If you are a kid growing up in Baltimore, you play lacrosse. For Conor Gill, it was no different. He started playing when he was 5 years old and has developed into arguably the best attackman in men's college lacrosse.
The Cavaliers will play Ohio State tomorrow in a game Gill will miss with a hand injury. Gill, a junior, said that he chose to come to Virginia because it was close to home and also because Virginia doesn't just stand out for lacrosse.
"One of the attractions was that it was three hours away from my home in Baltimore," Gill said. "It wasn't like some of the other lacrosse schools where lacrosse is the biggest sport. I didn't really want to go to a school like that. I liked the fact that Virginia had big-time football, big-time basketball. There were other sports that were very competitive at the University. A big attraction was that they were in the ACC."
Gill has been an important asset to Virginia since he arrived. He was an impact player as a freshman, earning the ACC rookie of the year and the most valuable player award for the NCAA title game.
As a sophomore, his outstanding collegiate resume lengthened. He was named to the All-ACC first team, the All-ACC tournament team, and the NCAA championship All-tournament team.
This season, Gill has continued to excel. Gill, a tri-captain, leads the ACC and is second in the nation with 28 assists. Once again, he was named to the All-ACC team.
Yet Gill still is modest about his individual contributions to the team and coach Dom Starsia has only the highest words of praise for him.
"He's a gentleman in all regards," Starsia said. "He has been a leader in our program since he arrived. Gill epitomizes the person that we are looking for at Virginia. He sees the game unfold in a very sophisticated way. He makes the players around him better. He's one hell of a player."
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Indeed, Gill has taken his talent and become more of an offensive leader this year than in his previous two seasons. Whereas before he certainly could be counted on for offensive stability, he now possesses more of an aggressive role as well.
"Coming into Virginia I was labeled as a feeder," Gill said. I didn't really have to go to the goal that much. I was more of a role player. But from last year to this year, I've had to take a little more control of the offense, go to the goal more, and try to create a little more."
But this Saturday Gill's teammates will have to create their own opportunities because they will be lacking their star. Gill will have to miss the Ohio State game because of a hand injury he suffered in the ACC tournament semifinal game against Maryland on April 20.
Gill's status for next Tuesday's game against Butler still is uncertain, but he hopes to be healthy to play if the Cavaliers are invited to the NCAA tournament - a chance that is almost guaranteed if the Cavaliers win their next two games.
Starsia said that he knows the loss of Gill in Saturday's game is critical, but said he believes the Cavaliers still can succeed if the team increases its level of play.
"Everybody's going to have to step up. You don't just replace Conor Gill with one single player"
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