Did you know that, except for an 0-1 record against Air Force and a 1-1 record against Delaware, Virginia Lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia has a winning record against every single team he's played while at UVa? Yep, I'm looking at you, Syracuse. Combine this with the Cavalier's No. 1 finish atop the RPI standings, and you see why Virginia is hands down the best program in the country.
Against the ACC – undeniably the best lacrosse conference in the country, with all four teams in the top five through most of the season – Starsia has had much success. Despite only winning against Duke once in the past ten tries, Starsia has put together a 17-14 record against the Blue Devils while at Virginia. His series against Maryland is even more impressive, at 21-11, and he has just straight up crushed the Tar Heels, with a 20-5 record against UNC.
Against other power teams, Dom Starsia has fared: 3-1 over Cornell, 2-0 over Georgetown, 15-8 over Johns Hopkins, 12-8 over Princeton, and 12-11 over Syracuse.
The final RPI standings were recently released and, to no one's surprise, really, Virginia ended up on top with an overall RPI of .7158. The Cavaliers were also No. 1 in winning percentage (.8889), strength of schedule (.7106), road success (.8787), and road RPI (.7158).
The ACC really made a strong showing here, with all the teams coming together to take up the 1-4 spots – Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, and Maryland, in that order. Syracuse finished fifth. Virginia's (16-2) only losses this year came at the hands of national champions Duke, including a 14-13 final four thriller won in the final twelve seconds.
So, for all of you out there who were wondering whether or not Dom Starsia wanted to or was being pressured to retire, I think you can safely dismiss it as completely unfounded. Virginia Lacrosse is at the top of its game right now and at the top of the country. Expect great things to continue coming next season and beyond.