Virginia, Clausen Get Revenge on Cornell

by Brian Delaney | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online | Game Blog

Virginia goalie Adam Ghitelman stares down Cornell shooter Chris Langton. Ghitelman made 14 saves in the top-ranked Cavaliers' 12-4 win over the eighth-ranked Big Red. © Greg Wall

ITHACA, N.Y. — As if the 15-6 loss to Cornell at the 2009 Final Four didn’t provide enough motivational fodder, Virginia defenseman Ken Clausen hadn’t forgotten what Rob Pannell did to the Cavaliers in two games last season.

Pannell went for six points in each game, including a three-goal, three-assist effort against Clausen and Co. at Gillette Stadium.

Tasked again Saturday with shutting off Cornell’s dynamic offensive quarterback, Clausen’s effort on Pannell was one of the highlights of a thoroughly one-sided 12-4 victory in a top-10 matchup at Schoellkopf Field.

“Yeah, I think we’ve been waiting for this one,” Clausen said. “They beat us down pretty bad last year. Embarrassed us.”

Pannell, a crafty sophomore who works best in space behind the cage, finished with one meaningless goal. He had zero assists — just a face-full of Clausen everywhere he went. His teammates, meanwhile, took away just about every off-ball cut, dodge or set play Cornell tried.

When Cornell (4-1) finally got off a shot, Adam Ghitelman usually snuffed it out. Ghitelman made 14 saves on the day, but few, if any, overly taxed the junior goaltender.

Cornell registered only 16 shots through three quarters, and trailed 10-2 entering the fourth.

“Honestly, we had great off-ball defense,” Clausen said. “(Pannell) was trying to get some passes in to some guys cutting, and our defense did a great job locking those down, making switches inside, making stick checks and really making that hard for them inside. I think we all shut them down together.”

Cornell’s scoring output was tied for the worst in the 10-year Jeff Tambroni era. The Big Red beat Princeton, 4-3, in 2006 and lost 14-4 to Georgetown in 2004. If not for an Austin Boykin goal with 27 seconds left, Cornell would have been held to its lowest scoring output sine a 12-2 loss to Princeton in 1991.

“I thought our big boys on defense did a really nice job with (Ryan) Hurley and Pannell,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “I thought we played well defensively overall, but in particular those two matchups I felt we at least kept those two guys under control. They’re as good as it gets in the game.”

All-American midfielder Shamel Bratton returned from a hamstring strain and scored two goals. Twin brother Rhamel also scored twice, as did sophomore Chris Bocklet and second line middie Colin Briggs.

Virginia’s offense stayed patient, confident that its defense would cover up any sequence of empty possessions.

The Cavaliers’ shortstick defenders won their-on-one battles and exposed a young and inexperienced Cornell midfield line that has endured some early-season struggles. The Big Red’s two midfield units were held to one point, a first-quarter goal by sophomore Chris Langton.

“I think the biggest discrepancy (between the two teams), and we talked about this with our guys, is through the midfield,” Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni said. “The Brattons and (Brian) Carroll, and their defensive middies, they have three veterans playing back there and I didn’t think we really provided that much of a threat at the midfield today to soften up their close defense and give Ryan Hurley and Rob Pannell a little bit more room.”

When Cornell lost an evenly played regular season game at Virginia last year, 14-10, the Big Red realized it was close to a top-five level. On Saturday, it found out just how far away it is.

No. 1 Virginia (6-0) drove back to Charlottesville with its second victory over a top-10 team safely tucked away.

Clausen was happy, if not completely satisfied.

“We know what happened to us last year. With this game in particular, that was on our minds,” he said. “We wanted to make a statement. I think we’re getting better with every game, but by no means are we playing our best lacrosse. We have a lot to work on.”