomore right fielder Dan Grovatt said nothing will change against Radford. With one month left in the season, Grovatt noted that he has no complaints.

“Coaches have told me before, if you’re winning two-thirds of your games in the game of baseball, that’s considered almost impossible to do,” Grovatt said. “If you win two out of three games, you’re winning every series; that’s outstanding. We’re way above that winning percentage right now. That’s where you want to be, and if we take care of business that’s where we’ll stay.”

 

Report card
Dan Stalcup
Published: Wednesday, April 15 2009

I have more papers, lab reports, presentations and problem sets to do in the next couple of weeks than I care to think about. After that, it’s time for final exams. All of this, unfortunately, means I don’t have much time to think about anything besides grades these days.

I don’t think I’m alone, either. In the spirit of the collective student body’s concern with grades right now, I’ve prepared a report card that grades the seasons of each of the University’s sport teams on their performances this year.

Like most professors, I’ve picked grades based mostly on results, though I’ve considered factors like improvement and difficulty of assigned work.

The postseason is like the final exam: it’s not the only thing that counts, but it’s undoubtedly the most important. It can ruin an otherwise good season or bring redemption to struggling squads.

Without further ado, I present my report card for each of Virginia’s sports teams.

Fall sports

Cross country:

The men repeated as ACC champs and made some noise nationally, too. The women showed definite signs of improvement under new coach Jason Vigilante.

Men: A
Women: B+

Field Hockey:

This year’s field hockey team is like that freshman in high school who took honors calculus and got a better grade than most of the seniors. The youthful squad is on the way up. National Rookie of the Year Paige Selenski might be Virginia’s most successful athlete of the past year.

Grade: A-

Football:

A few months removed, the 5-7 record with a third-string QB during a rebuilding year doesn’t seem quite so pathetic.

Grade: C-

Men’s soccer:

They performed consistently well all season long, even if the rest of the ACC totally ruined the bell-curve.

Grade: B+

Women’s soccer:

Led by one of the nation’s best players, senior Nikki Krzysik, the women further strengthened the team’s impressive GPA during the past several years.

Grade: A-

Volleyball:

Under first-year coach Lee Maes, things didn’t fall into place quite as the team had hoped they would.

Grade: C

Winter sports

Men’s basketball:

Only a few inspired games and the standout play of ACC Freshman of the Year Sylven Landesberg save the team from complete failure.

Grade: D

Women’s basketball:

The astronomical preseason expectations didn’t pan out perfectly, but the team still had a great year if a forgettable postseason.

Grade: B

Indoor track:

The fifth-place ACC finishes for both men and women are impressive and notable improvements from last year.

Men’s: B

Women’s: B+

Swimming and diving:

Men’s and women’s ACC Champions. Mark Bernardino named Coach of the Year for both Virginia squads. Junior Mei Christensen named ACC Swimmer of the Year and an All-American. What more could they have done?

Men’s: A+
Women’s: A+

Wrestling:

Virginia wrestling this season is like the kid who is out sick all year and seems to be struggling, but gets better just in time to ace the final.

Grade: A-

Spring sports (interim grades)

Here’s how our current teams have fared so far. Remember the postseason is the most important part of the year, though, so a lot of these grades could change.

Baseball:

Even if the baseball team has been brought back to earth in recent weeks, its torrid start during a supposed rebuilding year is nothing short of remarkable.

Grade: A

Men’s golf:

Golf is the kind of sport in which you can struggle one weekend, win the tournament the next and not have it be bizarre in the slightest. I’ll give the No. 42 Cavaliers the benefit of the doubt, but they better step it up during the ACC Championships this weekend.

Grade: B-

Women’s golf:

The No. 5 lady golfers have been one of the real success stories this year. I have a good feeling they’ll keep the strong play going through the postseason, too.

Grade: A

Men’s lacrosse:

Did they get too hot, too soon? Here’s to hoping the clutch wins didn’t run out during the regular season. The Cavaliers certainly have the talent to win a national championship if they keep everything together.

Grade: A

Women’s lacrosse:

The ladies have the talent, they have the experience, they have the coaching. So why aren’t they dominating? They’re struggling and unfortunately overrated at No. 10.

Grade: B-

Softball:

Even though its standing isn’t too strong, and the team has really cooled off in recent weeks, the softball team has improved a lot from last year. Keep your eye on them in the upcoming years.

Grade: C

Track and field:

Tomorrow, the ACC championships begin, and we’ll really get to see how well coach Jason Vigilante has pulled the team together. Based on impressive results so far, I think we have little to worry about.

Men: B+
Women: B+

Men’s tennis:

Even after losing one of the greatest players in the history of college tennis, Somdev Devvarman, the Cavaliers have maintained the nation’s top ranking and even won the indoor season national championship.

Grade: A+

Women’s tennis:

Coach Mark Guilbeau is about as hard-nosed an instructor as you’ll find, and his young and promising tennis team has performed admirably.

Grade: B

Rowing:

Year in and year out, the lady rowers are one of the best squads in the country. This year is no different, as they’ve kept up a place in the top-15 all year long. They have slumped a little bit, however, during the past couple weeks.

Grade: A-

As you can see, it’s been a pretty good year for Virginia athletics. The teams are a long way from getting a collective 4.0, but the University is one of the best overall athletic schools in nation.

If only I could get my report card to look as good as Virginia’s non-revenue sports do, then I’d be in business.

 

Offensive onslaught pacifies Patriots
Senior defender Jen Holden was part of a Cavalier defensive line responsible for holding George Mason to only eight goals in Virginia’s 22-8 road route.
Published: Wednesday, April 15 2009

Senior defender Jen Holden was part of a Cavalier defensive line responsible for holding George Mason to only eight goals in Virginia’s 22-8 road route.
The Virginia women’s lacrosse team defeated its sixth in-state opponent of the season last night in a 21-8 romp against George Mason on the road.

The 21 goals for the No. 10 Cavaliers (10-5, 2-3 ACC) marked the first time they scored 20 or more goals since 2005.

The Cavaliers thoroughly dominated the Patriots (5-8), outshooting them 32-16 yesterday evening. Though the Patriots struck first, the Cavaliers responded by scoring nine unanswered goals to silence George Mason’s upset hopes.

Ten Cavaliers managed to find the back of the net last night. Midfielders senior Blair Weymouth and junior Kaitlin Duff led the Virginia scoring column with four goals and three assists apiece. The seven points tallied by Weymouth marked a season-high for the All-American, and Duff’s performance marked a career best. Junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein and junior attack Whitaker Hagerman added four and three goals, respectively. Senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch also added her 28th assist of the season — the 100th of her career — making her the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone.

On the defensive side, senior goalkeeper Sara Hairfield made her second start on the season, collecting four saves and notching her second consecutive win between the pipes. Hairfield is 3-0 as the Cavaliers’ goalie and has allowed an average of only nine goals per contest. Against the Patriots, the Cavalier defense allowed its fewest goals in its last six games, showing improvement after close victories against Harvard and Boston College two weekends ago.

Virginia enters its final matchup of the regular season against No. 1 Northwestern Sunday. The test against the Wildcats also will mark the final home game for the Cavalier seniors.

­—compiled by Ben Gomez

 

Balanced Attack Sends Cavaliers Past George Mason, 21-8
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/14/2009

FAIRFAX, Va. – The No. 10 Virginia women’s lacrosse team had its largest scoring output of the season Tuesday against George Mason, en route to a 21-8 victory at George Mason Stadium. A total of 10 Cavaliers contributed to the scoring in the win, moving Virginia to 10-5 on the season, while the Patriots fall to 5-8.

Senior Blair Weymouth and junior Kaitlin Duff each notched a game-high seven points – a season-high for Weymouth and a career-high for Duff – on four goals and three assists, while junior Brittany Kalkstein contributed four goals and an assist – tying a career-high. Junior Whitaker Hagerman had three goals, while junior Caity Whiteley had two goals. Senior Jenny Hauser had a goal and two assists, while senior Ashley McCulloch and freshman Julie Gardner added a goal and an assist. Freshmen Caroline Cochran and Josie Owen rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist, respectively.

For George Mason, Emily Ellisen led the way with three goals, while Madaly Jamison had a goal and three assists.

The Patriots struck first at 29:43 – the quickest of any opponent this season – but the Cavaliers regrouped and rallied to score nine-unanswered goals to take an eight-point lead with 7:14 remaining in the opening half.

Hagerman sparked the run, getting Virginia on the board at 29:27 by finishing a feed from McCulloch - her 100th career assist - before Weymouth notched an unassisted goal to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the contest, at 2-1.

Hagerman then made it three-straight for the visitors with her second of the day, before Kalkstein, Weymouth and Duff worked to find the back of the net to give Virginia a 6-1 lead at 10:54, forcing George Mason to call a timeout.

McCulloch extended the Cavaliers’ lead out of the short intermission with a score and Duff and Hauser tallied goals to cap the nine-goal run.

The Patriots scored their second goal at 5:34, before a goal from Whiteley at 3:09 and a third from George Mason at 2:34 gave the Cavaliers a 10-3 halftime advantage.

Virginia came out firing in the second half, notching seven-straight goals in the first 20 minutes – three from Kalkstein, two from Weymouth and one each from Hagerman and Gardner – to give Virginia a 17-3 lead before Mason snapped the run with a goal at 17:27.

Duff got the Cavaliers going again, though, with a goal at 15:21, before Whiteley notched her second of the day to mark her first multiple goal game of the season. Duff then converted a free position shot for her 25th goal of the season.

George Mason responded with back-to-back goals to bring the score to 20-6 before Cochran fired her second goal of the season into the net at 2:20.

The Patriots would score the final two goals of the game to bring the final score to 21-8, while the 21 goals marks the Cavaliers’ largest scoring output since a 21-6 win over William & Mary in 2006.

Virginia had a balanced effort on the draw, having 12 Cavaliers win draw controls, led by Duff’s three. She also scooped up four ground balls, while Kalkstein caused two turnovers.

McCulloch’s 28th assist of the season was the 100th of her career, marking a feat accomplished by only three other Cavaliers in program history.

The Cavaliers will conclude their regular season on Sunday, hosting No. 1 Northwestern at noon.