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UVA Lacrosse: Keys to a Virginia Victory Against No. 7 Duke

How can Virginia defeat No. 7 Duke this weekend?
Aidan Baller|
Virginia Athletics

Over the last two weeks, the Virginia Cavaliers have flipped the narrative of their season from disappointment to that of a potential NCAA tournament contender. The Hoos have strung together wins over Utah, Dartmouth, and, most notably, an 11–9 victory over No. 1 Notre Dame this past Saturday as they’ve found their footing headed into ACC play. Now, Virginia has an opportunity to cement its status as a top team in college lacrosse as the Cavaliers travel south to Durham to face No. 7 Duke, which is coming off a 16–15 loss to Syracuse.

Before diving into the details of this matchup, it’s important to acknowledge the history of this rivalry—one that has not favored the Hoos. Despite Virginia winning four national championships since 2006, the Cavaliers have not defeated Duke in the regular season since April 17, 2004.

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, here are five keys to a Virginia victory:

Let Brendan Millon Dictate

One of the highlights of Virginia’s uptick in play is the emergence of freshman phenom Brendan Millon, who has rattled off 18 points in his last three games, including a four-goal, six-assist outing against Dartmouth and a two-goal, two-assist performance against Notre Dame. Millon has quickly grown into the quarterback of the Virginia offense, often operating behind the goal or on the left side, and has also shown he has the poise to step up in crunch time for his team based on his unassisted game-winning goal this past Saturday.

If the Cavaliers want to rewrite history against the Blue Devils, on the offensive side of the ball, it will start with Brendan Millon. Look for Brendan to often find his brother McCabe, who leads the team in points this season with 20 goals and 34 assists.

Push Transition

Over the past three games, the Cavaliers' transition offense has come alive, led by Joey Terenzi, Hudson Hausmann, and Robby Hopper. Hausmann and Terenzi netted two goals apiece against Notre Dame as they’ve established themselves as reliable two-way midfielders for the Cavaliers, capable of creating quick offense in unlikely situations. Over the past two games, Terenzi has created two buzzer-beater goals, one an assist to Brendan Millon and another a quick catch-and-shoot goal to send the Hoos into the third quarter tied with Notre Dame.

As for Hopper, the long-stick midfielder produced a game-sealing check against the Fighting Irish in addition to contributing a goal and an assist against Dartmouth. If the Hoos want to find their way past Duke, finding a few juice goals from this unit will do a lot to moving to 2-0 in ACC play.

Have a Plan for Aidan Maguire and the Duke Defense

Aidan Maguire has solidified himself as the No. 1 short-stick defensive midfielder in college lacrosse, allowing Duke to appear as if they have five long-poles on defense. Because of that, it’ll be interesting how Lars Tiffany, offensive coordinator Kevin Cassese, and assistant Connor Shellenberger approach this matchup. Over this season, the Hoos have found goals in a variety of ways, whether it was inverting Ryan Colsey and others against Maryland or bringing McCabe Millon out of the box against Notre Dame to create different matchups.

Although the Duke defense has proven strong, the Blue Devils have had a weak spot at goalie, with coach John Danowski pulling starting goalie Patrick Jamieson in the first half of the Syracuse game in favor of Henry Blake for the remainder of the game, leaving questions about who will start Saturday.

Limit Max Sloat and Benn Johnston

Shifting to the defensive side of the ball, Benn Johnston (27 goals, 4 assists) and Max Sloat (21 goals, one assist) have presented themselves as the Blue Devils' two primary offensive protagonists. The two combined for seven goals against Syracuse, and both profile as powerful downhill dodgers.

The Hoos will also have to account for former Virginia players Kyle Colsey (16 goals, five assists) and Thomas Mencke (four goals, 12 assists). Offensively, the Blue Devils profile differently than the Hoos, primarily initiating from up top compared to Virginia, which pushes through x with Brendan Millon.

Win the Goalie and Faceoff Battles

Another reason for the Hoos' winning streak is attributed to the strong goalie play of Jake Marek and the dominance at the faceoff X by Andrew Greenspan. Beginning with Marek, who has produced 38 saves and a .594 save percentage over the last three games, has reinvigorated the Virginia defense.

As for Greenspan, he’s taken over as the Cavaliers' primary faceoff guy as he’s won 67% of his faceoffs over the last three games. Behind Greenspan, Henry Metz, who was 4/7 against Notre Dame, has also found his form at the right time.

Opening faceoff is set for Saturday at noon in Durham, North Carolina.

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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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