Cavs, Jays to clash for national title
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
May 26, 2003

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BALTIMORE — For most of the season, it wasn’t easy to identify the two best teams in college lacrosse. No one went undefeated. Everyone looked vulnerable at times. Before Saturday, none of the elite teams had dominated any of the others in a head-to-head matchup.
Recently, however, No. 1 Johns Hopkins and No. 2 Virginia have left little doubt that they were worthy of the top two seeds. Each beat seemingly formidable opponents by double digits in the national semifinals, continuing their runs of dominance in the NCAA tournament.
Today at 11 a.m. they will meet for the championship at M&T Bank Stadium, ending a three-year streak of Syracuse-Princeton finals, in what is clearly the appropriate matchup to conclude the 2003 season.
“The two best teams are left. I think it should be a great game for all of the fans,” said UVa coach Dom Starsia. “To me, Hopkins has been the best team. They had the best regular season. They beat us. And we’re going to be playing in Hopkins’ backyard, so we’ll be the big underdogs, but I think our guys are eager to step up to the challenge.”
The Blue Jays (14-1) did not look like a dominant team early in the season. They lost by one goal to Syracuse and won one-goal games against Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland.
More recently, however, they have overwhelmed their opponents. They have won each of their past seven games by at least eight goals. They outscored their first three NCAA opponents 47-16, including a 19-8 rout of Syracuse in the semifinals in which they reeled off 14 straight goals.
“They have looked pretty awesome lately,” said UVa attackman Matt Ward.
Then again, so have the Cavaliers. Included in an eight-game winning streak are three NCAA victories by a combined score of 45-19. In Saturday’s 14-4 rout of Maryland, they set a record for fewest goals allowed in a semifinal game and scored five more goals than the Terrapins had allowed in a game all season.
It’s also hard to call any team a big underdog that has Tillman Johnson in goal. The junior was simply marvelous against Maryland, making 18 saves while allowing three goals. His save percentage in the NCAA tournament is a staggering 77.1.
“If he keeps playing like that, Virginia is going to be very hard to beat,” said Johns Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala.
Still, neither team relies on one player for its success. Of the five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy, the lacrosse equivalent of football’s Heisman, the Blue Jays have two (midfielders Adam Doneger and Kyle Harrison) and the Cavaliers have one (midfielder Chris Rotelli). Yet Doneger and Rotelli did not register a single point in the semifinals. (Harrison won eight of 11 faceoffs and scored twice.)
Balance is what makes both teams special. While Syracuse did not have enough defense and Maryland lacked offensive punch, the two finalists have no glaring weaknesses. Each has six 20-goal scorers, a standout faceoff specialist (Hopkins has two, Harrison and Lou Braun) and a stingy defense anchored by a top-notch goalie.
Both teams also have the chance to reclaim their perch atop the college lacrosse world that has been occupied by either Syracuse or Princeton in 13 of the past 15 years. The only exceptions were North Carolina in 1991 and Virginia in 1999.
Johns Hopkins has won seven championships but none since 1987. The Blue Jays are in their first final since 1989, when Pietramala was their star defenseman.
“A lot of people are probably thinking Hopkins is satisfied just to get to the championship game, but the answer is far from being yes,” Pietramala said. “We are not even close to being satisfied.”
Nor are the Cavaliers, who are chasing their fourth national championship.
“These opportunities are kind of precious,” Starsia said. “I just hope we’re ready to play our best lacrosse.”
 

Seventh heaven for Cavaliers?
Virginia seeks third championship
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER May 26, 2003
NCAA MEN'S LACROSSE
U.VA. VS. J. HOPKINS
TODAY:
11 a.m., M&T Bank Stadium TV:
ESPN

BALTIMORE - To a short list that consists of 1972 and 1999, the University of Virginia men's lacrosse team will try to add 2003 today at M&T Bank Sta- dium.

U.Va. will make its seventh appearance in the NCAA title game. The Cavaliers captured the crown in'72, when they edged Johns Hopkins 13-12 in College Park, and in '99, when they beat Syracuse 12-10, again at Byrd Stadium.

