"It's not always what happens in a situation but how you react to it," senior defender Michael Culver said.
Those words rang true for Culver and his teammates two years ago when the University of Virginia men's lacrosse team had one of its worst seasons in recent memory. After winning the national championship in 2003, the Cavaliers stumbled to a 5-8 season. It was Virginia's first losing record in 17 years.
"My first year here taught me an important lesson -- nothing is guaranteed," junior Ricky Smith said. "Coming in, I thought we were going to get into the Final Four. Winds up we have a losing season, I tear up my ACL and ruin my summer."
That disappointment has made the Cavaliers a stronger and wiser team.
"We realized what could happen if you don't put the pedal to the metal every single day," Culver said.
Last year, the Cavaliers rebounded from the previous year's struggle and found the form that has made them one of the nation's elite teams by going 11-4. Their close call against Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Semifinals has only fueled their desire to win.
This year, Virginia (11-0) has begun to rewrite the history books and make their own mark on the tradition of men's lacrosse. While the high-powered offense continues to get most of the attention, it is the defense that deserves credit for keeping the opponents out of contention.
While offensive players pick up points for scoring a goal or recording an assists, the work of the defenders usually cannot be seen with statistics. To the Virginia defense, the only number that really matters is how many goals they allowed.
Against third-ranked Maryland, Culver shadowed attacker Joe Walters to perfection, shutting out the Terrapins leading scorer, who had scored five goals earlier that week. It is performances like that which has made Culver a candidate for the Tewaaraton trophy, awarded to the best lacrosse player in the nation.
"He's intense in everything he does," Smith said. "That's what gets me to follow him."
Intensity also perfectly describes Smith's game. His speed and athleticism have made him a versatile player. He has made the transition from pole defender to short-stick defender smoothly, and his experience has led to a breakout season. Smith is third on the team in ground balls picked up, and against rival Syracuse, he picked up the second goal of his career.
"I'm not always the smartest player on the field but I feel like this year has been my smartest year," Smith said. "I think that's why I've been successful and the whole team. We're beginning to trust one another."
Successful goes without saying. The Cavaliers have broken the school-record for consecutive home wins and are off to its best start in school history. They are only two wins away from tying the longest winning streak in Virginia history with 13 games. Virginia also leads the nation in offense, margin of victory and is the only defeated team left in the nation.
Despite all of this, the Cavaliers are not ready to celebrate anything.
"Where we are right now, maybe we could win a national championship tomorrow," Culver said. "But we need the experience of these games before we can achieve something like the importance of a national championship."
He should know.
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