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Weekend Preview: Denver Hosts UNC, UVa-'Cuse in the Dome, Maryland Takes on Notre Dame

No. 9 Virginia (4-1) at No. 10 Syracuse (2-1)
When: Noon Sunday
Last meeting: March 4, 2016, Syracuse won 14-13
ACC play begins this weekend with another installment of one of the game’s most exciting rivalries. The Virginia-Syracuse series is tied at 16 games apiece (each team has scored exactly 416 goals as well), but Virginia has made three straight unsuccessful trips to the Carrier Dome dating back to 2009. And of course, there is that other streak plaguing the Cavaliers as well; they haven’t won an ACC game since March 1, 2014. To be fair, that 2014 victory was a 17-12 win against the Orange, so there’s that, but still, that’s a serious slump for a program the likes of Virginia.

Of course, there’s a new coach running the show in Charlottesville, and since he feels no ownership of that rack of Ls the Cavaliers have strung together, Lars Tiffany is heading into this game free from the burdens of the past. Even more important to Virginia’s fresh slate, two of its top four scorers (Dox Aitken and Michael Kraus, 18 and 20 points each, respectively) are freshmen, and may not feel the sense of frustrated urgency that some older players may experience. On the other hand, there’s a chance that they’ll be playing in front of a Carrier Dome crowd the size of their first five audiences combined, and that’s a completely different issue to deal with.

After an 11-10 loss at Penn last weekend, the Cavaliers rebounded with a midweek 18-12 win over HIgh Point. Aitken scored a career-high five goals, Kraus handed out a career-high five assists, and upperclassmen Zed Williams and Mike D’Amario each contributed five points as well.

As for the Orange, they’re coping with a one-goal loss of their own, giving up the game-winner with .5 seconds left and falling 14-13 to Army. One of the key takeaways from last weekend’s loss is that Syracuse is a team still tinkering with its formations. Attackmen Stephen Rehfuss and Brad Voight (two goals and one goal against Army, respectively) have made the most of their time as reserves, and Nick DiPietro has subbed in considerably in the team’s third defenseman spot.

Starter-wise, Syracuse’s most consistent contributors have been Brendan Bomberry, who has scored exactly four points in each of the team’s first three games (each time a different goal-assist permutation) and Sergio Salcido (3, 8), who has emerged as the team’s top feeder, at least at this early stage of the season.

Locking down the Cavaliers’ turbocharged offense is obviously way easier when they don’t have the ball in the first place, so the game’s biggest question pertains to the status of Syracuse face-off midfielder Ben Williams (29-42; 69%), who was a late scratch from last Saturday’s game. Williams was replaced last weekend by redshirt senior Cal Paduda (and ultimately freshman Danny Varello), Army jumping out to an 11-5 face-off lead in the first half. No matter who suits up for the Orange, Virginia’s Luke Brugel (36-56, 63%) and Jason Murphy (55-90, 61%) should provide a serious challenge.

Syracuse.com is reporting that Williams is expected to play.

 

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