Box Score
Post Game Press Conference

ITHACA, N.Y. -- No. 1 Virginia proved its lofty ranking, winning all facets of the game in topping No. 8 Cornell 12-4 on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. The loss is the Big Red's first after opening the year 4-0, while the Cavaliers improved to 6-0 with the victory.

Freshman goalkeeper A.J. Fiore availed himself well in the loss with 12 saves and three ground balls, but the Cavaliers suffocating defense and efficient offense proved to be too much. Cornell's goals were scored by Chris Langton, Rob Panell, Ryan Hurley and Austin Boykin. Jason Noble caused a game-high five turnovers on the defensive end as a disruptive force, adding three ground balls.

Cornell's four goals tied for the fewest scored in a game by the Big Red under head coach Jeff Tambroni and the largest margin of defeat in a home game since losing to Princeton 15-5 in 1998.

Adam Ghitelman made 14 saves and was outstanding between the pipes, allowing three goals before being lifted with 4:33 remaining. He added a team-best five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Chris Bocklet had two goals and two assists, while Rhamel and Shamel Bratton and Colin Briggs each tallied twice for the Cavaliers.

Virginia held a 40-29 advantage in shots and won the battle on the ground 30-24. It also won 11-of-20 face-offs, including 9-of-14 in the final three periods. Neither team was able to score with the extra man, as Cornell misfired on two attempts and the Cavaliers were 0-of-4.

Despite Cornell winning each of the first three face-offs, Virginia jumped out to a 3-0 lead just 4:14 into the game. A pair of saves by Ghitelman and a caused turnover off a face-off leading to an open-net goal fueled the Cavaliers' start. Cornell reversed the trend, losing the ensuing face-off after a Big Red timeout, but eventually capitalizing with an unassisted score by Chris Langton with 3:16 left to cut the deficit to 3-1. His runner from 10 yards out, followed by a face-off win by the home team, slowed down the hard-charging Cavaliers, but only momentarily. Bocklet cut across the front of the cage and fired  a shot from eight yards out past Fiore to make it 4-1 with under two minutes to play. That is how the first quarter would end.

The lead grew to 5-1 early in the second quarter when Shamel Bratton got his second tally of the game 2:30 in, and the Cavs entended it to 6-1 by halftime when Rhamel Bratton got on the board with 4:11 left.

The second half started out the same way, as the visitors scored five of the first six goals in the final 30 minutes, pushing the edge to 11-2. Big Red goals by Pannell and Hurley closed the deficit, and an Austin Boykin score with under a minute to play rounded out the scoring.

The Big Red will attempt to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts Yale in its Ivy League opener on Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.