Cavaliers Now

Shellenberger Leads No. 2 Virginia to 15-11 Victory at No. 11 North Carolina

Shellenberger tallied four goals and three assists in UVA's win in Chapel Hill

Matt Newton

Virginia and North Carolina met three times in the 2021 college lacrosse season. Each matchup was a high-scoring and entertaining battle, including a thrilling 12-11 victory for the Cavaliers in the NCAA semifinals. 

On Thursday night in Chapel Hill, the Hoos and Heels clashed for the first time this season and were seemingly destined for another great finish after a back-and-forth first half that ended with UNC holding a 10-9 halftime lead. 

The second half told a completely different story. 

Virginia held North Carolina scoreless in the third quarter and outscored UNC 6-1 after halftime en route to a strong 15-11 road win over the 11th-ranked Tar Heels on Thursday night at Dorrance Field. 

Griffin Schutz and Jeff Conner scored goals in the first two minutes of the game to give Virginia an early lead, but UNC responded with five straight goals, including two from Cole Herbert. 

Both teams had trouble keeping their footing throughout the game due to wet and slippery conditions at Dorrance field. The Tar Heels managed to keep their feet beneath them in the first quarter to take a 5-2 lead on the defending national champions. 

Zac Tucci gave UNC an early possession advantage, winning seven of nine faceoffs in the first quarter. Petey LaSalla shook off the slow start and ended up winning more than half of his faceoff draws (14/27), but North Carolina still had a 16-14 overall advantage at the faceoff x. 

Connor Shellenberger scored a goal to make it 5-3 UNC at the end of the first quarter and then he scored again to start the second quarter, sparking a five-goal Virginia run to regain the lead. 

Shellenberger continued his sensational start to his sophomore campaign with seven points on four goals and three assists. Shellenberger has recorded at least five points in each of the first six games of the season, continuing his streak of ten such games with at least five points dating back to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. 

Matt Moore finished the 5-0 UVA run with a pair of unassisted goals, both of which were high-difficulty bouncer shots that found the back of the net late in the shot clock. Moore posted his third hat trick of the season and set a season-high with five points as he recorded three goals and two assists. 

After Moore's second goal made it 7-5, there was an extended battle for the ensuing faceoff and the scrum sent the ball dangerously close to Virginia's cage, where it was eventually scooped by Nicky Solomon for an easy goal on the doorstep of the crease. Shellenberger threaded a brilliant pass to Patrick McIntosh in front of the cage for an immediate answer. 

But, the Tar Heels then closed on a 4-1 run, including a pair of goals from Jacob Kelly, to take a 10-9 lead into halftime. 

Virginia might have fared better on the scoreboard in the first half if it weren't for some fantastic goalkeeping from UNC sophomore Colin Krieg, who made 11 saves on Virginia's 20 shots on goal in the first half. Krieg made 18 saves on 33 shots on goal in the game. 

Matthew Nunes was no slouch in the opposite cage for Virginia, recording eight saves versus 11 goals allowed. He was very active outside of the crease as well, collecting four ground balls and causing three turnovers. 

READ MORE: Cole Kastner: The Key to Virginia's Smothering Ride

Nunes faced only one shot on goal in the third quarter as the Cavaliers used a 4-2 edge in faceoffs, a 12-7 advantage in ground balls, and six UNC turnovers to effectively neutralize North Carolina's attack in the third period. After giving up five goals in each of the first two quarters, the Tar Heels were shutout by UVA's defense in the third. Cole Kastner, the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Week, played fantastic defense on one of the top offensive talents in college lacrosse, Chris Gray, limiting him to just one goal on seven shots. 

The Virginia offense was more than happy to take full advantage, putting up five goals in the period, including a pair from Payton Cormier, who recorded his fifth hat trick through the first six games of the season. 

Shellenberger's third goal of the game was another highlight-reel play, as he absorbed a check from a UNC defender, whose stick snapped in half on impact, and Shellenberger rolled around the crease for an uncontested goal to give the Hoos the lead for good. 

Virginia's 5-0 third quarter turned a one-goal halftime deficit into a 14-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. UNC finally scored on a goal from PJ Zinsner midway through the period to end a scoring drought of over 20 minutes, but that would be the Tar Heels' only goal of the second half. Shellenberger added a fourth goal as insurance with just over five minutes to play. Virginia was content to play keep away and drain the clock on its remaining possessions and sealed the 15-11 victory. 

With the win, UVA remains undefeated and moves to 6-0 on the season. Barring a loss by Maryland to Albany on Saturday, the Terrapins and the Cavaliers will both be a perfect 6-0 on the season when they meet next Saturday (3/19) at Audi Field in Washington D.C. in a heavyweight matchup between the undisputed top two teams in the nation and a rematch of the 2021 National Championship. 

What are your thoughts on Virginia's 15-11 victory over North Carolina? Join the conversation at Cavaliers Now Forums

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Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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