ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 21, 1997 TAG: 9704220024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Doug Knight scores four goals as Virginia claims its first ACC men's lacrosse tournament championship.
Nobody had to tell coach Dom Starsia that his Virginia men's lacrosse team's undefeated record during the regular season did not guarantee an ACC tournament championship.
The Cavaliers had swept their ACC foes three times in the past seven years, and three times they had failed to win the championship - twice failing to make the championship game.
Indeed, UVa never had won an ACC men's lacrosse tournament until Sunday, when the Cavaliers held Duke to one goal in the final 36 minutes and defeated the Blue Devils 12-6.
``A great moment for our program,'' Starsia said. ``I heard it was in the papers again this morning that we hadn't won anything, and I would debate that to the bitter end, but we hadn't done this.''
Virginia won or shared the ACC championship 11 times from 1962-86, when regular-season play determined the title, but the Cavaliers had been shut out in the nine years since the tournament format was adopted in 1989.
Third-ranked Duke (8-3) took a 5-4 lead in the second quarter, but No.2 Virginia (10-2) regained the lead on a David Curry goal with 27 seconds left in the first half, then scored the first three goals of the second half.
``I think we were a little bit nervous,'' Starsia said. ``I think we were tight in the first half. I thought we had a lot on the line here. It was important for Virginia to win this game today.''
The Cavaliers were led by senior attackman Doug Knight, who finished with a game-high four goals despite twice hitting pipes and also seeing a potential fifth goal disallowed at the halftime buzzer.
``We shut down Michael Watson and Doug Knight killed us,'' said Duke coach Mike Pressler. ``Doug Knight was a man possessed today. It's hard to believe there is anybody in the country who could have put together a better performance.''
It was a season-low scoring output for Virginia, which came into the game averaging a Division I-high 18.8 goals per game. The Cavaliers had defeated Duke 17-14 this past week in Durham, N.C.
``I could hear them saying to each other, `Slow it down, slow it down,''' Duke goalie Joe Kirmser said of the Cavaliers. ``They had to hold it back today. I think it's because we got back in the game last week.
``Really, they played our game and beat us at it. These guys wanted it badly and they were going to do whatever it takes. If it means they had to take the summer league out of their game for one day, they were going to do it.''
Both coaches praised Virginia freshman Jason Hard, who won seven of 10 faceoffs, but goalie Chris Sanderson might have been the Cavaliers' unsung hero. Sanderson, who briefly lost his starting job at midseason, made 16 saves.
``This is probably as well as Chris Sanderson has played for us,'' Starsia said. ``He's been real strong over the second half of the season. We're not winning in May without him playing like this.
``It should do wonders to his confidence, and that's what goalie play is all about. He needed a little shot in the arm and he got it this weekend. Everybody on our team wants him to succeed badly.''
The men's lacrosse victory gave Virginia its first ACC championship of the school year. Earlier, Maryland overcame a four-goal deficit to beat UVa 11-10 in the women's final and extend its NCAA-record winning streak to 49 games.
The UVa men likely would have received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament regardless of the outcome Sunday, but everybody was aware of the history that came into play at Klockner Stadium.
``You keep hearing how [North] Carolina has won it every year, except once when Duke won it, and it definitely eats away at you,'' Knight said. ``Now that it's over, it pretty much means nothing and people will start talking about the NCAAs.''
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB