The Virginia men's lacrosse team has a practice sequence called WTCG: win the close game. The Cavaliers did just that Saturday at Klöckner Stadium as they edged out Dartmouth 10-9.
With 1:28 left to play, sophomore attack Danny Glading scored a man-down goal that sent the Cavaliers (11-2, 2-1 ACC) ahead by one. Coming from behind and wrapping around the right-hand side of the net, Glading got his shot off and was sent tumbling to the ground as it went in.
"We practice those kind of plays at the end of regulation or in overtime situations that win you the game," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "Not that play you saw today exactly, but it's a little routine of ours because what you are trying to put in their minds is that we are going to make the play to win the close game."
Virginia was short a man at the time of the goal because senior defenseman Ricky Smith was forced to serve a penalty minute for slashing. With 1:55 to play, Dartmouth (4-7) had a chance to go ahead when sophomore Brian Koch tried to capitalize on his team's man-advantage. His clear shot at the cage, however, was saved by Virginia senior goalkeeper Kip Turner. The Cavaliers then quickly moved the ball up the field where it reached Glading's stick before finding the back of the Big Green's net. Glading's effort was Virginia's first man-down goal of the season after having tallied six last year.
"I think it would have been a pretty stupid shot if it hadn't gone in the goal," Glading said. "You never really want to take a tough shot like that when you are man down, but I thought I had a good dodging chance and with a couple minutes left in the game I figured I might not get another opportunity."
Despite the win, for a team hoping to prevail in the ACC Tournament the following week, Virginia's overall performance Saturday was worrisome. The Cavaliers' overthrown passes, dropped balls and misfiring offense allowed Dartmouth to stay in the game. Late in the second quarter, Virginia's 21 shots had produced just one goal while Dartmouth's six had given the Big Green two.
"We were definitely getting great opportunities, a lot of open looks, but we weren't cashing in our shots," senior midfielder Drew Thompson said. "Their goalie stepped up and made a bunch of saves but we weren't shooting well for most of the first half."
The Cavaliers did capitalize on their 22nd, 23rd and 24th shots as goals by freshman George Huguely, Glading and freshman Brian Carroll put the Cavaliers on a three-minute run shortly before halftime. In the locker room, Starsia told his team he was frustrated with the offense's inability to adjust to Dartmouth's defense.
"We were being stubborn shooting the ball," Starsia said. "Everything was stick-side high, and we couldn't get anybody to bring the ball down. The first goal we scored was shot off-sides low -- so I said to the guys 'Fellows, don't you see a correlation here?'"
Despite sophomore Garrett Billings' effort early in the second half that extended Virginia's lead to 6-2, by the close of the third quarter, the Big Green had scored three unanswered goals and had come within one. The fourth quarter saw a series of lead changes -- fortunately for the Cavaliers, they held the lead when the final buzzer sounded.
"We have to work on getting sharper," Thompson said. "We are bringing the emotion out but we aren't sharp enough. And we need to get those loose ends tied up before we head into this next part of the season where it's you lose, you go home."
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