The third-ranked Virginia men's lacrosse team (3-0) will look to continue its stellar play as it takes on the Virginia Military Institute Keydets (0-1) at Klöckner Stadium today at 4 p.m. The game against VMI marks the middle of a four-game home stand that will be capped off this Saturday against the fourth-ranked Syracuse Orange. Virginia has proven to be a formidable foe at home, having won 13 consecutive games so far for the second longest home winning streak in the nation behind John Hopkins. Virginia is 57-12 all time at Klöckner, an 82.6 percent winning percentage.
If Virginia is to secure another home victory, they will need to continue to win the face-offs. Against Stony Brook, midfielder Charlie Glazer was an astounding 12 of 14 on face-offs to supplement his team high 10 ground balls. On the year he is 29 of 40 on face-offs, leading the team considerably. Being able to get the ball right back after scoring is a huge advantage in lacrosse and usually is a deciding factor in determining the winner of the game.
"When we have possession of the ball, it's tough for any team to stay with us," senior captain Matt Ward said. "When we had the ball we were able to score. We really separated ourselves in the face-off circle."
Ward has continued to excel this season with eight goals and seven assists, but he has gotten a lot of help from the young guys on offense. Freshmen Danny Glading and Garret Billings are in the top four in points for the team. As the season progresses and they gain experience, they could make a big impact in the ACC. Sophomore Ben Rubeour has also played well -- he led the team in points before an ankle injury sidelined him for the Stony Brook game. When he returns to the lineup, look for him to stay aggressive on offense and continue to bolster his point total.
"I think this is the best we've played since the scrimmages began," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I think we have some of the most talented attack men in the country. We're just still finding ways to incorporate all of them into our offense."
VMI has some high quality attackers themselves. The Trimble brothers, Robert and David, had a big game in a 13-10 loss to Hartford, scoring a combined six goals. Robert Trimble is the team's highest returning scorer from last season, and David has hit big shots in the clutch for the Keydets with five man-up goals and one game winner last season. This dynamic duo will look to make an impact today against the Cavaliers.
With a talented Syracuse team looming on the horizon, it would be easy for Virginia to get caught looking ahead, but the Cavaliers appear focused to not let that happen against an intrastate rival like VMI.
"We can't take anyone lightly," Ward said. "Every game is an important one -- we've got to build our season brick by brick, and that's what we're going to try and do."
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