Charlottesville, Va. — The university of Virginia Cavaliers (5-7) are set to host the Lafayette College Leopards (8-4) this Saturday, April 19, at Klöckner Stadium in a match that promises both celebration and awareness. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).
The game marks the third contest in the series between the Cavaliers and the Leopards, with Virginia holding a 2-0 advantage. Saturday’s game is particularly important, as the Cavaliers will be honoring 16 student-athletes and one student manager as part of their annual Senior Day festivities.
Before the game, Virginia will recognize fourth- and fifth-year players including dawson Chitwood, Noah Chizmar, George Fulton, Anthony Ghobriel, Mikie Harmeyer, Will Inderlied, Griffin Kology, Chase MacCartee, Burke McFarlane, Tommy McNeal, Thomas Mencke, Tucker Mullen, Matthew Nunes, Griffin Schutz, Ben Wayer and Max Wooten. Head coach Lars Tiffany has a tradition of including as many fourth- or fifth-year players as possible in the starting lineup on Senior Day, creating a memorable moment for the athletes and fans alike.
Along with honoring its senior class,the Virginia men’s lacrosse program will use the game as an opportunity to highlight the work of the UVA gordie Center. the Gordie Center is dedicated to ending hazing and substance misuse among college and high school students nationwide. To raise awareness,UVA student-athletes and coaching staff will wear t-shirts emblazoned with the message,”Save a life. Make the call.” This initiative underscores the importance of calling 911 when witnessing signs of alcohol overdose, promoting a culture of safety and responsibility within the university community and beyond. The PUBS signs serve as an easy reminder:
P – Person is Unconscious or unresponsive
U – Person is throwing up (while passed out or not)
B – Person has slow Breathing (less than 8 breathes per minute)
S – Person has Skin that is clammy,pale or bluish
Looking at the series history,Virginia has dominated Lafayette in their previous two encounters. The inaugural matchup in 2022 saw the Cavaliers secure a decisive 20-10 victory on Senior Day at Klöckner Stadium. That game was also memorable for former UVA attackman Matt Moore, now a Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) star, who surpassed Steele Stanwick’s program record to become UVA’s all-time points leader. Connor Shellenberger than broke Moore’s record in 2024. Backup goalie Miles Thompson also earned his first career win in the 2022 contest, making 13 saves. Offensively, Payton cormier led the charge with five goals, while Regan Quinn added a career-high four goals.
In their most recent meeting in 2023, Virginia defeated Lafayette 20-11 in Easton, Pa. Goaltender Matthew Nunes was instrumental to the Cavaliers’ victory, recording nine of his 13 saves in the first half. Notably, Petey LaSalla became the NCAA Division I all-time leader in career faceoff attempts during the game, surpassing TD Ierlan’s previous record. LaSalla finished his career with 1,781 attempts and holds UVA career records in faceoff wins (1,050) and ground balls (525). Also in 2023, Xander Dickson scored four goals and dished out four assists to become the sixth player in UVA history to tally at least 50 goals in a single season. Dickson went on to set the program record with 61 goals in 2023 only to see Cormier break it again in 2024.
Lafayette enters Saturday’s game with an 8-4 record and momentum from winning five of their last six games. Their recent 11-9 victory over then-No. 15 Boston university underscores their potential to challenge the Cavaliers. With a 4-3 record in Patriot League play, the leopards have already achieved a program record for conference wins in a single season. While Lafayette boasts a strong 6-1 record at home,they are 2-3 in true road games this season.
The two teams share one common opponent on their schedules which is Colgate. Virginia defeated the Raiders 19-9 in their season opener, while Lafayette fell to Colgate 19-14.
Leading the Leopards is head coach Patrick Myers, who is in his seventh season at the helm. Myers has family ties to lacrosse as his brother, nick, is currently the head coach at Ohio State.
Saturday’s game promises to be a meaningful occasion for Virginia lacrosse, combining the celebration of its senior class with a vital message of awareness and responsibility.
