UVA Men’s Lacrosse Team ready to take on Michigan

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Cavaliers are gearing up for what will hopefully be a special season.

The University of Virginia returns nine of 10 starters from last year’s men ‘s lacrosse team, and begins this year with high expectations.

“We’re not a great team, right now. We can be a great team,” Lars Tiffany said.

On attack, the Cavaliers will be led by last year’s leading goal scorer, Payton Comier, and Charlottesville native Connor Shellenherger, the red-shirt junior ready for an even bigger role.

“Shellenberger understands that he is the quarterback. He’s working even harder than before, he’s watching more film, he’s studying more defenses. It’s like a Tom Brady-esque when you talk about his preparation for the next game and the next opponent,” Tiffany said.

UVA came into last season as the two-time defending national champs, but lost twice to Maryland, including a nine-goal defeat to the Terps in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.

“They did such a great job of putting their players in position to make plays and I think they trust guys to make plays, and I think you see a lot of that with our team this year,” Cole Kastner said.

“We have the same roster, if not a little more powerful, and can we work as hard as they do as a unit because that’s what made them so great,” Xander Dickson said.

“We have to be at a higher level this year because of what Maryland showed us in 2022,” Tiffany said.

Virginia’s schedule this year includes nine games against teams ranked in the preseason top 25.

“There’s never going to be an easy matchup out there. Everybody’s going to give us their best shot and we just have to be ready to give ours right back,” Kastner said.

It starts Saturday, Feb. 11, at home against Michigan.

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