ACC supremacy at stake for Cavs, Terps

Last season, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team won its first nine games before losing to Maryland and dropping four of its last nine contests.

As the top-ranked Cavaliers prepare to face ninth-ranked Maryland in their ACC opener this afternoon at Klockner Stadium, they sit at 10-0.

Will history repeat itself?

Virginia senior Danny Glading certainly doesn’t think so.

“We’ve reiterated the possibility of that happening to all the younger guys over and over this week,” Glading said. “We keep telling ourselves that we’re not going to let it happen. When something like that happens, you notice a really big drop-off in practices and we’ve had good practices this week, so I think our focus is still there.”

With huge road wins at Syracuse and Johns Hopkins under its belt, Virginia certainly has reason to feel good.

In the win over Hopkins, UVa nearly squandered a 12-6 lead before winning in wild fashion, 16-15.

Glading — who, earlier in the contest, notched the 100th goal of his career — scored what proved to be the game-winner with just over 10 minutes left. Goalie Adam Ghitelman recorded three of his nine saves in the final nine minutes as Virginia held the Blue Jays scoreless in the final quarter.

Maryland will likely provide just as stiff a challenge. The Terrapins (6-2, 2-0 ACC) are coming off an 8-7 triumph over then-No. 11 North Carolina. They can clinch the ACC regular-season championship with a win today.

“They’ve got experience in the key positions and are very athletic in the midfield,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia. “Their first midfield is all fast and powerful.

“Their first six offensive guys in particular — you’re sort of struck by [how] imposing they are athletically.”

Glading says he sees a lot of similarities between this year’s Cavs team and the one that won the NCAA title in 2006. Both squads had bitter losses in the Final Four the season before.

“Those seniors were really on a mission,” Glading said. “I think the focus and intensity that we’ve brought to practice is the same that they brought to practice every day.”

Glading said nobody is looking too far ahead, though.

“It’s a whole new season as we enter the ACC,” he said, referring to Virginia’s first league tilt.