Men’s Lacrosse: Cormier becomes UVA’s career goal leader in 14-10 win at Richmond

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

In his 57th career game, Payton Cormier shattered Doug Knight’s program record of 165 career goals in No. 3 Virginia’s 14-10 win over No. 16 Richmond at Robins Stadium Saturday afternoon. Cormier finished with a game-high three goals on the day, which gives him 167 goals for his career.

Despite giving up the game’s first two goals and six total penalties, the Hoos (2-0) were able to settle in and outscore UR by six the rest of the way.

Anthony Ghobriel finished 15 for 24 at the faceoff X and Matthew Nunes (2-0) made 12 saves in bright conditions. Including Cormier, six Cavaliers registered at least two goals. Connor Shellenberger tallied five assists to finish with seven points. McCabe Millon and Jack Boyden registered two goals and two assists each.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Richmond (2-1) scored the first two goals of the game, but back-to-back scores by Millon evened the contest with five minutes left in the period. The Spiders scored their third goal on a man-up situation after UVA defenseman John Schroter was whistled for a slash.

The Cavaliers tallied three straight goals with under 1:00 to go in the first quarter, two of which were assisted by Shellenberger and the other he scored. Virginia led 5-3 at the end of the first.

Both teams traded two goals apiece in the second quarter as the Hoos led 7-5 at the half. Cormier nabbed his first goal of the game midway through the second on a backhanded assist from Ryan Colsey (2g, 1a).

On the first play of the second half, Joey Terenzi (2g) and the Cavaliers’ offense executed a hidden ball play as Terenzi fired into the back of the net for his second score of the game with the Spiders’ goalkeeper looking away from direction of the shot.

After the Terenzi goal, Richmond orchestrated a 4-1 run to tie the game [9-9] for the first time since the first quarter. Boyden’s second goal broke the tie and was the final goal scored of the third as UVA clung to a 10-9 lead entering the fourth.

Eight Richmond turnovers, including four failed clears, in the fourth quarter hindered the Spiders’ ability to mount a comeback. Cormier broke the record on his second goal of the day with 13:39 to play.

Two minutes later, he tacked on his third score. The Spiders’ lone goal of the fourth came with 11:12 to play and Colsey added two insurance goals, also the game’s final two.

WITH THE WIN…

• Virginia is off to a 2-0 start for the seventh time under head coach Lars Tiffany, who is in his eighth season as UVA head coach.
• The Cavaliers earned their second straight win of the season over a ranked opponent.
• Virginia improved to 10-1 in the all-time series with the Spiders, which began in 2014.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Cormier is the only player on UVA’s all-time career goals list to average at least 2.93 goals per game.
• With two goals and five assists, Shellenberger passed Tim Whiteley for No. 4 all-time on UVA’s career points list. Shellenberger now has 103 goals and 145 assists for his career.
• Shellenberger also moved into No. 3 all-time on UVA’s career assists list with 145. He passed Steele Stanwick (143a) and Kris Snider (144a) in the win.
• For the second-straight game, LSM Ben Wayer finished with five ground balls.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers return to Klöckner Stadium to host Ohio State on Sunday. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.