There is a lot on the line in this weekend’s ACC Tournament for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, starting with a semifinal showdown Friday at 5 p.m. against No. 1 seed Notre Dame.
“Our coaching staff is thrilled with the energy, effort, and performance of our men tonight,” Coach Tiffany said. “We love challenges, and certainly playing two games in three days presents such a challenge.”
“I told the team, ‘Fellas, it's so much easier to point towards a win when we turn the season around, but we're going to remember this through the pain and hurt of this losing locker room right now — this is when we turned the season around,” Tiffany said. “We took a huge step today.”
This year figures to be another heavyweight clash, as Virginia boasts a high-powered offense averaging just under 17 goals a contest, while Johns Hopkins has shown to have the stingier defense.
It is evident that the roster is deep with talent for scoring the ball, and having two distributors in both Millon brothers is paying dividends for setting up scoring opportunities on a silver platter.
“The season is a race — a race to improve,” Coach Lars Tiffany said. “It's obvious after today that we have a whole lot of racing to do, because there’s a great deal of improving that has to occur.”
The Cavaliers, who hope to play their final game at Scott Stadium, opened the season Sunday in a spectator-free George Welsh Indoor Football Practice Facility. Safe from the icy and frigid conditions, Virginia put on an offensive clinic, matching its highest goal total since hanging 19 on the Raiders to start the 2025 season.
The road to redemption is set for the Cavaliers.
“It's one of those things about our sport you really love, and it's hard to accept at times,” Swanson said.
Three beat writers analyze what Virginia needs to fix, and how this super talented squad can return to the College Cup for the first time since 2021.
