virginiasports.com:

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – In front of season-high 5,136 spectators, No. 2 Virginia (10-1, 1-0 ACC) outscored North Carolina (6-5), 6-1, in the first quarter on the way to a 14-6 victory in its ACC opener at Klöckner Stadium Saturday afternoon (April 6).

The win is UVA’s seventh consecutive this season and sixth straight in the series against the Tar Heels dating back to 2021.

The Virginia defense was led by Cole Kastner (2gb, 3ct), Chase Yager (1gb, 4ct) and Noah Chizmar (2g, 4gb, 2ct). Kastner held his matchup – attackman Owen Duffy, the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 signing class – to one goal and two assists. The Cavalier defense forced six failed UNC clears, while remaining perfect going the other way. Goalie Matthew Nunes improved to 10-1 on the year after surrendering only five goals in 55 minutes of play. He finished with 11 saves.

Offensively, the Hoos received goals from 10 different players. Connor Shellenberger (2g, 3a) led the charge with five points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Chizmar scored 11 seconds into the game to set the tone early. Carolina knotted the score [1-1] less than a minute later, but that was as close as the Heels would get the rest of the way. UVA rattled off five straight scores from five different Cavaliers to close out the first quarter. Less than five minutes in, Payton Cormier (1g) notched his 200th career goal, which elevated him into sole possession of seventh place on the NCAA Division I career goals list. The Cavaliers held UNC’s man-up unit scoreless on two opportunities in the opening period.

More than 15 minutes of game time passed before the Tar Heels found the back of the net again. Chizmar ripped his second goal and Shellenberger recorded back-to-back scores to put the Hoos up 9-2 midway through the second. After the Heels claimed two straight goals, Shellenberger found Jack Boyden (2g, 1a) on the crease with five seconds remaining in the half, at which point UVA led, 10-4.

Carolina scored less than one minute into the second half, but McCabe Millon’s (2g, 2a) first goal of the day ignited a 4-0 Cavalier run that bled into the fourth. All four goals were unassisted.

Netminder Kyle Morris relieved Nunes with five minutes left to play. The Tar Heels scored the game’s final goal at the 2:25 mark, but to no avail.

UP NEXT
The Cavaliers travel to Duke (10-2, 0-1 ACC), which is ranked No. 3 in this week’s USILA coaches poll, on Sunday (April 14) for a possible top-3 showdown. Opening faceoff from Koskinen Stadium is set for 2 p.m. on ACC Network.