In each of the other four finals - in 1980,'86,'94 and'96 - Virginia lost by a goal in sudden-death overtime.

To advance to today's championship game, second-seeded U.Va. mauled Maryland 14-4 on Saturday before a record crowd of 37,823. Freshman attackman Matt Ward (four goals, one assist) and sophomore attackman Joe Yevoli (three goals, two assists) led the Cavaliers against perhaps the nation's top defense.

The third-seeded Terrapins were one of two teams to beat Virginia during the regular season. The other was Hopkins, the Wahoos' opponent today. The Cavaliers (14-2) meet the top-seeded Blue Jays (14-1) at 11 a.m.

"I don't think that revenge is a big part of this," said Dom Starsia, who's in his 11th season as Virginia's coach. "It's a good bunch that we have here, and we've worked hard to get here, and it's an opportunity to go out and maybe play our best lacrosse and let the chips fall where they may."

When the teams met March 22 at Hopkins' Homewood Field, the Cavaliers were ranked No. 1, and the Blue Jays were coming off a one-goal loss to Syracuse. Hopkins ripped into U.Va. for five first-quarter goals and led 5-0 at halftime. The Cavaliers awakened in the second half and had a chance to force overtime, but Ward's shot hit the outside of the net as time expired.

Hopkins 8, Virginia 7.

"I think it's nice to be able to play a team again that we lost to in the beginning of the season," junior goalie Tillman Johnson said after matching his career high with 18 saves Saturday.

"It's not so much revenge; it's just an opportunity to play our type of game. We didn't really come out and show the Virginia team that we were in the game at Hopkins."

Johnson, a two-time all-ACC pick, has sparkled all year, but he's elevated his game in the postseason. He allowed one goal in Virginia's NCAA tournament opener and followed that by making 16 saves against Georgetown in the quarterfinals. He allowed three goals against Maryland, whose four overall were the fewest ever in an NCAA semifinal.

"I've never been around a goalie playing like this in my career," Starsia said.

Hopkins, which humbled defending national champion Syracuse 19-8 in the semifinals, is seeking its eighth NCAA title. But the Blue Jays haven't won the crown since 1987, and this is their first appearance in the final since'89. That's an eternity for one of the sport's storied programs.

"We are not even close to being satisfied," said third-year coach Dave Pietramala, a star defenseman on Hopkins' 1987 title team.

Neither are the Cavs, whose 14 wins are a school record. Victory No. 15 would put this season in a class with'72 and'99.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for us," Starsia said.
 

Hopkins, Virginia on collision course
Sloppy turf will be stage for Blue Jays, Cavaliers; Hopkins seeks 1st title since '87; Standout goalies could be key for top two seeds
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By Paul McMullen
Sun Staff
Originally published May 26, 2003

The three forces that have dominated college lacrosse this spring will collide in its climax.

In search of its first national championship since 1987, Johns Hopkins has been No. 1 in The Sun/Channel 2 rankings since bumping Virginia from that spot with a win at Homewood Field two months ago. Those two teams loomed over the season along with Mother Nature, which has turned the field at M&T Bank Stadium into a quagmire for their NCAA tournament final today.

From February's record snowstorm that wasn't washed away until March, through April showers and the rain that soaked Memorial Day weekend, conditions have been a concern. It won't be an issue when the NCAA championships return next year, as the Ravens will dig up their grass next month to install a synthetic surface, but the Blue Jays and Cavaliers will work in M&T muck today.

Are bounce shots obsolete against Virginia's Tillman Johnson and Hopkins' Rob Scherr, goalies who have risen to the occasion? Can a big defenseman like Michael Peyser combat the quickness of a Cavalier like John Christmas, or will the Blue Jays just play zone? Might Hopkins' Kyle Harrison and Virginia's Jack deVilliers lose a ball in the mud on the opening faceoff?

The NCAA mandates cleats be no longer than a half inch. Isn't everyone wishing they could wear the seven-eighths-inch studs the NFL allows Ray Lewis and the gang?

"The last time I rued the weather was when we played Drexel in our first game," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I woke up, it was a rainy day and I thought 'crap,' but it's been like that all spring. Be honest, it doesn't mean anything right now. The field won't impact either team more than the other."

It was torn up further yesterday, during the Division II and III championship games. There was already sloppy footing in Saturday's semifinals, when Hopkins and Virginia routed Syracuse and Maryland, respectively.

Coach Dave Pietramala's Blue Jays have bombed three NCAA tournament foes by a combined 47-16. The second-seeded Cavaliers erased the suspense for Starsia by outscoring theirs, 45-19. A total of eight goals decided the last seven games in a wild 2002 tournament, but this pairing has seemed destined since Hopkins held on to beat Virginia, 8-7, two months ago at Homewood Field.

Both teams lost in the semifinals a year ago. Both have precocious sophomore attackmen, Kyle Barrie and Peter LeSueur for Hopkins and Christmas and Joe Yevoli for Virginia, who thrive because of the talent that backs them up at midfield. Johnson has been remarkably sharp in the Virginia goal, but Hopkins leads the nation in scoring with patience that resembles the buildup of a soccer attack more than the isolation used by a basketball team.

The Cavaliers' Chris Rotelli and the Blue Jays' Adam Doneger are veterans and two of the five candidates for national Player of the Year, but neither team is top-heavy with seniors. Hopkins starts more sophomores, but one of the upperclassmen asked to speak after the win over Syracuse. Bobby Benson told his teammates that they won despite a subpar first half, and that today is what they have toiled for.

That victory ensured the first final since 1991 that didn't include the Orangemen, Princeton or both. Hopkins had been 0-7 in the semifinals since 1989. Its last title came two years earlier, and Pietramala was on both of those teams. He returned to his alma mater before the 2001 season, and got the Blue Jays chirping again.

"I'm not sure that a lot of people recognize how important this is, for different reasons," Pietramala said. "For our fans and alumni, it's been awhile. For this group, it's because of the energy they've put into this thing."

Lately, it's been more psychic than physical. Pietramala backed off his team in recent months to keep it fresh. Yesterday, the Blue Jays followed the same pregame routine they had in March. They had a light practice at Homewood Field. There was a team meal at Chiapparelli's. Passing down the NCAA's offer of a team hotel, Pietramala and his players slept in their own beds.

"Don't read the papers, don't read the Internet, turn off the television, drink a lot of water and go to sleep," Pietramala said.

If that's the case, then he might miss a mind game employed by Starsia, who won his only NCAA title in 1999.

"There's no question that Hopkins is a pressure cooker," Starsia said. "Coaches live in an insulated world, but Dave and I talk about once a week. Nobody on the outside puts as much pressure on Dave as he does on himself. He's going to win a national championship, it's just a matter of when. Maybe he can wait a year or two."
 

Hopkins' task will be to cool the hot hand in Virginia goal
Mike Preston
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Originally published May 26, 2003

MAYBE THE only thing that separates the Johns Hopkins and Virginia lacrosse teams is goalie Tillman Johnson. Johnson is the game's best goalkeeper and Hopkins has the best offense. So, when the two teams meet today in the NCAA men's Division I championship at M&T Bank Stadium, something has to give.

The edge has to go to Virginia and Johnson, especially in the mud and on the soggy turf.

"I think, given these field conditions, you want a hot goalie because the shooters don't have the kind of traction, and don't have the option of bouncing the ball over your shoulder," said former Hopkins All-America goalie Quint Kessenich, a commentator for ESPN. "As a goalie, you can really gain an advantage on a field like this."

Johnson really doesn't need another advantage. The former St. Mary's High standout is already considered the best in the college game. But after an impressive performance against Maryland in the semifinals Saturday, the best just got better.

He is hot, and a hot goalie can dominate the championship game.

