CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Virginia scored the game's first four goals to take command early and gain a 24-5 victory over VMI in game played in a heavy rain at Klöckner Stadium. With the win the third-ranked Cavaliers improve to 5-0 on the season; VMI falls to 1-4 overall.

Ben Rubeor scored a game-high four goals as 14 different Cavaliers entered the scoring column. His first goal at the 13:00 mark of the first quarter was the 100th of his career as he became only the 10th player in school history to reach 100. Danny Glading had a career-high six assists, all in the first half.

Virginia built a 7-3 lead after one quarter of play and led 17-4 at halftime. Head coach Dom Starsia substituted liberally in the second half as all 37 players in uniform played. Matt Harrison led the Keydets with three goals.

Virginia returns to action Saturday (March 8) at Princeton in a game scheduled to start at noon. The game will be televised on ESPN, the first regular-season men's lacrosse game to air on the big network.

* * * *

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The VMI Keydet Lacrosse team got a three-goal game from senior Matt Harrison, but the No. 3-ranked Virginia Cavaliers proved too much, as homestanding Virginia defeated visiting VMI 24-5 Tuesday night at Virginia's Klöckner Stadium.

A season after being shutout by Virginia, VMI came out of the gates quickly. The Keydets handled an early four-goal run by the Cavaliers, which included Tewaaraton Award Watch List member Ben Rubeor's 100th career goal. VMI then responded, as the Keydets took advantage of an illegal equipment penalty against the Cavaliers. Matt Harrison was able to tally back-to-back man-up goals within a 90-second span, chopping Virginia's lead in half. The goals were Harrison's third and fourth of his final collegiate campaign.

Virginia quickly responded, as the Cavaliers tallied three goals in just a one-minute time period, beginning at the 2:28 mark. VMI's Jacob Weimer scored off a Kevin Hill pass with 23 seconds remaining in the opening frame, concluding the first period scoring with Virginia ahead, 7-3. Virginia deluged Keydet netminder Sean McCoy, firing fifteen shots at the sophomore during the first quarter.

The No. 3-ranked Cavaliers began to pull away early in the second frame. Back-to-back Virginia goals upped its lead to 9- 3. Harrison answered for VMI off a dish from reigning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week Tim Moran, but that was as close as the Keydets would get the remainder of the evening. To conclude the half, Virginia scored eight unanswered goals, and the Cavaliers led 17-4 at the intermission.

In the third period, Virginia opened with five straight goals. VMI scored as Jacob Weimer tallied his second goal of the game, marking the third-straight game in which the sophomore had scored two goals. The final frame saw the Keydets manage four shots, and the Cavaliers notch the final goal just nine seconds into the period to account for the final margin.

The Keydets will return to action Saturday, as they travel to Moon Township, Penn., to take on the Robert Morris Colonials. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

* * * *

Score by Period       1  2  3  4  Tot
-------------------------------------
VMI.................  3  1  1  0 -  5
Virginia............  7 10  6  1 - 24
 
VMI SCORING:
GOALS: Harrison, Matt 3; Weimer, Jacob 2.
ASSISTS: Moran, Tim 2; Hill, Kevin 1; Weschler, Leonard 1.
 
Virginia SCORING:
GOALS: Ben Rubeor 4; Danny Glading 3; Gavin Gill 2; Brian Carroll 2;
       Jack Riley 2; Drew Garrison 2; Kevin Carroll 2; Garrett Billings 1;
       John Haldy 1; Joe Dewey 1; Garett Ince 1; Nick Elsmo 1; Shamel
       Bratton 1; Tim Fuchs 1.
ASSISTS: Danny Glading 6; Gavin Gill 3; Garrett Billings 2; Rhamel
         Bratton 2; John Haldy 2; Joe Dewey 1; Peter Lamade 1; Brian
         McDermott 1; Ryan Nizolek 1; Max Pomper 1.
 
SHOTS BY PERIOD       1  2  3  4  Tot
-------------------------------------
VMI................. 10  7  3  4 - 24
Virginia............ 15 20 10  1 - 46
 
GROUND BALLS BY PRD   1  2  3  4  Tot
-------------------------------------
VMI................. 10  6  7  4 - 27
Virginia............ 16 14 10  6 - 46
 
FACE-OFFS BY PRD       1     2     3     4     Total
----------------------------------------------------
VMI.................  6-11  2-11  5-8   0-2  - 13-32
Virginia............  5-11  9-11  3-8   2-2  - 19-32
 
CLEARS BY PERIOD       1     2     3     4     Total
----------------------------------------------------
VMI.................  0-1   2-5   1-2   2-4  -  5-12
Virginia............  5-5   4-4   3-4   2-5  - 14-18
 
EXTRA-MAN OPPS         1     2     3     4     Total
----------------------------------------------------
VMI.................  2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0  -  2-2
Virginia............  1-1   0-0   2-2   1-2  -  4-5
 
SAVES BY PERIOD       1  2  3  4  Tot
-------------------------------------
VMI.................  2  3  1  0 -  6
Virginia............  1  2  2  1 -  6
 
TURNOVERS BY PRD      1  2  3  4  Tot
-------------------------------------
VMI.................  4  6  5  4 - 19
Virginia............  3  5  3  6 - 17
 
PENALTIES - VMI 5/3:30; Virginia 2/4:00.

2008-03-05