Reclaiming the Cage: Matthew Nunes Resurges as Virginia's Starting Netminder

Aidan Baller | Mar 26, 2025

Virginia Athletics

It's been a tumultuous senior year for Matthew Nunes in net, but after seeing time on the sidelines, Nunes has reestablished himself as Virginia's starting netminder.

Arriving on Grounds as the No. 1 goalie prospect for his class, Nunes was thrust into the starting lineup his freshman year. Up to the billing, Nunes started in 15 of the 16 games, recording 159 saves en route to earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors. 

In his second year, Nunes retained his position as Virginia's starting goalie, taking larger leaps in 2023, starting all 17 games and helping the Cavaliers to a Final Four appearance. Nunes was phenomenal in the postseason, logging 13 saves against Georgetown in the quarterfinals before a 17-save game in Virginia's 13-12 overtime loss to Notre Dame in the semifinals in Philadelphia.

Headed into last season, Nunes was once again the starter, but would have a true contender behind him in Kyle Morris, who, after redshirting in 2023, was hungry for game action in 2024. 

Like his sophomore year, Nunes started every game of the regular season, although his junior year came with difficulties, which included a hand injury that hindered his play. That injury flared up just before a road matchup against Duke in April. In that game, Nunes allowed seven goals while making zero saves in the first quarter, unable to keep up with the hot shooting Blue Devils as he played through injury. Kyle Morris relieved Nunes and played the rest of the game, which ended in a lopsided loss for the Cavaliers.

The following week, the Hoos traveled to face Syracuse with Nunes again struggling early, allowing four goals in the first quarter on zero saves, although this time Nunes remained in the game.

Believing in their netminder, the Cavalier coaching staff stayed with Nunes, who, to their belief, hit his stride with eight saves in the third quarter and 15 saves overall, an effort that allowed Virginia to stay in the game down to the wire, but ultimately suffered a tough 18-17 loss.

Nunes remained the team's starting goalie into the postseason, posting 11 saves and a 50% save percentage in a 17-11 win over Saint Joseph's in the first round. The goalie situation became a storyline again going into the quarterfinal matchup against Johns Hopkins, with UVA head coach Lars Tiffany telling the media that the margin between Nunes and Morris was razor thin.

Out of the gates, Nunes struggled, allowing four goals with only one save, and Lars Tiffany pulled the trigger quickly on a goalie substitution. Kyle Morris took over the reins for the remainder of the game and the Baltimore native picked up eight saves to lead the Hoos to Championship Weekend. Tiffany went with the hot hand in UVA's next game, giving Morris the first start of his college career in the Final Four game against Maryland, a 12-6 loss for Virginia to end the season.

Headed into this season, Morris was named the starter, seemingly putting Nunes on the bench for his final year in Charlottesville, though the message from Tiffany was that the goalie battle would continue into the regular season.

Despite the news, Nunes continued to work while supporting his teammate in net, waiting in the wings for an opportunity to prove himself again. 

"Me and Kyle [Morris]. I mean, honestly, we're best friends. He supports me like no other," said Nunes in a postgame interview after Virginia's 12-9 win over Albany. 

Then, in his home state of Texas, Coach Tiffany awarded Nunes the start, an opportunity he took full advantage of against Towson. 

In the game, Nunes finished with 15 saves and a 71.4 save percentage en route to helping the Cavaliers to an 11-6 victory over the Towson Tigers as the Virginia defense recorded a season-best six goals allowed. 

Read more on Virginia's win in the Lone Star State here: Texas Natives Lead the Way for UVA Lacrosse in Win Over Towson in Houston

"Starting with [Matthew] Nunes in the goal – boy, was that reminiscent of what he did so often the first three years here as a Virginia Cavalier," said Tiffany after the win over Towson. "The confidence he gives the entire defense, not only in making saves, which he did a whole lot of today, but in terms of the riding and clearing. What a wonderful moment for Matt Nunes to be able to come home and lead us to victory."

The victory electrified his confidence as Nunes has started UVA's last four games, leading the Cavaliers to a 3-1 record with the lone loss coming to then-No. 1 Maryland. Nunes has also recorded double-digit saves in three of the four games.

“I think he's doing everything well. I don't even know if I could name something that I think he needs to improve on. He's been saving some incredible shots," said Ben Wayer at Tuesday's media availability. "Like, there's times where… maybe I'll have a mental lapse, and I'll look back and be like, “uh oh”, and Nunes is bailing us out again. And then he's so great at getting out of the cage and getting ground balls and just accelerating our clear. I think he's been playing phenomenal.”

.@matthewnunes11 has been a 🧱 wall recently.

In our last three wins, he’s held opposing teams to 8.1 goals per game. pic.twitter.com/1aN36ray8b

— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) March 24, 2025

To add to the success in net, Nunes has benefited the Virginia clearing game, with the Cavaliers going 68/72 over the last three games after the Hoos struggled with their clear to start the year. On one clear in the win over Albany, Nunes looked off a teammate, similar to an NFL quarterback pulling the safety in the wrong direction, before rocketing a full-field pass to complete the clear, a product of his experience and ability in the cage.

"Matt wants to be a coach someday when he graduates; this is the profession. He wants my job someday, and he's that type of player on the field," Tiffany said of Nunes after Virginia's 12-9 win over Albany last week in which Nunes recorded 14 saves. "It's wonderful when you can coach players who see the big picture, who have a common presence and can understand, you know, the chess match, the moving parts."

Nunes continued that positive momentum with another solid performance on Saturday, making 12 saves versus nine goals allowed in Virginia's 14-9 victory over Utah. That game also saw Nunes move into sole possession of second place on UVA's all-time saves leaderboard with 603 career saves, surpassing the likes of Adam Ghitelman and Alex Rode in the process.

"It's great to be back in the goal, helping us in the clear and just trying to give us a voice back there to support our close defenseman," Nunes said. "We've honestly been playing great the last few games, so just trying to try to make those saves that are needed for them."

With his title of starting goalie restored, Nunes will look to command the Virginia defense through ACC play in hopes of getting Virginia into the NCAA Tournament.

"Nunes, the last few games, has really given us a calming presence in the clear and he’s made a lot of saves too," Tiffany said on Tuesday. "I mean look at the transition opportunities that Utah could’ve had, or Albany could’ve had, to really get some momentum going their way, and Nunes was able to shut that down."

Nunes and the Cavaliers will return to action and open ACC play against No. 8 Syracuse on Saturday at 1pm ET at Klockner Stadium.

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