While the transfer portal in college athletics grabs the most headlines in football and basketball circles, it’s part of the ongoing roster management process for any program. The Virginia men’s lacrosse team is no different in that regard.
The NCAA window for men’s lacrosse transfers opened on Monday, May 8 and runs through Wednesday, June 21. That obviously overlaps the postseason for teams that qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Inside Lacrosse reported that UVA freshman Mac Eldridge, a faceoff specialist out of Georgetown Prep, had entered the portal.
Virginia coach Lars Tiffany did not address anyone currently in the portal, but made clear what his transfer portal stance is. That came as he answered a question about flourishing senior Xander Dickson, who entered the portal at one point earlier in his career along with some other still current Cavaliers.
“Yeah those were some dark days,” Tiffany said with a slight smile. “Xander, Payton Cormier, Mikie Harmeyer. Obviously, now we’ve got another man in the transfer portal. I talked to the team about it. We’ve set a tone. It’s OK to jump in there and see if the grass is greener on the other side, kick some tires, and that’s OK and you can come back. It’s worked out great. Xander did look at some other places. Is there an opportunity to play faster? Guys want to play. You run that risk when you commit to the University of Virginia, right? You’ve got to take your time. Connor Shellenberger is one of the few guys that got to play right away. Cade Saustad got to play right away. But most guys you’ve got to earn your time. Fortunately, Xander decided let me give it a little bit more time here and boy has it paid off for us.”
Indeed, Dickson’s presence on the UVA roster this year has paid off in a big way. In fact, the redshirt senior has put together a historical season for the Hoos.
Dickson has piled up 56 goals and 18 assists in 14 games so far this season. That is tied with legendary Virginia star Doug Knight, who had 56 goals in 15 games in 1996. Knight remains the program’s career leader with 165 goals. Dickson’s 74 points are 15 behind the program record set by Matt Moore, who had 89 points (46 goals, 43 assists) in 20 games in 2019.
Dickson scored multiple goals in 13 of the 14 regular season games. That included 7 goals in a home game against Syracuse as well as 6 goals against Richmond, Johns Hopkins, and Notre Dame in March. The Hoos and Spiders will meet again in their NCAA Tournament opener on Saturday (12 p.m., ESPNU) at Klockner Stadium. Dickson has climbed to 108 career goals.
Fellow points generator Connor Shellenberger, who has 19 goals and 43 assists this season, has been impressed with his Wahoo teammate. Virginia leads the country with an average of 17.64 goals per game.
“It’s been really cool to see the season Xander’s had,” Shellenberger said. “I think he gets a lot of credit for what he does inside, but I think we’ve also seen a lot of stuff he’s been able to do with the ball in his stick, especially down the stretch against short sticks or a pole. I think obviously Xander’s a super smart player and he’s really good in space, but also if you watch him play, his wrists, the way he sees the field, it makes everyone on our offense’s jobs real easy.”
Appreciating The Moment
Shellenberger enters his third NCAA Tournament with the Wahoos having lived on both ends of the spectrum. As a freshman in 2021, he secured the Most Outstanding Player Award while helping the Hoos claim the National Championship. Last season, Virginia bowed out before the Final Four in a 18-9 loss to Maryland.
Making the Final Four and taking the title with four wins in a row is a challenge. Having played in 47 games now as a Cavalier with two different NCAA Tournament experiences, Shellenberger said there is a different appreciation level as an upperclassman for this time of the year.
“I think when you’re a first or second year, you don’t really have an appreciation for how big the tournament is and how few opportunities you get in it,” Shellenberger said. “After losing last year, it kind of brings you back to earth and you realize how much you have to appreciate these games and getting the opportunity to compete. I think you also realize how hard it is. Once you win it your freshman year, you win four games and all the sudden you’re the National Champions. After you get blown out last year, you realize how hard it is to win those four games and you have a different level of appreciation.”
Virginia earned a top two seed in the tournament for the first time since 2010 this season with its 11-3 record. The ACC, in fact, produced the top three teams in the seeding list. Duke is the No. 1 overall seed, while Notre Dame is No. 3. Former conference rival Maryland is the No. 4 seed. If the seeds all hold, that would be the Final Four group in Philadelphia at the end of May.
Of course, the Hoos don’t want to get caught up in that thought process, though. They know Richmond came out on top of an April 2022 regular season game, 17-13, and is dangerous as a motivated in-state opponents. If they get past that test, a matchup with Georgetown or Yale would be next.
“I think it goes back to just trusting that process,” Shellenberger said. “It’s so cliche, but you really do have to treat it day by day, week by week. It’s so easy to look at who’s in your bracket, who will we play next if we win, who will we see in the Final Four but really all we have is this weekend at Klockner and one last ride for our fifth years and some of our fourth years at Klockner so really just appreciating that moment and seeing where the chips fall.”
More Virginia Notes
As the Cavaliers prepare for the NCAA Tournament, several other pieces of news have popped up.
The Hoos landed six players on the all-conference team. Dickson, Shellenberger, Saustad, Thomas McConvey, Cole Kastner, and Petey LaSalla all received All-ACC recognition. UVA and Notre Dame tied for the league lead with six selections each.
Three Virginia players were selected in the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League Draft on Tuesday too. The Waterdogs took McConvey with the No. 8 pick in the first round, while Atlas picked Dickson with the third pick in round two. The Whipsnakes chose LaSalla with the sixth pick in the second round. UVA is the only school in the nation with at least one first round pick in each of the first five PLL Drafts.
Virginia announced tickets were on sale for the home game this weekend. It’s $10 for general admission, $15 for reserved seats, and $5 for students. Besides being able to play in front of the home crowd, Coach Tiffany said it makes it easier to manage the end of final exams this week. “Being home is so critical, for our fans but also we don’t have to have proctors like we did last year at Providence College and doing final exams on the road. It’s such a blessing to earn this home game,” Tiffany said.
Worth Quoting
Connor Shellenberger on his improved health late in the season: “Definitely feeling a lot better. I have to give a lot of credit to our staff with Rebecca Vozzo. We’ve spent a lot of time together. She’s been amazing. These two week have been beneficial as well, being able to come back and starting to be able to practice a lot more than I was so hopefully can keep that momentum building.”
Virginia Coach Tiffany On Best Seat In The House
In addition to a media session with reporters on Tuesday, Coach Tiffany made a radio appearance ahead of the NCAA Tournament opener with Richmond. Check out his thoughts from the Best Seat In The House below.
