The Virginia lacrosse team capped off last year’s season with a disappointing 19-7 loss to Johns Hopkins in the NCAA tournament. Otherwise, the Cavaliers had an overall record of 10-5, which is by no means disappointing overall for the program. However, with the Virginia lacrosse team’s definition of success, their 0-4 record in the ACC fell short of their standards.
Competing in one of the most competitive lacrosse conferences in the country brought about challenges for the Cavaliers, especially with the loss of key players due to injury.
Luckily for Virginia, those key players — senior attackman James Pannell and junior defenseman Tanner Scales, will be returning this season, along with eight returning and healthy starters.
In fact, both Pannell and Scales will be taking along a greater leadership role on the team this year, as they were both named this season’s captains, along with senior midfielder Greg Coholan, the team’s leading scorer.
“I’m just enjoying every moment of it,” Scales said. “I’m really excited to get back out there, and at this point it’s been over a year since I’ve gotten to play.”
It is no surprise then that the Cavaliers will be looking to get back on track in both the ACC and on the national stage. For a team that has made 22 Final Four appearances and won five national championships, losing in the first round of the NCAAs just will not cut it.
“You can’t dwell on the past,” Coholan said. “This is a new team and a new year. We’re just going to take it day by day and progress, and hopefully there will be success in the end.”
The defense features a fairly experienced crew for the Cavaliers. Scales, a third-team All-American, is back after missing the entire season last year. Sophomore Logan Greco, who started 13 of Virginia’s games last year as a freshman, finished last season with four caused turnovers. Scott Hooper, another sophomore, will return to the defense again after forcing seven turnovers last season.
“We were so young defensively last year,” Coach Dom Starsia said. “With all of those guys back, you just feel that experience and confidence on defense… We may have to hold down the fort a bit on defense while a younger offensive group gets their feet on the ground.”
After graduating key players Ryan Tucker and Tyler German, the midfield will welcome back some returners and feature some newcomers. Coholan led the pack, returning as the team’s leading scorer, with 39 goals and 53 points last season. Junior Zed Williams will surely make his presence known on the field as well, with 20 goals and 17 assists. Junior AJ Fish, who appeared in all 15 of last season’s games, is another likely a starting option.
The midfield features quite a few new additions to the Virginia squad. Freshman Ryan Conrad, the MVP of the Under Armour All-America game, is the first No. 1 recruit that the Cavaliers have gotten in a few years. Conrad, along with freshmen Ryan Lamb and Phil Poquie, ranked the No. 18 and No. 12 midfielders, respectively, should fill in the gaps that Tucker and German left.
The LSM position this year for Virginia will likely be filled by junior Michael Howard. Howard gained a lot of experience last year, appearing in all 15 games. Junior Matt Barrett, who was No.1 in the ACC last season with saves, will return as the starting goalie, and should again be one of the best goalies in the nation.
Virginia’s attack will welcome back the presence of Pannell, who has 57 goals and 16 assists over his last two and a half seasons. Junior Ryan Lukacovic will also have a big presence for the Cavaliers this season, as last season he was one of the most consistent players, scoring a point in every game. The third player in that mix could be sophomore Mike D’Amario, who actually made his collegiate debut last year against Loyola.
Virginia’s first contest comes against No. 11 Loyola Maryland Saturday at 1 p.m. at Klöckner. The Cavaliers last met the Greyhounds in Baltimore last season, and came out victorious with a score of 13-12.
“They’re no easy team,” Coholan said. “They’ve played us really well every year, and we just have to be prepared to play a full 60 minutes and get after it.”
Virginia hopes to start out their season on a high note before entering conference play in less than a month. Ultimately, the Cavaliers hope to gain back their place in both ACC and NCAA postseason competition.
“Our conference is tough,” Starsia said. “We’ve played these guys year in and year out, and we’d certainly like to get some of those bragging rights back.”
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