"Johnson, when he is seeing the ball, is as good as we've seen in recent history," Kessenich said. "His positioning is excellent, he is a dynamic mover. When he waits and is patient, he is unbeatable outside of 10 yards.

"He is better from a year ago. I watched him in last year's semifinal game. Three or four shots in that game he anticipated a little too much, and he guessed and moved out of the way of the ball. On Saturday he was real patient, eyes wide-open, waiting, waiting, waiting, and boom, exploding to the ball."

Johnson has to have a good game today. Hopkins has a complete and balanced team, one that has scored 217 goals in 15 games this season. The Blue Jays have some great finishers. There are midfielders Adam Doneger and Kyle Harrison and attackmen Kyle Barrie and Bobby Benson. You pick the poison.

They can rip you apart either with the transition game or a deliberate offense.

But the Blue Jays know about Johnson. Earlier this season, Hopkins edged Virginia, 8-7, but Johnson stopped 10 of 18 shots on goal. Then came Saturday's semifinal game. The Terps outplayed the Cavaliers in the first quarter, pounding Virginia with 12 shots, but Johnson, a junior, had six saves from point-blank range. He finished with 18 saves and finished off the Terps in a 14-4 Virginia victory.

But Johnson brings more to the Cavaliers than just saves. He plays with passion and is the emotional leader, the player always running around with a clenched fist in the air. He draws as much emotion from his teammates as he does from himself.

"He is their leader on defense," Benson said. "Everything they do defensively runs through him. ... I wish we knew what the solution was or what he does well or what his weaknesses were. But we'll just have to try and get good shots and see if we can work to get some 4- or 5-yard shots, and hopefully, we can get a couple past him."

Even if Hopkins breaks through, don't expect Johnson to break down. According to coach Dom Starsia, he has the strongest work ethic on the team. If he isn't in the weight room, he's in the goal. If he isn't in the goal, he is in the weight room.

Johnson plays the way he practices. He even wears down his own teammates.

"He isn't streaky," said Virginia defender Brett Hughes. "I don't see him having a lot of bad days, not even in practice. At times, it's bad for our team because he shakes the confidence of some of our players. He has the same tenacity in practice as he has in a game and that's every day."

But Hughes has seen a less intense side. Johnson likes to go fly-fishing once a week and loves to surf. Occasionally, he'll drop by Hughes' house and start a little trouble, like buying a pellet gun and using something inside for target practice.

Sound a little strange?

Well, he's a goalie. What did you expect?

"There is a side of him that's a little bit nuts, that makes him a wild card," Hughes said. "He is my roommate on trips and I would get ridiculed if I didn't say he was a meathead. But you have to have that craziness at times. You see it on the field when he is running around pumping his fists and acting fearless. But you won't find anyone on this team who will say he isn't a likable guy."

There aren't many coaches who won't call him the best in the game.

Johnson has 191 saves this season while allowing 111 goals. A former Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year, he has started the past three seasons. Johnson has a chance to gain further greatness today.

Goalies live for these moments. In 1995, Hopkins brought one of the best attacks in the game into the tournament, only to see Maryland goalie Brian Dougherty shut down attackmen Brian Piccola and Terry Riordan in the semifinals, a 16-8 Maryland victory.

No one knows if that will happen again today, but it's a great matchup. On one side, you have the multi-talented offense of Hopkins. On the other, the game's best goalie in Johnson.

"I think for Virginia things start in the goal," said Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala, "and as we all know, he [Johnson] is a pretty special kid in the cage."
 

Johnson Is Big Key For No. 2 Cavaliers
By Christian Swezey
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, May 26, 2003; Page D05

BALTIMORE, May 25 -- Virginia goalkeeper Tillman Johnson's performance in a 14-4 victory over Maryland in an NCAA lacrosse tournament semifinal Saturday looked plenty familiar to the coaches and players from Johns Hopkins who sat in the stands and watched.

Johnson tied a career high with 18 saves as the No. 2 Cavaliers (14-2) advanced to face No. 1 Johns Hopkins (14-1) in the championship game at 11 a.m. Monday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Johnson (St. Mary's-Annapolis) had 18 saves three previous times in his career. One came in a 9-8, four-overtime victory over the Blue Jays when he was a freshman in 2001.

"I think the energy he [Johnson] plays with is what makes him such a great goalie," Johns Hopkins all-American midfielder Adam Doneger said. "[Saturday] he played as well as any goalie in the country. It's going to be tough for us to score."

Johnson has been tough on the Blue Jays in his career. In three starts, he has 42 saves and has given up 22 goals (.656 save percentage).

As strong as those performances have been, however, Johnson has been even better in the NCAA tournament this year. He enters the championship game with 37 saves and has given up 11 goals (.770 save percentage).

"He has terrific reflexes," Virginia Coach Dom Starsia said of Johnson. "He's absolutely fearless and he's a tremendously hard worker."

Johnson likely will face plenty of shots Monday morning. The Blue Jays have seven players with at least 18 goals, led by senior Bobby Benson (40 goals), sophomore Kyle Barrie (36) and Doneger (26).

The Blue Jays also are considered the best passing team in the country. They average 9.8 assists and 14.5 goals per game.

That offense revolves around a rather simple plan. More often than not, the Blue Jays attack the opposing team's two short-stick defensive midfielders.

Johns Hopkins scored 13 straight goals to open the second half in a 19-8 victory over Syracuse in the semifinals on Saturday. At least eight of the goals were either scored or assisted by players being defended by short-stick midfielders.

"Hopkins is a very matchup-driven team," Virginia junior defenseman Brett Hughes said. "They are going to try and find the places where they can attack, and I think that is the short-sticks. They've been pretty consistent with that, but I have the fullest confidence in our guys."

The Cavaliers also have the fullest confidence in Hughes. He helped hold Maryland senior attackman Mike Mollot to one goal on Saturday and likely will face Barrie today.

Hughes and Johnson started as freshmen in a first-round game in 2001, when Virginia lost to Hofstra in sudden-death overtime, 15-14. Both were involved in giving up the winning goal; Hughes tried to defend attackman Tom Kessler but got caught up in front of the goal as Kessler went behind.

Kessler waited a few seconds, faked out Hughes, then went around the goal and scored on a wrap-around shot past Johnson.

"That was a learning experience," Hughes said. "More than anything, Tillman and I should have made a smarter play. I've seen our mistake used as an instructional tool in magazines for how not to defend that play. . . .We learned from it and grew from it, but it's definitely something I don't want to experience again."

Johns Hopkins has a few playoff demons to exorcise as well. The Blue Jays have not won the national title since 1987; they were 0-7 in semifinals dating from 1989 prior to Saturday.

But as the Blue Jays left the field following the victory over Syracuse, senior starting goalie Rob Scherr looked at a group of fans who were giving the team a standing ovation. "One more," he appeared to tell them. "One more."

 

DeFilippo sees upside to ACC
BC's programs wouldn't go south
By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff, 5/25/2003

For the past few weeks, Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo has struggled with an identity crisis for his school, pondering the future of life in the Big East as opposed to life in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which may come if the league, as expected, extends invitations to BC, Miami, and Syracuse in the next several days.

DeFilippo has kept his comments mainly in neutral, but he recently addressed what he feels would be the upside of such a move, which will be decided at the presidential level of the university.

''If this happens, I feel it would secure Boston College's future,'' said DeFilippo. ''It would put us in a prestigious league academically and athletically. Six of the 12 teams would be in the top 40 academically, according to a report in US News and World Report.

''Athletically, we would have the type of draw of teams like Miami and Florida State in football, but teams like North Carolina, Duke, and Maryland in basketball. I think our fund-raising ability would increase significantly. I think our ticket sales would increase tremendously.''

DeFilippo's viewpoint was shared by some people outside of The Heights. Former BC assistant basketball coach Tim O'Shea, now head coach at Ohio University, was more emphatic.

''Ten years from now, they will have two statues at BC -- one for Doug Flutie, the other for Gene DeFilippo,'' said O'Shea. ''This is going to change everything there.''

