Courtesy UVA Sports Media Relations
Top-seeded Virginia (11-3) opens postseason play today against No. 5 seed North Carolina (8-6) in the 2019 ACC Championship semifinals at the UNC Lacrosse Stadium in Chapel Hill. Faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
UVA is ranked No. 6 in both this week’s USILA coaches and Inside Lacrosse/Maverick media polls, while North Carolina is receiving votes in both polls. The Tar Heels erased a three-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to eliminate No. 4 seed Syracuse, 11-10, in Thursday’s first-round game.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live stats will be available at VirginiaSports.com. Anish Schroff will call the play-by-play, while Paul Carcaterra and Quint Kessenich will provide analysis. ESPN will also simulcast the broadcast on the WatchESPN app, or by logging onto ESPN3.com. There will be a live radio broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA 1070 AM and 98.9 FM. Luke Neer will provide the play-by-play and Doug Tarring will add analysis. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM ACC Radio channel 371.
CAVALIER TIDBITS
Dox Aitken needs one goal to become the 17th Cavalier all-time with 100 career goals. Aitken needs two points to break Shamel Bratton’s (129) program record for career points by a midfielder. He is currently tied for No. 2 all-time with Brian Carroll (128).
Michael Kraus has at least one point in all 43 career games he has appeared in. The active streak is currently No. 6 in the nation.
On Thursday, Aitken and Kraus were named two of 25 nominees for the 2019 Tewaaraton Trophy for the second year in a row. Five finalists will be announced on May 9. Aitken and Kraus are two of seven student-athletes on the list from the ACC.
UVA is No. 1 in the nation with 43.29 ground balls per game, and also ranks first nationally in clearing defense. UVA is limiting its opponents to a 70-percent clearing, which is 6.14 failed clears per game by UVA opponents.
The ‘Hoos have scored 200 goals through 14 games this year and have assisted 123 of them. That means UVA has recorded an assist on 61.5 percent of its goals in 2019.
UVA IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
UVA is 21-20 all-time in the ACC Championship and 15-10 all-time in the semifinal round. Virginia is 10-5 all-time as the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
With the addition of Syracuse and Notre Dame to the league in 2014, UVA played in the now defunct “Showcase Game” four times between 2014-17.
UVA leads the all-time series with UNC, 52-31. UVA has won more games against UNC than any other program.
UP NEXT
A win against the Tar Heels would bring the ACC Championship game back to Klöckner Stadium on May 4. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised live on ESPNU. With a loss to UNC, Virginia would await its NCAA Tournament fate. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Sun., May 5 and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
