No. 18 Virginia, with an aim to regain possession of the E. Doyle Smith Cup, is geared up to play against No. 7-ranked Johns Hopkins this Saturday, March 1. This game marks the second of Virginia’s three-part away series. Kickoff at Homewood Field is poised for a noon start.
Remarking on last year’s suspense-filled NCAA Tournament quarterfinal at Towson, Virginia successfully ensured their participation in Championship weekend thanks to Connor Shellenberger’s decisive goal, scored during the second additional time which led UVA to an 11-10 victory. In an impressive defensive play, Virginia successfully stifled Hopkins, allowing zero scores for approximately the last 23 minutes, during which the latter managed to notch the concluding four goals.
On the defensive front, LSM Ben Wayer led UVA’s efforts, amassing a personal record of 10 groundballs in a single match. Other contributions include an assist and two forced turnovers. It’s important to mention the critical role of goaltender Kyle Morris, who, after eight successful saves and clutch stops in the opening overtime, deservedly claimed his first professional triumph.
First conducted in 1904, this weekend’s game underscores the 99th clash between Virginia and Johns Hopkins, marking the enduring rivalry between the two teams. Historically, Johns Hopkins holds the dominant hand in the ongoing series with 62 victories compared to UVA’s 35, and one tie.
This long-standing rivalry reignited annually since 1948, came to a pause only in 2019. As it stands, Hopkins holds the record as the adversary UVA has locked horns with the most in the history of their program. The two powerhouses have battled it out in the NCAA Tournament, where they’ve met 16 times, with UVA recording a 6-10 scoreline.
Of their previous ten meetings, four heated confrontations extended into overtime. Virginia however, demonstrated their resilience in these circumstances having won three out of four overtime matches.
To honor Edward ‘Doyle’ Smith Jr. and his monumental contributions to both University’s lacrosse programs, as well as on a national scale, the Doyle Smith Cup was established in 2006. Virginia and Johns Hopkins hence play annually for the coveted trophy. Smith’s legacy extends from his tenure at Johns Hopkins as team manager and statistician from 1963-68, under the leadership of coach Bob Scott, to his important role at UVA.
Smith pursued a doctorate at UVA in 1968. He became the University’s pioneering full-time assistant sports information director, his tenure significant and productive, spanning over three decades until his retirement in 1999. He is responsible for crafting the original draft that ultimately served as a guideline for the existing NCAA men’s lacrosse statisticians’ manual.
Edifying recognition of Smith’s contributions came in 2000, with his selection into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, presenting an interesting narrative – considering Smith neither played nor coached the sport at any level. His death in 2004 occurred shortly following the national championship game.
Last year, Hopkins took the E. Doyle Smith Cup for the first time after 2018, with their 16-14 victory at Klöckner Stadium. UVA previously emerged victorious in the three preceding annual faceoffs in 2019, 2022, and 2023. However, the cumulative tally in the Smith Cup series remains led by Virginia for the entirety of the series’ existence – 11-6 in favor of UVA.
Their resounding 17-8 win over High Point at Klöckner Stadium on Tuesday evening, Feb 18, further invigorated the spirits of UVA players. Ryan Colsey (6g, 3a) led the line for Virginia, wherein nine of Virginia’s players managed to score. Complementing the performance, Truitt Sunderland contributed three goals and two assists. Kyle Morris secured the victory, marking it as his third win of the season.
Johns Hopkins came in strong, winning its opening four matches of the season. The team experienced their first loss against North Carolina with a close 12-11 score at Homewood Field last week. North Carolina’s three-run spree in the inaugural minute marked the start of the game, while another surge in the fourth quarter decided the fate of the match.
Johns Hopkins’ man-up group continues to set the standard nationwide, aided by an impressive 80 percent successful goal score rate (4 out of 5 attempts) for the season so far. Russell Melendez lead the Blue Jays’ attack, averaging 2.80 goals and 4.40 points per game. The season concludes with a neutral site match for UVA, against Towson (0-4), on Saturday, March 8 in Houston, Texas.