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No. 11 men’s lacrosse edges out No. 7 Notre Dame in back-and-forth game

The Cavaliers pick up their fourth consecutive win and remain undefeated in conference play

<p>Sophomore attackman Matt Moore recorded four points against No. 7 Notre Dame with a goal and three assists.</p>

Sophomore attackman Matt Moore recorded four points against No. 7 Notre Dame with a goal and three assists.

After winning three consecutive games in overtime, the No. 11 Virginia men’s lacrosse team was finally able to secure a win in just four periods against No. 7 Notre Dame Saturday at Klöckner Stadium.

While Notre Dame (3-2, 0-1 ACC) scored the opening goal courtesy of freshman midfielder Quinn McCahon, the Cavaliers (5-2, 2-0 ACC) jumped out to an early 4-2 lead with 11:24 remaining in the second quarter.

Sophomore attackman Ian Laviano scored a pair of goals in the Cavaliers’ 3-0 run late in the first period that allowed the home team to take the lead.

Despite Virginia’s early success, Notre Dame rattled off a 5-0 run with junior attackman Brian Willetts and sophomore midfielder Wheaton Jackoboice combining for four goals during the stretch. The Fighting Irish couldn’t add to their lead anymore in the final 3:36 of the first half as the visiting team went into halftime with a 7-4 lead.

Virginia cut the deficit to two early in the second period with senior midfielder Ryan Conrad scoring after just 18 seconds. Once again, however, Notre Dame responded with three goals in quick succession to extend its lead to 10-5. 

Just as Notre Dame seemed to pull away, Virginia flexed its offensive strength and went on a 7-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. The Cavaliers’ impressive run included precise team passing, phenomenal individual efforts and, most importantly, plenty of hustle.

Virginia’s four leading goalscorers — Laviano, sophomore attackman Matt Moore, junior midfielder Dox Aitken and junior attackman Michael Kraus — all scored during the 7-0 stretch.

Notre Dame cut Virginia’s lead to 12-11 with just under three minutes remaining. However, Aitken’s goal two minutes later locked up the win for the Cavaliers.

Laviano led the Cavaliers in attack, scoring five goals in just seven shots. Aitken added three of his own, while Kraus, Moore and Conrad each notched one apiece. The latter three also contributed six assists combined. 

With the victory, Virginia ended Notre Dame’s seven-game winning streak in the series between the two programs as the Cavaliers pick up their first win against the Fighting Irish since 2006. 

Virginia will next travel to No. 17 Johns Hopkins Saturday for the annual Doyle Smith Cup. Faceoff is set for 6 p.m.

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