On Friday, Virginia lacrosse blasted Drexel 17-6 to close its regular season campaign. The Hoos opened the game with an 8-1 run, leaving no doubt heading into the ACC Tournament. On Senior Day, senior captains Truitt Sunderland and Joey Terenzi led the way with ten and four points, respectively. That said, here are five takeaways from Virginia’s win over Drexel.
Truitt Sunderland Dominates
The senior from Baltimore, in potentially his final game at Klöckner Stadium, delivered his best performance of the season, recording a career-high 10 points with four goals and six assists. Sunderland, who captains the Cavaliers, reminded everyone of his goal-scoring ability while showing his capability as a feeder, finding four different teammates for goals. Headed into the ACC Tournament, Sunderland is firing on all cylinders alongside Brendan and McCabe Millon, making this Virginia attack a force to be reckoned with.
That man cold 🥶Truitt Sunderland GOAL#GoHoos🔸⚔️🔹 pic.twitter.com/aaZ3FJg8Sp
— Virginia Men’s Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) April 24, 2026
Virginia Defense Allows Season Low Six Goals
After the Cavaliers allowed 16 goals last Saturday against North Carolina, the Virginia defense clamped down and allowed a season-best six goals allowed. The defensive stand started with an impressive point-blank save from Kyle Morris before the Hoos locked down defensively. John Schroter anchored the Cavs as he registered three caused turnovers and three groundballs, while Aidan Murnane scooped four groundballs and added one caused turnover. The performance was also due to goalies Morris and Jake Marek, who posted a combined 16 saves and a 72.7 save percentage. Additionally, Virginia was lights out on man-down, allowing zero goals on three attempts for the Dragons. After a brutal first half against UNC last weekend, where the Hoos allowed eleven first-half goals, the ship has been steadied defensively.
Jake Marek Stays Hot in Net
On senior day, Jake Marek once again proved his value. After coming off the bench to replace Morris, who received the start for senior day, Marek posted 12 saves, which included saving his first seven shots to help the Cavaliers take a commanding lead. The Air Force transfer recorded a season-high save percentage as he saved 80% of his shots on Friday, giving him confidence moving forward. Marek also showed confidence in the clear game, making quick outlet passes off of clean saves to allow Virginia to push transition and play its brand of lacrosse.
This sequence 😍#GoHoos🔸⚔️🔹 pic.twitter.com/SwATSsrUCr
— Virginia Men’s Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) April 24, 2026
Hoos Flash Depth
With Ryan Colsey and Robby Hopper out, Coach Lars Tiffany took the opportunity to show the depth of his team on Friday. Notable performances came from Aidan Murnane, who played some LSM and scooped four groundballs, and Sean Browne, who scored a goal and an assist on the offensive end. Defender Eli Petty also saw time, notching two groundballs, one caused turnover, and one assist. Headed into the hot month of May, having depth to rely on will be essential if the Hoos want to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Virginia is Likely in the NCAA Tournament
With a dominant win over Drexel, the Cavaliers have likely secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament as the Hoos ranked 9th in RPI headed into today’s game, putting them inside the bubble. Headed into the ACC Tournament, if the Hoos can win one game, they have a decent shot at securing a home game in the first round. As long as Virginia is not embarrassed next Friday, its spot is safe in the big dance…