After a slow start to the game, the No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers were able to handle the unseeded Maryland Terrapins in a 9-7 victory, capturing the school's fifth national championship. Virginia's Colin Briggs, who was suspended for the team's semifinal game with the Denver Pioneers, put five goals on the board.
Maryland opened with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Virginia came back with five goals in the second period to lead at halftime, 5-3. Briggs put three in the back of the net that quarter alone. In the third quarter, Briggs had the only Cavaliers goal and he would add a final one with just 1:50 left in the game.
Two players who were impressive through the tournament didn't quite live up to the impact they had in previous games. Maryland's Grant Catalino did score two goals and assist on another, but it wasn't enough. Virginia's Steele Stanwick, possibly the national lacrosse player of the year, had just one assist and one shot.
Virginia previously won the National Title Game in 1972, 1999, 2003 and 2006. Maryland has been without a lacrosse championship since 1975.
Full result from the tournament:
Opening Round
No. 2 Cornell def. Hartford, 12-5
No. 3 Johns Hopkins def. Hofstra, 12-5
No. 4 Notre Dame def. Penn, 13-6
No. 5 Duke def. Delaware, 15-14
No. 1 Syracuse def. Siena, 10-4
No. 6 Denver def. Villanova, 13-10
No. 7 Virginia def. Bucknell, 13-12
Maryland def. No. 8 North Carolina, 13-6
Quarterfinals
No. 7 Virginia def. No. 2 Cornell, 13-9
No. 6 Denver def. No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 14-9
Maryland def. No. 1 Syracuse, 6-5 (OT)
No. 5 Duke def. No. 4 Notre Dame, 7-5
Semifinals
No. 7 Virginia def. No. 6 Denver, 14-8
Maryland def. No. 5 Duke, 9-4
National Title
No. 7 Virginia def. Maryland, 9-7
Please visit College Crosse for more on the 2011 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament.