Cavs, Starsia get ready for tourney

One has to wonder if there will be any rust on the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team as it heads into NCAA Tournament play this coming weekend. After all, since April 1 the Cavaliers have played just four games, and they’ve taken the field only twice since an April 8 win over North Carolina.

“I was actually more concerned about the ACC Tournament than I will be moving forward to the NCAA Tournament,” Dom Starsia, the coach of the top-ranked and undefeated Cavaliers told “ACC Nation” recently.

The ACC Tournament field consisted of just three teams because of Duke’s absence as a result of the well-publicized decision by the school to cancel the season after allegations of sexual assault were brought against the team. Maryland and North Carolina played in the semifinals, and the Terps got Virginia in the championship game.

Starsia felt the layoff prior to that game against Maryland was cause for concern, but after the victory over the Terrapins the coach is no longer worried about the lack of recent games.

“It was really important for us to have a game of that caliber at this point in the season as we head toward the NCAA playoffs,” said Starsia. “The fact that we played a really good team like the University of Maryland … I thought we showed a little bit of rustiness, but we played hard and got the win, and as a little bonus we also walked home with the ACC Tournament championship trophy. It certainly made it a good day for us.”

Virginia begins its quest for the school’s fourth national title Saturday in Charlottesville at 3:30 p.m. against Notre Dame. The Cavaliers have certainly had some quality programs in the past, reaching the tournament 29 times, second only to Johns Hopkins’ 35 appearances. Virginia last won it all in 2003, but some are saying this year’s squad is the best ever at UVa.

“I’ve been telling people that the ultimate comparison will be reserved for the very end,” said Starsia, the ACC’s coach of the year. “At this point, I don’t know if this is the most talented team we’ve had in my 14 years here at Virginia, but it certainly is as much of a team as any team that we’ve had."

Starsia said the seniors have provided great leadership and have combined with the younger guys to give Virginia a nice mix.

“This has been a group that has just been really fun to work with every single day,” Starsia said. “It’s just a joy to go out to the practice field when you don’t have to beat your kids over the head in order to get them going. These guys have been very focused from the beginning and I think it’s been reflected in the fact that we’ve consistently gotten better throughout the year. “

- Patrick Hite