The bracket is out with the Virginia lacrosse team set to host Georgetown on Sunday at 7:30pm. The Hoos earned the five seed after an impressive weekend that saw the Cavaliers win the ACC Tournament, defeating No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 North Carolina in the process by a combined margin of 31-16. As for Georgetown, they won the Big East Tournament to earn their way into the NCAA Tournament.
For more on Virginia’s win over North Carolina: Virginia Lacrosse Dominates UNC 16-6 to Win 2026 ACC Tournament Title
The road to the NCAA Tournament has been a story of resilience for the Cavaliers. After starting the season 3-4, the Hoos seemed lifeless from afar. Despite what seemed to be a lost season, Coach Lars Tiffany’s belief in his squad never wavered.
After a triple overtime loss to Maryland, Coach Tiffany said, “It’s so much easier to point towards a win when we turn the season around, but we’re going to remember this through the pain and hurt of this losing locker room right now. This is when we turned the season around.”
Although some had doubts, Coach Tiffany was exactly right as the Hoos won four straight games with wins over Utah, Dartmouth, and No. 1 Notre Dame before defeating Duke for the first time in the regular season since 2004. A season that once was on life support had quickly turned into something special.
After that, the Cavaliers dropped back-to-back games to Syracuse and an OT loss to North Carolina before closing out the regular season with a win over Drexel. In the loss to UNC, the Cavaliers continued to demonstrate their resolve as they rattled off four straight goals in the final six minutes to send the game to overtime. The last goal came with one second remaining, again showing their refusal to quit.
Then, in the ACC Tournament, the Hoos continued to elevate to new heights, defeating then-ranked No. 1 Notre Dame for the second time this season, 15-10. The win marked the second time in program history that the Hoos have defeated the No. 1 team twice in one season. Two days later, the Hoos continued to keep their foot on the gas with a 16-6 victory over the Tar Heels to clinch the ACC Tournament title.
The uptick in form has been a full team effort, but one reason is the rise of goalie Jake Marek. In the win over North Carolina, Marek delivered a season-high 16 saves to go along with a .762 save percentage. On the offensive end, brothers Brendan and McCabe Millon have elevated, with McCabe scoring four goals and two assists in the win over UNC, while Brendan added three goals and two assists in the win over Notre Dame. Captain Truitt Sunderland has also been phenomenal as he notched a team-high 49 goals, including eight during the ACC Tournament. Captains John Schroter (defense) and Captain Joey Terenzi (midfield) have also been pivotal to the Hoos’ turnaround season.
For more on Jake Marek: From Air Force to UVA: Jake Marek’s Rise to Virginia’s Starting Goalie
As for Georgetown, they head to Charlottesville on a seven-game winning streak as the Bulldogs went undefeated in Big East regular season and tournament play. In nonconference play, Georgetown earned a solid win over Penn but picked up losses to Syracuse, Richmond, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Georgetown has a brotherly tandem of its own with Liam and Rory Connor leading the Bulldogs offense with 72 and 63 points, respectively. Older brother Rory serves as the goalscorer while Liam is the quarterback of the Georgetown offense.
If the Hoos defeat Georgetown, they will face the winner of No. 4 Richmond and Duke. Virginia fell to Richmond on the road 18-12 in February, but defeated Duke 14-10 in Durham. As a reminder, if the Cavaliers can get to the Final Four, they will be playing in their own backyard at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Opening faceoff is set for Sunday, May 10th, at 7:30pm at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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