Division I Men :      April 23, 2000 [ The Game Story]
Maryland 7 Virginia 11 Scoring: Scoring: Mike Mollot Andrew Combs Matt Urlock Brian Zeller Mike Lamonica Nate Watkins Alex Poole Chris Malone (1, 1) (2, 0) (2, 0) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) (0, 1) Conor Gill Jay Jalbert Ian Shure Aj Shannon Jason Hard Peter Ragosa Drew Mcknight David Bruce Doug Worthen (1, 4) (2, 2) (2, 1) (2, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Pat Mcginnis 18  (0.621) Derek Kenney 9  (0.563) Current Record :     (8-4) Current Record :     (10-1) Team Page For 2000 Team Page For 2000       The Game Story:

The first quarter scoring started on a man-up play after Conor Gill was pushed from behind by Maryland defender Michael Howley. A.J. Shannon hit Jay Jalbert in the top right crank spot and Jalbert went high with it to put the Cavaliers up, 1-0. Maryland tied it up when Nate Watkins came flying down the right side and fired one low and away to beat Derek Kenney, 1-1. UVA had a lengthy possession after that, as Maryland goalie Pat McGinnis threw the ball out of bounds on a clearing atempt, and Watkins failed to clear on a second attempt, getting the ball checked out of his stick. Maryland did eventually clear the ball, and ended up with a bonus when UVA's Jason Hard got a penalty for pushing from behind. The Cavs killed it though, and set up a highlight goal for Drew Mckinight. He drove from behind to his left and, while diving upfield, he ripped a one hander to the upper corner of the net to put UVA on top again, 2-1. The Cavs made it 3-1 when Ian Shure backed his way in from the goal line extended to McGinnis' left. When the double came he dished to David Bruce for a quickstick. One of the many hits of the game came on the next series when Gill caught a pass in an awkward position and turned just in time to get walloped by Nate Watkins. Maryland got the next goal on a sweet play that combined two players running full speed in opposite directions. Alex Poole was moving from his left to right from behind and heading upfield when he hit Andrew Combs, who was cutting towards the goal left to right in front of the net, 3-2. On a delayed penalty UVA made it 4-2 when Gill fed Jason Hard from behind and he ripped it offside hip. Jason Carrier sent A.J. Shannon's stick flying in the air like a baton with a great whirlibird check, but that was it for the first.

The seond quarter was particularly sloppy, but Virginia made the most of it, getting three goals to Maryland's goose egg, 7-2. The first came on a pass that Gill made off of his heels from about ten yards behind the goal. Not the way you're taught, but guys like Gill are good enough to execute. He hit Shure on the crease. Jeff Shirk laid out (shirkisized) UVA middie Chris Rotelli when he went up for a high pass. The game continued to get nastier as time went on. Shure got the next one as well when Jalbert drew two up top and hit him for a quick five yard bounce shot that beat McGinnis. Terp Defender Jason Carrier got his highlight check for the year a while later when he ripped Drew McKnight's stick clean out of his hands. A.J. Shannon closed out the second quarter scoring to end the half at 7-2.

Longpole Peter Ragosa picked off a Maryland pass going across the restraining line and led a fast break to Jalbert. Jalbert hit Conor Gill, who ripped an overhand shot to put UVA up 8-2. It looked like a shallacking at that point, but Maryland was far from done. Mike Lamonica started the comeback with a lefty crank that caught the upper left, 8-3. Next, Andrew Combs caught a lead pass on a break that opened up a one on one which he finished, 8-4. Mike Mollot close the gap even closer when he sprinted from the endline on an inbound play and beat his man to the far corner. He trickled one past Kenney to make it 8-5. Later, Mollot, who looked like a man possessed, folowed a ball that he lost to the middle of the crease area with his head down. UVA's Hanley Halcomb did the right thing and punished him by putting his head into his body, but it cost him a minute and his team a goal. Matt Urlock got the man-up tally to make it 8-6. That's how the third ended. The Terps were pumped and the fans were rockin'.

Matt Urlock picked up where he left off when he scored on a Chris Malone feed to make it 8-7, but that would be the last goal for Maryland. Gill, Jalbert, and longpole Ragossa got the last three for Syracuse to end it, 11-7.

Mike Mollot showed great leadership on the field today, as you could see from the stands he wanted to win more than anyone out there. Conor Gill also has one of the hardest overhand shots we've seen this season, maybe the hardest.