UVA Lacrosse: Five Keys to a Virginia Win at Johns Hopkins

Aidan Baller | Feb 28, 2025

Virginia Athletics

It's Doyle Smith Cup week, Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins, one of the most storied rivalries in college lacrosse. For a quick history lesson, the cup is named after Edward Doyle Smith Jr., a five-year team manager and statistician with the Blue Jays before serving as UVa's first assistant sports director and lacrosse statistician from 1968-1999. Doyle Smith was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2000, with the game honoring his legacy and contributions to the sport of lacrosse and these two programs. 

As for the recent history of the rivalry named after him, the Cavaliers ended the Blue Jays' season in 2024 with a double overtime winner from Connor Shellenberger to send Virginia to Championship Weekend. In 2025, it's a much different story, with the Hoos sitting at 2-2 and being massive underdogs to a Johns Hopkins team that is 4-1 after a close 13-12 loss to North Carolina. A win for Virginia would be season-altering to begin March. With that said, here are five keys to a Virginia victory on Saturday. 

Offensive Fluidity - Move the Ball and Move Off of It 

The days of the heroics of Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier are gone. For the first time in a long time, the Cavaliers have struggled to win matchups and, when they do, have drawn early slides but have failed to capitalize on finding the open man, a typical characteristic of past teams in Charlottesville. That said, Virginia needs to adopt a new style of offense that involves all six offensive players with rapid ball movement and a spaghetti style of off-ball cutting similar to the styles of offense run by Maryland and Syracuse. 

Truitt Sunderland and Ryan Colsey are capable off-ball cutters, and McCabe Millon is a capable distributor, though he is questionable for this game after leaving the field injured from taking illegal hit in the final minute of UVA's loss at Ohio State. Whether Millon is available or not, the key to success will be moving, keeping the defense on their toes, and not letting the ball die in the sticks of the Cavaliers. An emphasis on constant movement will help catch the Blue Jays off guard compared to the last few games, where the Virginia offense felt predictable.

Win the Faceoff Battle and Push Transition 

One of the reasons for the Tar Heels' victory over the Blue Jays this past Saturday was their ability to push transition off the faceoff, which allowed North Carolina to race out to a 3-0 lead. Virginia knows how to play with pace, and with Anthony Ghobriel, who went 12/20 last time out against a Johns Hopkins unit led by Logan Callahan, who returns, the faceoff dot should favor the Cavaliers. That said, with a struggling offense this season, giving the Virginia offense a boost with transition goals off the jump will inspire momentum in a team that could use it after a brutal start to the season. 

Resolve the Clear Game 

The Hoos had 47 failed clears in 2024, yet already has 20 through the first four games in 2025. A good substitution and clear game are little things that make a huge difference in winning a lacrosse game. Two offside penalties in the fourth quarter cost the Hoos a victory against Richmond two weeks ago and were a problem against Ohio State this past Saturday. The inability to clear falls on the coaching staff and will need to be corrected if the Hoos want any chance of defeating the Blue Jays on Saturday. 

Limit Russell Melendez and Matt Collison 

The Johns Hopkins offense starts with Russell Melendez from behind, who leads the team in points with 14 goals and eight assists this season. Expect to see John Schroter draw the assignment against Melendez, who scored five goals on eight shots this past Saturday against UNC. Standing at 6'4 225 pounds, Matt Collison leads the charge up top, often using his size to bully past defenders. Collison will be a good test for LSM Ben Wayer, who can show his defensive capabilities against such a talented midfielder. Collison has nine goals and six assists this season.

Win the Groundball Battle 

The Cavaliers have led the nation in ground balls per game during seven of the last eight years. This year, the Hoos have lost the ground ball battle in two of their four games, a massive reason for their two tallies in the loss column. These extra possessions make a gigantic difference in close games and have served as the lifeblood of Virginia lacrosse under Lars Tiffany. If Virginia wants to turn its season around, it will start this Saturday on the ground.

The opening faceoff for the Doyle Smith Cup is set for noon at Homewood Field in Baltimore, Maryland and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

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