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Takeaways From Virginia Lacrosse's OT Loss to No. 3 North Carolina

Aidan Baller|
Virginia Athletics

On Saturday, Virginia men’s lacrosse, after a heroic fourth-quarter comeback, fell to No. 3 North Carolina 16-15 in overtime. The game was a display of pure heart by the Cavaliers, as they scored four straight goals in the final six minutes, including a goal by Ryan Duenkel with one second remaining, sending the game to overtime. On a positive note, with Notre Dame defeating Duke earlier today, the Hoos have punched their ticket to the ACC Tournament. That said, here are five takeaways from the Hoos loss:

Penalties, Penalties, Penalties

The Cavaliers punished themselves early with three unreleasable penalties in the first quarter, allowing UNC to uncork four man-up goals en route to a seven-goal run. After Virginia opened the game with a strong 3-0 lead, the penalties allowed UNC to build an advantage of its own, forcing Virginia to play catch-up for the remainder of the game. One of the penalties, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, is inexcusable if the Hoos want to stick with elite teams such as North Carolina. With the defense drained, the Tar Heels took advantage, netting eleven first-half goals, which would have been more if it weren't for 10 heroic first-half saves by Jake Marek.

Brendan Millon and the Virginia Offense Continue to Elevate

Brendan Millon led the Virginia offense on Saturday, registering three goals and three assists. Millon showed his creativity behind the goal with a creative backhanded assist to Sunderland in the fourth quarter before netting a goal of his own as the freshman’s confidence continues to grow heading into the ACC Tournament. Alongside Brendan Millon, McCabe Millon dropped two goals and two assists, including the game-tying assist to Duenkel, while Ryan Colsey and Truitt Sunderland each had three goals. Ryan Duenkel also recorded two goals and an assist as the Virginia offense scored its highest total to date in ACC play, giving the Cavaliers confidence moving into May.

Virginia Defense Allows Duffy and Pietramala to Run Rampant

On the defensive end, the Hoos failed to contain UNC stars Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala, who ran rampant on Saturday. Duffy netted three goals and five assists, while Pietramala found the net three times and added an assist. The Virginia defense allowed an onslaught of shots, giving up its second-highest goal total of the season. If it weren't for Jake Marek’s heroic performance, where he recorded 14 saves, the damage certainly could’ve been worse. That said, the Hoos evidently made adjustments in the second half as they only allowed four goals in the last two quarters compared to 11 in the first. Playing a complete four quarters as a defensive unit will be critical moving forward.

Freshman Faceoff Specialist Griff Meyer Rises to the Occasion

After Virginia lost the faceoff battle 15-4 in the first half, freshman Griff Meyer provided the sparkplug to the Hoos' eventual comeback as he won four of his nine draws in the second half against the top faceoff specialist in the country, Brady Wambach. Meyer nearly won the overtime faceoff, but an unfortunate kicking the cross penalty after he had won the clamp allowed North Carolina to earn possession. Nonetheless, this game could serve as a catalyst for his confidence as Meyer has reentered the faceoff rotation.

No Quit Cavaliers

Although this game will go down as a loss in the record book, this game had plenty of moral victories for the Cavaliers. After a seven-goal run in the first half by North Carolina that seemingly knocked the wind out of Virginia’s sails, the Hoos never gave up, continuing to keep it close until a heroic four-goal run with six minutes remaining sent the game to overtime. This type of trust and belief that this Virginia team possesses will bolster them moving forward. Additionally, Virginia embraced its brand of lacrosse, dominating the groundball battle 38-31 while establishing a physical presence with big hits all day long.

Virginia returns to action for senior day Friday, April 24th, against the Drexel Dragons before the ACC Tournament, which begins on Friday, May 1st.

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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.

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