On this day 15 years ago, Derek Kenney ’98 notched 10 saves as his Virginia Cavaliers knocked off Duke in the men’s lacrosse NCAA Quarterfinals.

Kenney and the Cavaliers entered the match-up with a 12-game winning streak after dropping their season opener to Syracuse. The former Bear ensured that the unbeaten run remained intact. The sophomore made several stunning saves to keep the game close, including a second quarter stuff on an uncontested bounce shot from ten yards and a deflection from two yards away in the third.

With UVA clinging to a 10-9 edge and under two minutes to play, the Cavaliers were called for a holding penalty, giving Duke a man-up opportunity and a chance to knot the score. With the game on the line, Kenney and the man-down unit were up to the task, killing the penalty and securing the win.

Virginia would fall in the NCAA Semifinals, losing a 12-11 heart-breaker to Princeton. Princeton would be topped by Syracuse in the National Championship game thanks to an MVP, six-goal performance from Kenney’s Stony Brook teammate, Liam Banks ’98. Kenney would finish the 2000 season with 110 saves, anchoring the 10th-best defense in the nation.

In 1999, Kenney’s freshman year with the Cavs, he became one of only six goalies to start for a National Championship team since 1987. He was also UVA’s first freshman starting keeper since 1979. During his run through the NCAA Tournament he recorded more saves than goals allowed and was selected to the All-Tournament team.

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