CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia coach Lars Tiffany has called this up-and-down lacrosse season a “roller coaster.” Sunday night, Georgetown’s defense slammed the brakes on the Cavaliers’ wild ride.

Jack Ransom and Rory Connor each finished with three goals and an assist for the Hoyas, who also got three goals from Jack Schubert, as Georgetown downed UVA 14-10 in an NCAA tournament first-round game at Klockner Stadium.

“It’s really heartbreaking for us to go out like this,” senior captain John Schroter said. “We just didn’t have our best game today. We struggled this year a little bit with consistency, especially earlier on. We kind of had a flame starting to roar back in the ACCs. And we flickered tonight.”

Ryan Colsey and Truitt Sunderland each scored twice and Brendan Millon had a goal and two assists for the Cavaliers in a sloppy affair that saw the two teams combine for 43 turnovers. UVA had 21, matching its season high.

Virginia, which missed last year’s NCAA tournament, shrugged off a 3-4 start to this season to win the ACC tournament, defeating North Carolina and Notre Dame in dominant fashion. That earned it Sunday night’s home game at Klockner, where the Cavaliers had won four straight NCAA contests dating back to 2019.

With this year’s Final Four being held in Charlottesville at Scott Stadium, UVA’s football venue, Virginia’s second-half of the season turnaround fueled dreams of competing for a national title at home.

Instead, the Hoyas advanced to face Duke in next Sunday’s quarterfinal in Delaware.

“The ups and downs of this season will give you an ulcer, a headache, or whatever,” Tiffany, who led Virginia to national championships in 2019 and 2021, said. “We can play some great lacrosse at times. Unfortunately today was one of those days we don’t put our best foot forward.”

Georgetown goalie Anderson Moore made 15 saves, frustrating Virginia’s shooters when they were able to get looks at the cage.

UVA got off to a fast start. Goalie Jake Marek picked off a pass and set off a fast break, one that ended with freshman Lindan Verville’s first goal of the season and a 1-0 lead just 56 seconds into the contest. The Cavaliers led 2-0 but Georgetown responded with three straight goals.

Virginia answered with its own trio of tallies, a run that started with a rebound goal from Brendan Millon, to end the first quarter ahead 5-3.

The Cavaliers led by three after Owen Crann opened the second quarter with a score, but the Hoyas put in five of the next six goals, heading to the locker room up 8-7 at the half.

UVA, which had never trailed in four previous postseason matchups with the Hoyas, found itself down 10-7 late in the third quarter, before goals by Truitt Sunderland and McCabe Millon made it a one-goal affair going to the fourth.

Georgetown extended its lead to 11-9, when Ransom beat Marek with 8:02 left for Ransom’s third tally of the night. A Liam Connor goal with 4:09 to play put things away for the Hoyas.

“We just wanted to take away as much transition as possible,” Georgetown defender Ty Banks said. “Slow them down. Make them play six-on-six. That’s our strong suit.”