Photo courtesy of NCAA)
If the lacrosse gods were against the Hoyas, then they were most certainly for Connor Shellenberger.
After Kevin Warne won his first playoff game in his ninth season as Georgetown’s head coach last week, he got hit in the head with a ricocheted shot in warmups before the Hoyas’ game against Virginia at Hofstra in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Warne fell to his knees, but was ultimately fine. The first possession of the game, face-off specialist James Reilly (58.4%) was pushed in the back and could barely put any pressure on his right foot.
It was the perfect storm of bad omens for the Hoyas looking to make a run to the Final Four, and Virginia took full advantage with shutdown defense and sharpshooting offense en route to a 14-3 win on Saturday.
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Saturday, May 22 (Hempstead, N.Y.)
Georgetown vs. Virginia, noon
Sunday, May 23 (South Bend, Ind.)
Loyola vs. Duke, noon
Notre Dame vs. Maryland, 2:30 p.m.
Were taking a look at what aspect of each game interests us the most. Here s the first game of the weekend:
Terry Foy
The Middle of the Field Athleticism
The hallmark of Virginia’s program, and you can’t help but be impressed watching John Fox, Chris Merle, Jared Conners and others roam between the restraining lines, especially when they’re complemented by Ian Laviano, Connor Shellenberger and Matt Moore dropping back to the midline in their ride. Typically, they overwhelm opponents there (though I have to shout out Bryant for their physicality). But for the Hoyas, Dylan Hess (who grew up as a UVA fan) might be the best athlete on the field, and SSDM Zach Geddes isn’t too far behind. I feel like this game will feature guys diving for loose balls in the middle of the field, and it’s going to be awesome
Photo Courtesy of Syracuse Athletic Communications)
Duke took down Virginia in overtime on Thursday. Manhattan, Delaware and Georgetown all won in extra time. Mac O’Keefe is now the career goals leader in DI lacrosse. The Heels rolled the Orange out of the Carrier Dome. Saint Joe s, Delaware and Towson all won vital games.
I was able to watch Michigan at Penn State on Friday night. While it wasn’t the prettiest game you’ll ever see especially on the defensive side of the ball the compete level was high, as both teams let if fly. Mac O Keefe eclipsed the all-time career goal-scoring mark on a sidearm riser that pinged a corner and eventually bagged the golden goal in overtime. To see the Nittany Lions celebrate the win after a difficult campaign was a great reminder: keep battling. All victories, whether big or small, are significant.