Cole Kastner: The Key to Virginia's Smothering Ride

Kastner is the defensive centerpiece for UVA's campaign for a third-straight NCAA title

Author:
Matt Newton
Publish date:
Mar 9, 2022 4:33 PM EST

In a game in which there were plenty of highlight goals to choose from, as the Virginia offense was firing on all cylinders in a 19-8 victory over Johns Hopkins, the play of the game came from a long-stick defender.

With two and a half minutes left in the first quarter, the Blue Jays held possession and were in desperate need of a goal as they trailed the Cavaliers 3-0. Joey Epstein, Johns Hopkins' leading scorer with 14 goals on the season, possessed the ball near the top of the box. Epstein dodged to his left, then tried to spin back to his right, but Cole Kastner was right there, using his stick to dislodge the ball from Epstein's cross.

Kastner quickly scooped the ball and sprinted the other way, quickly traversing the length of the field at Klockner Stadium and putting a shot in the back of the net for his first-career goal.

That play is the epitome of the invaluable role Kastner plays in the Virginia defense, which has been an important part of UVA's 5-0 start to the season.

The defending national champions were preseason No. 1 in the country largely due to the surplus of offensive talent returning on the roster led by Connor Shellenberger, Matt Moore, and Payton Cormier on attack and a seemingly endless line of gifted midfielders.

The UVA defense, on the other hand, was somewhat of a question mark coming into the season. The Cavaliers had lost several key pieces from their defensive unit, including star goaltender Alex Rode, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Kyle Kology, who Lars Tiffany called the "Dean of Defense", and Jared Connors, the 2021 Don MacLaughlin Outstanding Midfielder of the Year in college lacrosse.

Through the first five games of the season, there doesn't seem to be much of a question mark for Lars Tiffany's squad on that end of the field anymore.

First-year Matthew Nunes won the starting goalie job and has been incredible, making 54 saves, including the game-winning stop in the final moments of UVA's 11-10 victory over High Point on February 13th, after which Nunes was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week for his 16-save performance.

In front of Nunes, the Virginia defense has been better than anticipated. UVA has the 13th-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing less than 10 goals per game despite facing some quality competition early in the season with games against High Point, Syracuse, and Johns Hopkins. The Cavaliers have recorded two shutout quarters this season and they held Syracuse to just one goal in the first quarter and Johns Hopkins to a single goal in the entire first half.

That strong defensive effort begins with Cole Kastner, who has made a big leap in his second season in Charlottesville.

At 6'7" and 200 pounds, it's easy to see how Kastner causes so many problems for opposing defenses. His length and athleticism allows him to range over the field, causing turnovers and collecting ground balls. That transition from raw athleticism to lockdown defender did not happen overnight, though.

Originally from Palo Alto, California, Kastner was considering pursuing a college basketball career, but ultimately decided to come to UVA to play lacrosse. Kastner struggled to adapt to the high level of lacrosse at Virginia through the early months of the 2021 season and did not see the field much.

Lars Tiffany knew Kastner could be a dangerous weapon for the Cavaliers if he developed his skills and fundamentals. Dubbed "Project 39", Kastner found his stride at exactly the right time. Kastner made his first start in Virginia's first round NCAA Tournament game against Bryant and went on to start every postseason game during UVA's championship run. Six of his seven caused turnovers last season came in the final six games of the year.

After Virginia's crushing 14-3 victory over No. 5 seed Georgetown in the quarterfinals, Georgetown head coach Kevin Warne said the following to describe UVA's defense: "I feel like I'm in Jurassic Park with a bunch of velociraptors running around in front of the goal." It's not difficult to imagine which specific Cavalier defender inspired that comment.

In the National Championship Game, UVA goalie Alex Rode saved a shot from Maryland's Luke Wierman that would have tied the game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. The ball bounced around in front of the cage with five seconds still on the clock - plenty of time for any of the Maryland attackmen to get their stick on it and put a shot on goal. Instead, it was Cole Kastner who came up with the loose ball before chucking it high in the air to kill the rest of the clock and seal Virginia's seventh NCAA title.

In Kastner's second season, he has become the center-piece to Virginia's 10-man ride, similar to a full-court press in basketball, leading the Cavaliers' efforts to prevent the opposing team from clearing the ball. As the opponent's goalie and defenders try to move the ball to the other end of the field, UVA's attackmen chase the ball around and apply pressure, all the while Cole Kastner sits at midfield waiting to pounce.

An aggressive 10-man ride has been the calling card of Lars Tiffany's time in Charlottesville. With Kastner standing guard in the middle of the field, the UVA ride has risen to a new level.

Virginia has forced 32 failed clears this season, including an astounding 13 failed clears against Air Force in the season-opener. Kastner is currently second in the country with 19 caused turnovers (3.8 caused turnovers per game), with many of those coming as Virginia's opponents tried to clear the ball. UVA's defense is No. 9 in the country with 53 caused turnovers, averaging 10.6 caused turnovers per game.

Of course, Kastner is also a shutdown defender in the settled six-on-six defensive possessions. As the primary defender against Joey Epstein, one of college lacrosse's most talented scorers, Kastner dominated the matchup on Saturday, holding Epstein scoreless in UVA's victory. Kastner recorded a career-high five caused turnovers in the game and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Lars Tiffany told reporters before the season that Kastner had met with Tony Bennett back in the fall for "more than a cup of coffee" to discuss the possibility of Kastner becoming a two-sport athlete at UVA and playing for the Virginia men's basketball team. Kastner, who was a decorated high school basketball player in California, would have been a welcome addition to Bennett's Cavaliers, but ultimately, the scheduling logistics did not work out for Kastner to play both sports.

For now, Kastner will have to settle for his important role in leading Virginia's efforts to win a third-consecutive NCAA national title in lacrosse.

See more Virginia men's lacrosse news and content: Virginia Men's Lacrosse on Sports Illustrated

See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated

Read more from Cavaliers Now