Another re-match from last year's NCAA tournament looms
Six days after No. 4 Notre Dame scored a 12-7 victory over No. 10 Duke in a re-match of last year’s championship final, another pair of tournament participants will meet again this Saturday.
No. 2 Virginia visits No. 5 Stony Brook, which will revive memories of the Cavaliers’ too-close-for-comfort 10-9 win in last year’s NCAA quarterfinal.
The irony of opening the season against the opponent that ended the Seawolves’ season was not lost on coach Rick Sowell.
“The way the season ended and then to have them in the first game, I guess you couldn’t make this up,” he said with a chuckle. “Certainly, there’s a storyline there, and it’s exciting from that perspective. But for us right now, we’re worried about doing all of the little things. … That’s our focus, and playing a team like Virginia puts a premium on that. That’s the one thing I do like about it. It does put a premium on the preseason and the focus and just gives our guys a chance to pay a little bit more attention and a little bit more focus. I think our guys are fired up and looking forward to it. Hopefully, that’s going to make us get to where we need to be.”
On the flipside, Virginia coach Dom Starsia wasn’t quite as eager about meeting Stony Brook on its home turf even though the Cavaliers have posted wins against No. 17 Drexel and Mount St. Mary’s thus far.
“The thought of going back to Stony Brook is going to produce some sleepless nights,” Starsia said. “That was a wild game last year in an unbelievable atmosphere. I was really pleased for Stony Brook that it was such a dramatic moment for their program. At the same time, it’s easier for me to say that when we won the game. People were saying to me afterwards, ‘What happened, Dom? You only won by one goal.’ I said, ‘Are you freaking kidding me? That was a great win for us.’ With everything we had been through, to beat Stony Brook in that atmosphere, that was a great day for lacrosse.”
Sowell anticipates a large number of students and fans filling Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and the vibe could be tinted with a hint of payback.
But that’s not the Seawolves’ focus, according to Sowell.
“It’s not so much about owing them one as it is an opportunity to play a really good team and coming off of last year, even though we return a lot of players, it’s a different team,” he said. “So that’s the way I’m looking at it. Losing those defenders is going to make a difference. … We’re just trying to gear up. There are a lot of good teams, and we’re just trying to be one of them.”
