Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 25, 1994 TAG: 9404250023
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
"Our team needs to play with emotion and passion," said coach Dom Starsia, after Carolina ripped his Cavaliers 15-7 at Klockner Stadium. "If we're not ready to compete, then we're not going to hunt with a good team like Carolina."
Fifteen days earlier, Virginia had trounced the Tar Heels 16-6 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
"We wanted revenge after getting killed the first game," said Carolina goalie Rocco D'Andraia, named the tournament's most valuable player after making 15 saves. "We knew they weren't that much better than us; we knew they weren't better than us at all."
On Sunday, the Cavaliers certainly weren't.
It has been six years since the ACC went to a tournament format to decide its men's lacrosse championship, and six times the Tar Heels have been the winners, even though Virginia has been seeded first three times and Maryland once.
"Carolina looked to me to be a team that knew how to play in big games," Starsia said. "It's a quality lacrosse team that has been around the block more than once."
After taking a 5-4 lead at the half, Carolina scored five goals in a span of 5 minutes, 2 seconds to start the third quarter. Virginia got as close as 11-7 with 10:56 remaining, but a critical turnover allowed the Tar Heels to score the first of four goals to end the game.
"We didn't play our best game in Chapel Hill; they didn't play their best game today," said Carolina defenseman Chuck Breschi. "We're not eight goals better than them, and they're not 10 goals better than us. The difference is somewhere in the middle. It's a matter of who comes to play."
Fourth-ranked Virginia (9-3) had not yielded as many as 10 goals in six consecutive games coming into the tournament, but No. 5 Carolina (7-4) beat UVa goalie James Ireland from all angles. Ireland declined to speak to the media after the game.
"I don't think James had his best day," Starsia said, "but I don't want to put the mantle on one person's shoulders."
UVa midfielders Greg Traynor and Chris Driggs, who have a combined 85 career goals, went scoreless. Carolina, on the other hand, got three goals apiece from midfielders and brothers Ryan and Jason Wade.
A major difference between the two games was Carolina's ability Sunday to shut down UVa's break.
"If a team does something to you, you can't let them do it twice," said Dave Klarmann, Carolina's coach. "You've got to earn your living."
The loss hurt Virginia's chances for a home game through the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, but the Cavaliers are 6-0 away from Charlottesville and have lost their past two games at Klockner.
"I don't care what the score was," Starsia said. "In our house, we've got to battle these guys. Carolina took the fight to us today."
by CNB