O'Shea, who also speaks as a BC alumnus, points out that though BC is part of the Big East, the mentality of the fans extends beyond that.

''The joke has always been that BC fans want to be Harvard during the week and Notre Dame on weekends,'' he said. ''Being in the ACC, they come closer to that. Imagine what the basketball season ticket will be if you have people like Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and Gary Williams bringing their teams to Conte Forum. Those are some of the legends of the game. When Duke came to BC a few years ago, it was the hottest ticket at Conte Forum in years.''

BC football coach Tom O'Brien has said that the program's future has to be tied to Miami's. He also maintains that playing in a 12-team ACC with Miami and Florida State, as well as rising teams such as Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina State, will bring in higher-caliber players, both athletically and academically.

''It will be tougher,'' said O'Brien, ''but it will also force us to get better-quality players, and that will improve the overall quality of the team.''

No one at BC is downgrading the Big East, but there is a feeling, especially among the alumni, that trading Rutgers, Temple, and West Virginia for Duke, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech is fair.

On the basketball side, likewise, there is a feeling that a switch to the ACC will elevate BC's recruiting level in New England and elsewhere, perhaps even putting it on a par with the University of Connecticut, which has been a sore point among many BC alumni, who see the Huskies dominate in both men's and women's basketball, with no signs of the gap narrowing.

BC also sees a new region for recruiting, the Sunbelt, although persuading the quality athletes there to bypass core ACC schools remains an iffy proposition.

If the move does happen, says DeFilippo, there will be some hurt feelings.

''Losing some longtime rivals will hurt, and some people in the Big East will not be helped,'' said DeFilippo. ''When you talk about any issue, it's never all good or all bad.''

There also would be increased travel costs for some of the 31 varsity sports BC now sponsors, although that number is sure to shrink.

''If this happens,'' said DeFilippo, ''there will be a tremendous amount of work required to make it work.''
 

 
Virginia Clashes with Johns Hopkins for National Title
'Hoos Prepare for National Title Clash with Johns Hopkins
May 25, 2003
Baltimore, Md. -
NCAA Tournament Finals
#2 Virginia (13-2, second seed) vs. #1 Johns Hopkins (14-1, first seed)
May 26, 2003 - 11:00 am
M&T Bank Stadium - Baltimore, Md.

Virginia Defeats Maryland to Advance to NCAA Finals The Cavaliers advanced to the finals following their 14-4 win over Maryland in Saturday's semifinals. Virginia blew the game open with a 9-1 run during which time the Cavaliers held the Terps scoreless for almost 24 minutes. Goalie Tillman Johnson recorded six saves in the first quarter to set the tone for the rest of the day and highlighted a spectacular defensive effort. Virginia did not allow more than one goal in a quarter and also didn't allow Maryland to score consecutive goals.

Overall, Maryland's four goals are the fewest ever allowed in the semifinals, while the 14 goals are the most scored against Maryland since Johns Hopkins scored 20 in 2000. The 10-goal margin of victory was the worst suffered by Maryland since a 13-3 loss to Johns Hopkins in 1999.

A pair of underclassmen spearheaded the Cavalier offense. Freshman Matt Ward scored four times and added an assist, while sophomore Joe Yevoli tallied three times and added two assists as eight different Cavaliers scored in the game.

Cavaliers Face Johns Hopkins for Title Virginia is making its seventh appearance in the national title game and its first since winning it all in 1999. These two teams aren't strangers in the finals-they have met twice before. The Cavaliers won their first NCAA title with a 13-12 win over the Blue Jays in 1972. The Blue Jays gained a measure of revenge with a 9-8 double overtime win in 1980.

Overall Virginia is 2-4 in title games. The Cavaliers won the previously mentioned meeting in 1972 over Johns Hopkins and defeated Syracuse 12-10 four years ago in their most recent appearance. Both titles were won at Maryland's Byrd Stadium.

