University of Virginia Library

Stickmen Earn Hero's Title,Stop Duke,UNC

By DOUG DOUGHTY

The Cavalier lacrosse team
humiliated North Carolina and
Duke during ACC action last
week, but the big story of the
vacation period was the squad's
championship of the Hero's
Invitational in Baltimore, two
weeks ago.

Clearly not the favorite in
the Hero's exclusive field, the
Cavaliers were highly-ranked
but not counted on to make a
shambles of the event. First
round competition was
provided by Denison, unranked
nationally, but the scourge of
Midwest lacrosse circles.

Tom Thomsen's Denison
lineup never had a chance.
Virginia came out and flipped
in seven goals in the first
quarter to the opposition's
one. The halftime margin was
10-3 and the Cavalier
goal tending tandem of Scotty
Howe and Rod Rullman stifled
Denison in the second half,
holding them scoreless. Final
score was 20-3.

Attackman Tom Duquette
paced the Cavalier onslaught
with four goals and an equal
number of assists. Jay Connor
had eight points, including six
assists.

Next to challenge the
Cavaliers was now sixth-ranked
Cortland State. Once again,
Virginia's foe was not allowed
even a slim hope of victory.
Down 13-3 midway through
the game, Cortland had its
hand full just holding the
Cavaliers to four goals in the
second half. Once more, the
first year net minding duo of
Rullman and Howe
spearheaded a stingy defense.

In the final match of the
tourney, the Charlottesville
stickmen met Long Island
Athletic Club, national club
champs for four years running.
The Cavaliers were on even
terms with Long Island for
three quarters, after which the
score was 6-6. Fired up to
begin the fourth quarter, the
underdogs pumped in five goals
to take away the crown from
defending champ Long Island,
11-8.

Duquette and Eldredge each
had three goals in the game and
Connor contributed five assists.
Howe, in his first solo effort of
the year, played the entire
game and rejected six shots.
Spoken of highly in all award
considerations, the Cavaliers
had four candidates for MVP,
which was captured by
Eldredge. The names of
Duquette, Connor and
defenseman Bruce Mangels
figured prominently.

Both North Carolina, April
5, and Duke April 8, came into
battle with high hopes. North
Carolina had challenged
Maryland rather stiffly earlier
in the year before succumbing,
while the Blue Devils came to
Charlottesville with an
impressive 6-2 record.

Subduing North Carolina
15-5 at Chapel Hill, the
Cavaliers had numerous heroes,
including Rullman, who started
in the goal and had 16 saves.
Duquette had four goals,
Connor seven assists. Duke fell
meekly three days later, 29-2,
with everybody and his brother
having a hand in the big win.