The reigning champs’ chances to defend its NCAA title are still alive. Fourth-seeded Virginia weathered a valiant upset bid by Bryant and used a five-goal run that started late in the third quarter to prevail 13-11 and secure the program’s 33rd quarterfinal appearance.
Senior goalie Alex Rode, the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament during the Cavaliers’ last championship run, came up big again with 18 saves. Five different players scored two goals for Virginia. Its quarterbacking duo of senior Matt Moore and freshman Connor Shellenberger each notched five points.
“I probably shouldn't say this on air, but he's a different bird,” Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany said about Rode on the ESPNU broadcast after the win. “He's kind of the stereotypical goalie. A little goofy. The pressure can't be too big for him. He really does move onto the next play and doesn't let things bother him.”
That disposition proved helpful, particularly in the second half, where it seemed the Cavaliers might drop consecutive games at Klöckner. (Virginia lost its regular season finale 22 days ago to Syracuse 13-11).
Though Virginia’s defense and Rode caused fits for Bryant star Marc O’Rourke, who started the game 0-for-10 shooting, the fourth-year junior broke through for his first goal with 8:01 to play in the third quarter on a diving shot after he dodged to his right hand. The individual effort gave Bryant its first lead of the game, which freshman attackman and leading scorer Luke McGovern extended to 10-8 with his third goal of the afternoon.
The small but boisterous contingent of Bulldogs fans made their presence known by stomping on Klöckner’s metal bleachers in unison.
At Bryant’s team dinner on Friday night, Mike Pressler showed his team a highlight video of the Bulldogs’ first-round upset of Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in 2014. Bryant was on the brink of pulling off another one, the potential feat even more impressive considering the team faced more than its fair share of obstacles this spring and was at one point a single positive COVID-19 test away from being shot down. O’Rourke missed the first six games of the season while recovering from Myocarditis.
“It rips your heart out,” Presseler said about the journey the Bulldogs, who upset St. Joe’s for the NEC crown, endured this spring. “It brings you to your knees. The things that we went through to get to this point. We were playing with house money. We were playing with borrowed time. We shouldn't have been here and we're here, 15 minutes away from upsetting the National Champs.”
While Pressler noted that the Bryant’s goal was to win and anything less was unacceptable, he also said how proud he was of the seniors that came back and the sacrifices everyone on the team made throughout the spring. Pressler often talks with his teams about being “teflon” and staying the course.
He said no team he’s ever been a part of in his 38 years of coaching demonstrated those qualities more than this year’s squad.
“It looked like Covid was going to take us down for good,” Presseler said. “We were one positive away a month and a half ago from being shut down for the year by the Rhode Island department of health. We survived that period. I don't know how and here we are a few plays away from moving on.”
Pressler was counting on Virginia to come rusty in the first half, after which Bryant trailed 7-6 given the Cavaliers layoff. With an advantage at the faceoff from Jacob Alexander who won 11-of-15 first half draws, the Bulldogs also pushed transition opportunities, though at times that resulted in costly turnovers.
To navigate the extended hiatus Tiffany elicited advice from Virginia football coach Bronco Mendhall. To keep the mood light, the Cavaliers held a field day with the UVA women’s lacrosse team that included short-sided games, a water balloon toss and even an Oreo challenge. They also offered a competitive outlet outside of lacrosse with an intrasquad softball game, in which the “old guys” topped the “young guys” 20-16.
“Watching Payton Cormier go yard was pretty cool,” Shellenberger said.
Virginia ramped up the second week and held a scrimmage last Sunday during which Moore said everyone was “bashing each other.”
“Our captain John Fox, he says we're like caged animals,” Moore said. “We've been caged for three weeks and we were just waiting to play.”
Fox brought the team into a players only circle after the Cavaliers trailed.
“Everyone was kind of looking around and realized there was no need to panic,” Shellenberger said before rattling off the senior leaders who have made big plays in big moments. “Everyone was pretty relaxed. It says a lot about the leadership that we have and the guys that have been here before.”
Moore, who scored the game-winner in the 2019 quarters against Maryland to send the Cavaliers to the final four, threaded a pass through the Bulldogs’ defense to Peter Garno who then scored his 20th goal of the season on an outside rip to cut Virginia’s deficit to 10-9 with 1:24 to play in the third.
Early in the fourth, redshirt sophomore Cade Saustad forced a caused turnover by pressing out on defense and triggered a sequence that led to a goal from short stick defensive midfielder Grayson Sallade that tied the game.
On the next possession Xander Dickson dished from X to senior attackman Ian Laviano, who scored a spinning goal to give Virginia a 11-10 lead.
After Payton Cormier scored on an outside zone busting shot, Charlie Bertrand fired home his first goal of the game off a rebound to give the Cavaliers some breathing room at 13-10. Although Bryant’s Trevor Weigarten scored with two minutes and 42 seconds to play, Rode stopped Weingarten’s next shot with 33 seconds remaining. His 18th save sealed the win.
“Alex Rode bailed us out a bunch,” said Tiffany, whose team will take on No. 5 Georgetown next weekend in Hempstead for a spot in the final four.
“Virginia is not the reigning champs by accident,” Pressler said.