The Cavaliers' four title game losses have all been in overtime. Of the eight overtime finals, the Cavaliers have played in four. The losses occurred in: 1980-Johns Hopkins 9-8, 1986-North Carolina 10-9, 1994-Princeton 9-8, and 1996-Princeton 13-12.

Cavaliers Post School-Record 14 Wins Virginia has won a school-record 14 games this spring, eclipsing the previous record of 13 wins in 1994, '99 and 2000. All seasons of 13+ wins have occurred under head coach Dom Starsia. The Cavaliers have won 12-or-more games six times in Starsia's 11 seasons in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers and Johns Hopkins have the most wins in the country this season.

Youngsters Make Mark in Semifinal Win Some might have noticed during Saturday's semifinals that Virginia frequently played with four freshmen and two sophomores on its offensive end. The starting attack features two sophs-John Christmas and Joe Yevoli as well as freshman Matt Ward.

They were teamed frequently by a midfield consisting of freshmen Kyle Dixon, Foster Gilbert and Matt Poskay.

The youngsters were seemingly unfazed by playing in the game's biggest showcase. Virginia's rookies combined to score six goals and add four assists in the win. Ward equalled Maryland's team total with a career-high four goals. He also added an assist to tie his high of five points. Dixon added a goal and an assist, the third game in a row in which he's found the back of the nets. Poskay scored his fifth goal of the playoffs on a nice feed from Gilbert, who contributed two assists on the afternoon.

Christmas was held scoreless by Maryland's Michael Howley, but Yevoli made up the difference with three goals and two assists. Yevoli was the ACC's leading goal-scorer last season, but this season he has concentrated more on setting other players up for scores and leads the conference in assists. His three goals mark the first time since the Syracuse game 14 games ago that he scored more than twice.

Cavaliers Look to Repeat 1999 Feat Virginia went 13-3 in winning the national title in 1999 and had the opportunity to avenge all three losses in rematches later in the season. That year the Cavaliers lost to Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Duke during the regular season. Virginia got back at Duke with an 8-7 win over the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament finals. In the NCAA Tournament, Conor Gill, then just a freshman, scored five first quarter goals to lead UVa to a 16-11 win over Johns Hopkins in the semifinals to repay the Blue Jays. Then in the finals the Cavaliers defeated Syracuse 12-10 for their first national title since 1972 and avenge an opening game loss to the Orangemen.

This season Virginia has suffered two defeats, both 8-7 decisions to Johns Hopkins and Maryland in back-to-back games in late March. The Cavaliers paid Maryland back for their most recent loss with a 14-4 win in Saturday's semifinals. That win sets up an opportunity to gain a win over Johns Hopkins in Monday's finals.

It's interesting to note there have been several rematches during this postseason. This championship game meeting is the fifth time since the quarterfinals there has been a regular season rematch. Virginia, no doubt, hopes the recent trend of rematches continues. Three of the four previous quarterfinal/semifinal rematches have been won by teams that lost the first meeting-Syracuse d. Princeton, Johns Hopkins d. Syracuse, Virginia d. Maryland. The only match-up that was swept was Johns Hopkins vs. Towson, who met in the quarters.

Johnson Stakes Claim as Nation's Best Junior goalie Tillman Johnson put on a remarkable show in Saturday's semifinal win over Maryland. Despite playing in the muck due to the recent rains, he was simply spectacular, recording 18 saves to tie his career high. As he has done all season, he snuffed all manner of shots-near, far, high, low. He was particularly effective in the first quarter with six saves. His play in the opening 15 minutes set the tone for the rest of the day.

"I felt good all day," Johnson said after the game. "I just wanted to stay relaxed and composed and play my game. I didn't want to let the crowd and the whole tournament overwhelm me. I just try to stay focused on the job at hand and that was my objective for this game."

He turned back six more shots in the second quarter as his efforts clearly frustrated the Terrapins and enabled the Cavaliers to build a 5-2 halftime lead. Maryland took just eight shots, Johnson saved four, in the third quarter as theWahoos outscored Maryland 6-1 to build a comfortable working margin.

