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http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/SPORTS/617163906/1005

Duke tops UVa, claims second straight title

April 28, 2008

By Patrick Stevens - CHARLOTTESVILLE — It won’t take a perfect game for No. 3 Virginia to upend top-ranked Duke in next month’s NCAA tournament.

A complete game, though, wouldn’t hurt.

The Cavaliers stumbled through three quarters before scoring the final six goals in an 11-9 loss to the Blue Devils in the ACC tournament final at Klockner Stadium.

It was Virginia’s second loss in 16 days to a formidable Duke team and left the Cavaliers (12-3) flustered with their early sloppy play.

“We only played one quarter of lacrosse and lost by two,” said goalie Bud Petit, who made a career-high 18 saves. “We figured something out in that second half that I think most teams haven’t figured out. Honestly, I don’t know what it was, but we just started playing. If we play four quarters [that] way, we’ll have a lot better shot.”

Tournament MVP Dan Loftus, one of four fifth-year seniors that made the all-tournament team this season, made 17 saves as the Duke Blue Devils (15-1) won their second straight ACC title.

With Petit matching Loftus save for save, the more opportunistic team figured to thrive. For much of the day, that was Duke.

The Blue Devils built a 7-3 lead and extended it to 11-3 behind three extra-man goals in the third quarter. Through it all, it seemed the Cavaliers might endure an avalanche similar to the 19-9 loss to Duke on April 12, when the Blue Devils scored the final 10 goals.

“We just looked a little bit in awe in the first 20 minutes,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “All this talk about Duke and all the circumstances and everything else — I thought we stood around and gave them too many second-chance opportunities in the first half.”

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