University of Virginia Library

Face Mt. Washington Next

Stickmen Down Jackets

Glenn Thiel's highly regarded
lacrosse team took on Randolph Macon
Saturday afternoon on University
Hall Field, whipping the
visitors from Ashland, 14-7.

The Cavaliers were able to take
the lead early in the game on a goal
pumped in from the midfield by
Pete Eldridge with 11:46 left in the
first quarter before a bi-partisan
crowd of some three hundred. The
Yellow-Jackets tied it at one apiece
with a goal by midfielder Billy
Conkling, but this was close as they
were to come all afternoon. Seven
Virginia goals followed in succession
before they could dent the
nets again.

Crease-attack man Rick Beach, a
third-year man in his varsity debut,
scored three goals, as did second year
man Eldridge, and rookie
attackman Tom Duquette. Another
first-year man who performed well
was Rick Bergland, who scored
twice.

The midfield play was exceptionally
smooth at times. Coach
Thiel played two midfield units
alternately, using a third to help
carry the load when the action
slowed down. At other times,
however, the play got sloppy,
particularly the ground ball work.
As this was only a scrimmage, not
too much can be made from the
occasional lack of cohesiveness in
the midfield.

Virginia's defending ACC
champs are pretty much in the
same shape as they were at the end
of last season except for in the goal.
Perhaps the major rebuilding problem
Mr. Thiel has to face this year
is to somehow compensate for the
loss through graduation of All American
goalie Jim Eustice. Eustice's
replacement, third-year man
Al Hirsch, came into Saturday's
game with a fairly decent amount
of college experience in the net, but
he needs more actual game time in
which he must face pressure before
he comes around to filling Eustice's
shoes. Letting in seven goals, Hirsch
stood the pressure pretty well but
made some bad mistakes. Vastly
improved from last year in his
clearing of the ball to the attack, he
nonetheless forgot call backups
every once in a while, and was
consequently faced with one-on-one
situations he couldn't handle.

Noticeably absent from Saturday's
scrimmage were second-year
attackman Jay Connor and fourth year
middle Sandy Archibald. Connor
is sidelined with a case of
mononucleosis, but is expected to
return later in the season. Last year
he started at left behind, setting the
University record for total number
of assists in one game, nine against
Washington and Lee. Archibald,
however, will miss the whole season
as a result of injuries he suffered in
a automobile accident two weeks
ago.

This Saturday the stickmen will
open their season in Baltimore,
against the Mount Washington
Club, perhaps the best club team in
the country this spring. Mount
Washington boasts many former
All-Americans, including Johns
Hopkins' Joe Cowan and Navy's
Jim Lewis.