February 21, 2012

The Virginia men's lacrosse team earned their second victory of the season Tuesday night with a 19-5 win over VMI in their home opener. Senior captain Steele Stanwick scored two goals and assisted five others for a seven-point performance.

"I thought we played hard and were sharper with the ball," said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. "It was really the first time we were able to do that since we started in January."

VMI struck first with a goal in the second minute of the game. Stanwick tied the game with his first score at the 8:17 mark and started a 6-0 streak to end the first quarter. UVa followed it with a 12-2 scoring run in the second and third quarters to lead 18-3.

Seven Cavaliers made their college debuts, ten different Cavaliers combined for the 19 goals scored.

"It was certainly nice to get guys off the bench and on the field in a game situation," said Starsia. "As a team, it helped us quite a bit. As we move forward, we understand that we will have to communicate better. This game is a great step forward."

Virginia hosts Stony Brook Saturday at noon. The game will be televised on ESPN3.