Virginia freshman attackman Steele Stanwick joined the starting lineup of the Virginia men’s lacrosse team this year with big shoes to fill — those of former attackman Ben Rubeor.
Rubeor, a 2008 Virginia graduate, accrued 136 goals and 76 assists during his four-year collegiate career. As a senior, Rubeor was the go-to player on offense. In critical moments, Virginia coach Dom Starsia wanted Rubeor to be the man with the ball and to dictate how the game would proceed.
When Rubeor left the team last season, seniors Danny Glading and Garrett Billings remained as starting attackmen and Stanwick joined the three-man squad from Rubeor’s own high school, Loyola.
“I kind of looked up to Ben coming from Loyola,” Stanwick said. “He was always talked about [at our high school].”
Though they never played for Loyola at the same time, the two athletes were familiar with each other through reputation. Each gave accolades to the other’s lacrosse accomplishments before college, disputing who had a more successful high school career.
“More points — the kid was definitely better than I was,” Rubeor said.
“No,” Stanwick tried to correct. “I didn’t get the Kelly Award; he got the Kelly Award, which is the best high school player in the country.”
“That was out of mercy,” Rubeor said. “I hurt my arm senior year so they were like, ‘Oh wow, comeback kid — let’s give him an award.’”
The comparison between the two continued to the collegiate level, when Stanwick replaced Rubeor as the third wheel on attack and also inherited Rubeor’s No. 6 jersey.
“The number thing was kind of a coincidence,” Stanwick said. “I was actually 28 my freshman year at Loyola and then 6 was the only single left.”
Though Stanwick is surrounded by two of the best attackmen in the game right now, as a freshman he already has surpassed the 18 goals Rubeor scored his freshman year, notching 25 scores this season.
“When you have guys like Danny and Garrett on attack, teams are going to key to them more, so my hands are more open to shoot and feed,” Stanwick said.
Rubeor showed Stanwick around the University during his unofficial visit Stanwick’s junior year of high school, Stanwick said. Still today, Rubeor is able to offer advice to the younger athlete when he attends the games of his alma mater.
“He grabs me — tells me little things here and there that he sees,” Stanwick said.
As an attack unit, Billings, Glading and Stanwick have seemingly meshed together this season, with the three combining for 71 goals total.
“There are certain kids that when they come here they have an uncommon poise,” Starsia said. “From the first day that they are here they have a presence about them that tells you they are not going to be intimidated — they are going to be a little bit unflappable. Steele certainly has those qualities.”
As Stanwick comes into his own next to Billings and Glading, though, he will need to prepare for their departure next year where he will be the only returning starter on attack.
“It’s definitely going to be a reality shock losing those guys,” Stanwick said. “It’s going to be a different game without those two.”
Starsia, however, has confidence in Stanwick’s prospects.
“With Danny and Garrett getting ready to graduate this spring, it gives you some comfort as a coach to know that we’ll be able to turn things over to someone like Steele Stanwick,” Starsia said. “You can certainly see him in that mold of a U.Va attackman as a sort of quarterback of the offense.”
As a freshman, Stanwick benefits from being surrounded by Glading and Billings, Starsia said. But being surrounded by more experienced players gives Stanwick time enough to learn from miscues.
“Now he’s still a freshman, he still makes freshman mistakes,” Starsia said. “For him, a lot of these things are happening for the first time ... So this is a time of a lot of growth for him.”
One thing that Stanwick has yet to experience is a team loss, as Virginia is still undefeated this season. As the Cavaliers draw nearer to the playoffs and Stanwick toward his first NCAA Tournament, it might be that Stanwick is benefitting the team in more ways than just his scoring prowess; in the last three National Championships Starsia has won at Virginia, he had a freshman starter at attack.
“Maybe it’s a good luck charm,” Starsia said.
Although Rubeor may not share Starsia’s outlook about the role of chance or good luck in the tournament, he looks forward to Virginia’s chances.
“He’s as superstitious as they come,” Rubeor said about Starsia. “We’ll see if that one works out.”
Read More
Scott Stadium selected to host 2026 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships
By Michael Liebermann | 17 hours agoThe biggest event on the college lacrosse calendar will unfold on Grounds.
Abysmal start proves too much to overcome as Virginia exits ACC Tournament early
By Ryan Weiner | 2 days agoIf the Cavaliers make the NCAA Tournament, they cannot afford to play another game like this.
As the Walshes take their final bow, the swimming world pauses
By Xander Tilock | 2 days agoHow could anyone possibly describe the success of this duo?
