Men’s Lacrosse: Virginia notches No. 2 seed in NCAA Tournament

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The second-ranked Virginia men’s lacrosse team will be a No. 2 seed and host Richmond in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Opening faceoff from Klöckner Stadium is set for noon on ESPNU.

The Cavaliers (11-3) will make their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Lars Tiffany, also the program’s 42nd overall. Virginia earned a top-2 seed for the first time since 2010. Saturday’s game at Klöckner Stadium marks UVA’s 30th NCAA Tournament game in Charlottesville and 17th at Klöckner Stadium. The ACC’s Duke (1) and Notre Dame (3) also earned top-3 seeds after both programs were not selected to participate in last year’s tournament.

In its first year in the Atlantic 10, Richmond (11-4) defeated High Point, 15-8, in the conference championship game on Saturday. After dropping their first A10 game of the season to Saint Joseph’s, the Spiders closed out the regular season with four straight conference wins.

The Cavaliers lead the all-time series over Richmond, 8-1. The two teams squared off earlier this season on March 4 at Klöckner Stadium, when UVA earned its largest win in series history, 25-8. The Spiders started their program in 2014 and hosted UVA in its inaugural matchup in Richmond.

The winner of Virginia and Richmond will face the winner of seventh-seeded Georgetown (12-3) and Yale (9-5) in the quarterfinals in Albany, N.Y. at University of Albany’s Tom & Mary Casey Stadium on Saturday, May 20. Opening faceoff will commence at either noon for 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Championship Weekend is set for May 25 and 27 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Both semifinal matchups will be broadcast on ESPN2 on May 25, while the championship game is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN on Memorial Day (May 27).

NCAA FIRST ROUND TICKET & PARKING INFORMATION
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $15 for reserved seats and $5 for students. Tickets go on sale Monday (May 8) beginning at 9 a.m. Fans may purchase tickets in advance via UVAtix.com or by calling the Virginia Athletics ticket office (434-924-8821). Fans may also purchase tickets at the Klöckner Stadium box office starting one hour prior to the event.

Reserved season-ticket members may purchase their seats held during the regular season by calling the Virginia Athletics ticket office. Tickets will be held until 5 p.m. on Monday before being released to the public.

Parking is $10 per space at the John Paul Jones South and West Lots and may be purchased in advance or upon drive up, subject to availability. Parking passes must be purchased using a valid credit/debit card; cash will not be accepted on site. Spots are first come, first served. Free parking is also available at the UVA Emmett/Ivy Garage.

NOTES ON THE HOOS AND THE 2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT 

• Virginia earned its fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth under Lars Tiffany, the program’s 42nd overall.
• Saturday’s home contest marks UVA’s 30th NCAA Tournament game held in Charlottesville and 17th at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers are 21-8 in NCAA Tournament games in Charlottesville and 13-3 at Klöckner Stadium.
• Saturday’s game marks the first NCAA Tournament game between UVA and Richmond.
• The last time UVA was a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament was in 2010.
• The last time Championship Weekend was held at Lincoln Financial Field was in 2019, when the Cavaliers captured the program’s sixth NCAA title and eighth national championship overall.
• Each member of Virginia’s 2023 starting lineup has started in at least two NCAA Tournament games.
• Jeff Conner (10) Petey LaSalla (10), Xander Dickson (10) and Cade Saustad (10) have combined for 40 career NCAA Tournament games played.
• The Cavaliers boast two Tewaaraton Award nominees in Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier.

Men’s NCAA Tournament Bracket

Postseason is our season 💯 pic.twitter.com/2ePEPalgnb

— Virginia Men’s Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) May 8, 2023