Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 22, 1994 TAG: 9405220029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
There's something about life on the road that agrees with Virginia, however.
The Cavaliers, who ended a 27-game Carolina home winning streak earlier in the season, surprised the Tar Heels again Saturday with a 12-10 victory before a crowd of 1,750 at Kenan Stadium.
In the process, UVa (12-3) advanced to the final four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988, which also was the last time the Tar Heels (10-5) didn't make the Division I semifinals.
Fourth-seeded Virginia will meet top-seeded Syracuse, a 12-11 winner over Duke, in the first semifinal Saturday at noon in College Park, Md. The second game will match Princeton and Brown.
"We felt like this year was our chance to make a statement to everybody in the country that Virginia lacrosse was turned around," said Craig Ronald, a co-captain for the Cavaliers.
UVa had that opportunity during the ACC Tournament but was trounced by North Carolina 15-7 in the championship game in Charlottesville.
"People have been writing us off for four years," said Cavaliers goalie James Ireland, who stomped away in anger after the last Carolina game. "We had one week to prove that Virginia is no joke."
Virginia appeared shaky early Saturday and fell behind 3-1 before rallying to go ahead 6-5 at the half. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 10-7, but Carolina responded with two goals in 37 seconds, the second with 6 minutes, 23 seconds remaining.
"I looked over at [fellow defensemen] Matt Crisp and Joe Wilson and I know we were all thinking the same thing, `Remember Johns Hopkins,' " Ronald said. "We weren't going to let it happen again."
Last year, with a final four bid on the line, Virginia led 10-7 after three quarters against host Johns Hopkins, only to fall victim to a 7-0 fourth-quarter barrage.
"It would have been only too easy for us to fold today," Ronald said.
Any uneasiness the Cavaliers might have been feeling was relieved in short order when UVa freshman Michael Watson fooled North Carolina goalie Rocco D'Andraia on a shot from the left side with 5:54 left.
"Things happen in sports," said Dave Klarmann, UNC's coach. "He [Watson] canned a heck of a shot - upper shelf, left corner. I'm not sure he even knew where it was going."
Watson, the ACC's rookie of the year, had re-entered the game moments earlier after taking a breather and found himself covered by a short-stick midfielder. As an attackman, Watson usually is checked by a long stick.
"I thought he was going to pass the ball," said D'Andraia, chosen MVP of the ACC Tournament. "He had a guy open on the back side, but he just stuck it by my ear."
"No one on this team has ever been to the final four before," said sophomore Tim Whiteley, one of four UVa players with two goal, "but, after [Watson's goal] we definitely started to get that feeling."
Virginia, which had never played an opponent three times in a season, improved its record to 8-0 away from Charlottesville. The game was moved from Carolina's lacrosse home, Fetzer Field, to 50,000-seat Kenan Stadium because of a high school track meet.
The victory also sent UVa coach Dom Starsia to the final four for the first time after five consecutive quarterfinal losses, the first four at Brown. However, Starsia was more concerned with what the game did for Virginia's program.
"I look at this as payback for the three times a week we went to the weight room during the off-season," he said. "If you don't have something to show for it, it's a harder sell the next time around."
by CNB