No. 11 Virginia (5-2, 2-0 ACC) overcame a five-goal deficit in the second half, disposing No. 7 Notre Dame (3-2, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday afternoon, 13-11, at Klöckner Stadium.
UVA used an 8-1 run over the game’s final 23:59 to snatch the key league victory. UVA is 2-0 to start ACC play for the first time since the 2012 season.
Virginia led early, 4-2, after Michael Kraus found Mikey Herring across the crease with 11:24 left to play in the second quarter. Notre Dame surged to a 10-5 lead on the heels of its own 8-1 run which was capped by Connor Morin with 8:59 left to play in the third quarter. At one point during the run Notre Dame scored five-straight goals, capped by back-to-back goals by Wheaton Jackoboice to close the first half.
Ian Laviano started the UVA comeback with an extra-man goal on a Matt Moore helper at 7:27 left in the third quarter. The goal jump-started UVA’s 8-1 streak to end the game. Laviano scored three of his game-high five goals during run, capping his day with the go-ahead score with 6:26 left to play on another assist from Moore.
After UVA took the lead for good, Moore scored unassisted to give UVA a two-goal cushion, 12-10. The Irish broke through with 2:54 left on a Quinn McCahon goal via a Brian Willetts pass. Notre Dame won the ensuing faceoff, but a clutch caused turnover from John Fox of Notre Dame’s Griffin Westlin created another UVA offensive opportunity. With 54 seconds left, Dox Aitken stuck a high-to-high shot to give the Cavaliers the final two-goal win. The Irish won the following faceoff, but Moore and Fox each caused turnovers that derailed all comeback plans for Notre Dame.
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Chris Graham
