Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow and eventually not even the Navy could hold down the Virginia men's lacrosse team last night at the U-Hall Turf Field. The Cavaliers emerged victorious through all kinds of precipitation Thursday to unofficially defeat their foes from the Naval Academy, 11-7, in their first scrimmage of the season.
With ice accumulating on the turf, Virginia and Navy came out hustling from the first faceoff. Early in the game, both teams had little difficulty moving the ball on offense, yet ran into trouble attempting to penetrate for the score. With 11:30 remaining in the first quarter, however, freshman midfielder Drew Thompson slashed his stick toward the goal and released the ball. The next sound was rubber spinning against the net as the Cavaliers scored their first goal since last season's national championship victory.
"It looked a little more like a hockey game than a lacrosse game, but I thought we got a few things accomplished," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "Overall, I was fairly pleased."
Once Thompson scored the first goal for Virginia, the Cavaliers began to diffuse the Navy defense with powerful shots, as midfielders Jared Little and Ted Lamade each followed with their own goals. Throughout the night, Virginia continued to find the open man for excellent shot selection.
After the Midshipmen scored their first goal on a pump-fake followed by a shot from Ian Dingman on attack, Joe Yevoli found Cavalier teammate Little, who scored for the second time of the game, to give Yevoli his first assist.
Cavalier goalie Tillman Johnson exhibited his usual stellar defensive play in goal, thwarting the Navy shooters with a combination of body and stick.
"These scrimmages are the most important part of the season, for the fact that they prepare us for the first few games," Johnson said. "Practicing every day just doesn't compare to an actual game situation. I think that is what we get out of the scrimmages the most."
During the second half of the game, the teams lost neither the will to play nor the hustle which had motivated them in the first 30 minutes. Navy stepped up their defense in the third quarter, and started a breakaway offense which raced down the field toward the Virginia goal after changes of possession. In the same trend, Cavalier players could be seen throwing their bodies across the accumulating ice on the rough green turf to save control of the ball or halt a Navy drive down the field.
With the contact of football and the playing surface of hockey, spectators saw an exciting game. The character of the players also shined through the downpour of ice falling to the ground.
"It's tough to see the ball, but that is part of playing at this time of the year," Johnson said. "So you just have to play through it."
On the frozen tundra of the Turf Field last night, the Virginia men's lacrosse team opened their season with the goal of defending a national title, clearly demonstrating the motivation to do so.
Read More
Seven Cavaliers, one recruit selected in 2025 MLB Draft
By Emory Huffman | 20 hours agoThe draft process went swimmingly for Virginia.
From debilitating illness to Grand Slam main draw: Chris Rodesch’s story
By Margaret Piatos | YesterdayChris Rodesch's torrid run has been an inspiring summer story.
Virginia reloads with a new leader, an emphasis on fundamentals and … bowling?
By Xander Tilock | July 10, 2025The new leader of Virginia men's basketball, and some players, offered an inside look at offseason plans.
