The Virginia Cavaliers will have a chance to win back-to-back national titles in men’s lacrosse as the Hoos withstood a frantic 4th quarter rally to hold on to a 12-11 victory over top-seeded North Carolina in the NCAA tournament semifinals. Virginia had a comfortable 9-4 lead at the halftime break, but the Tar Heels turned up the pressure in the second half to pull within one with 3:05 to play. UNC had four possessions in that final stretch, but the Cavalier defense stood strong despite issues in the clearing game.
Goalkeeper Alex Rode, who finished with 15 saves and a 58% save percentage in the game, had a huge save on Nicky Solomon with 2:19 remaining.