"Tillman (Johnson) was the difference in the first half," observed Maryland head coach Dave Cottle. "He made some great saves."

But as remarkable as Johnson's play was, for those who see him on a regular basis, it's his consistency that's his leading characteristic. "He's been playing that way since the first day of practice," head coach Dom Starsia said following the game. He added that it's been frustrating for his starting attack who sometimes has trouble beating Johnson in practice.

In the postseason Johnson is averaging 12.3 saves per game, while compiling a .771 save percentage. He has a 4.52 GAA mark in the NCAA Tournament and hasn't allowed more than seven goals in any playoff game this season.

His .632 save percentage this season is the best by a UVa netminder since J.B. Meyer's .655 percentage in 1984. Johnson's 191 saves this season are third in Virginia history and just four away from the single-season school record. Deeley Nice had 195 saves in 1961 and Bo Moore 192 in 1954.

Slow Starts Doom Cavaliers One characteristic of Virginia's two losses this season is its play in one fateful quarter-both in the first half. Against Johns Hopkins, the Blue Jays jumped to an early 5-0 first quarter lead. After the fast start their offense went dormant, allowing the Cavaliers to claw their way back into the game. Despite being blanked for almost 34 minutes, Virginia managed to outscore the Blue Jays 5-2 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 7-6 early in the fourth.

The teams traded goals in the final eight minutes, and Virginia still had a chance to tie at the end but Matt Ward's shot at the horn hit the side of the net.

After scoring the game's first two goals vs. Maryland in the next game, the Cavaliers went scoreless for more than 33 minutes as the Terrapins used a seven-goal run to take a 7-2 lead late in the third period. Once again the Cavaliers used a frantic late rally by scoring two quick goals in the final two minutes to pull within one. They had a chance to tie in the closing seconds but couldn't get off a decent shot.

Giving up the big quarter has proven disastrous to the Cavaliers during the last four seasons. Since 2000 Virginia is 5-10 when allowing at least five goals in a quarter.

Balanced Scoring Virginia features four players with at least 40 points, and another with 38. Six Cavaliers have scored 20-or-more goals, just the second time in school history that's happened. Joe Yevoli leads the way with 49 points (23g, 26a). He is followed closely by John Christmas (team high 34g, 11a) and Matt Ward (25g, 20a), who both have tallied 45 points. Chris Rotelli has registered 44 points (25g, 19a) as he bids to become the first UVa middie with 20 goals and 20 assists in a season. A.J. Shannon is second on the team with 30 goals.

The Series vs. the Blue Jays Johns Hopkins holds a commanding 52-20-1 record in the all-time series with Virginia. The rivalry between the two schools goes all the way back to two meetings in 1904, well before lacrosse was recognized as a varsity sport at UVa. The series didn't resume until 1926, the second "official" year of the UVa varsity program (but still 22 years before UVa joined the USILA). The teams have met at least once every season since 1948, the longest current series of any Virginia opponent.

John Hopkins' 52 wins over Virginia are by far the most wins by any school over the Cavaliers. Maryland is next with 40 wins over UVa.

Virginia has also played more games against Hopkins than any one else (73). Again, Maryland is second with 71 games vs. the Cavaliers.

The Blue Jays have won seven of the 11 meetings in the NCAA Tournament, but the teams have split the two previous meetings in the championship game. Virginia won its first NCAA title with a 13-12 win over the Blue Jays in 1972, but Johns Hopkins won the 1980 title with a 9-8 double overtime win.

This game features some historical patterns that could bode well for the Cavaliers. Known as a team that likes the up-tempo pace, Virginia would certainly like to see its offense explode vs. the Blue Jays since the Cavaliers are 17-7 all-time when scoring at least 10 goals. In fact, when UVa scores more than 13 goals they have won 11 of 14 games against Hopkins.

UVa can also be successful if it is able to contain the Hopkins offense because it is 13-4-1 when allowing fewer than 10 goals. The Blue Jays have not scored more than eight goals in the last four games vs. the Cavaliers.