Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany previews the quarterfinal game against Maryland.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> Serves the right word, but Maryland's gonna bring out some feelings from your
00:03 guys, right?
00:04 Probably has all week.
00:05 How do you manage using that in a positive way without going over the top of
00:09 wanting to get Maryland back?
00:11 >> Sure, experience is invaluable.
00:15 You can't buy experience, right?
00:17 And so the fact that we've been here before makes it more normal.
00:21 It's another game.
00:22 Yes, it's do or die.
00:23 But we've performed really well when it's been no guarantee of tomorrow.
00:28 So that's where the advantage of what we've done in 2019 and
00:33 2021 really comes through.
00:35 Now, of course, we have a very, very long,
00:38 zero losses last year in a regular season, zero losses this year in a regular season.
00:42 When's the last time that happened?
00:44 So definitely the number one team in the country.
00:48 But going back to the way we do our things, do the scouting report,
00:52 recognize their strengths, and there's a lot of them, but just follow our plan.
00:56 >> When you mentioned they are the number one team in the country,
00:58 that's something you were really honing in on after the loss at Audi Field.
01:02 Does that kind of go away when it's May,
01:05 these rankings that anything can kind of happen come tournament time?
01:08 >> Yeah, it's interesting.
01:10 We don't really think about the rankings much.
01:12 But you're right, two months ago today, as we left Audi Field,
01:16 said they are definitively the number one team in the country.
01:18 We were undefeated at the time and we lost by a lot, 11 goals.
01:22 So it was clear to us.
01:24 And honestly, I think it's still clear to me who the number one team is.
01:27 The NCAA selection committee,
01:29 while there's some disagreement with some of the things, they did get this right.
01:32 Maryland's number one.
01:33 And they deserve to be home last week, and
01:36 they deserve the number one ranking and the best slot.
01:39 So it's a, again, zero losses, two seasons in a row in the regular season.
01:46 It's really impressive.
01:47 And they're the best team in the country and they've proven it all year.
01:52 >> You said that they set the bar, showed you where you had to be.
01:56 What's happened in the last month and a half to make you think that you're closer
01:58 to that bar?
01:59 >> Yes, I really like the way we've played through most of April.
02:04 Obviously, we didn't start well in April with the Richmond loss.
02:08 And we've gotten better and healthier.
02:11 That's been the biggest thing.
02:12 The 16 days off was really beneficial for our attack and for
02:16 Kastner and LaSalle at the face off exit to really get us so it was healthy.
02:21 But there is concern that that bar was really high.
02:24 They showed us in March, Maryland shows a really high bar.
02:27 And we have improved.
02:30 Now have we gotten to that bar yet?
02:31 We haven't played at that bar yet.
02:33 We did for a second half against Brown.
02:35 And we need to put two halves like that together.
02:38 >> You never want to lose a game, but
02:40 is there something that you can get more out of that game two months ago?
02:43 Heading into this one that you can point at mistakes and
02:46 you can point at things that you can improve and maybe even go into it with
02:49 that, not revenge, you don't wanna say revenge ever, but
02:53 knowing that you already lost this team once,
02:55 like what you have to fix to not do it again.
02:57 >> Sure, the whole Mike Tyson era, how indomitable he was,
03:01 destroying his opponents within minutes of the first round.
03:05 We had a plan and it didn't work.
03:09 We got punched.
03:09 Everyone's got a plan until they get punched.
03:11 We got punched by Maryland the first time.
03:13 But we're not a team that changes too much.
03:15 We don't go out there and do things dramatically different.
03:18 We go back to our fundamentals, try to make our players better players and
03:21 more cohesive and
03:22 the communication within our man to man side scheme and our ride.
03:25 So they just showed us that we weren't moving quick enough with our sides.
03:31 We weren't communicating fast enough.
03:33 And then our approaches, our defensive approaches needed to get better.
03:38 So it's not that we're gonna change schematically.
03:40 It's just more so of we gotta do things sharper and that's where we're benefited.
03:44 It's great that we got to play them at one time.
03:46 Wow, it's like playing the Celtics.
03:48 It's like, whoa, this is a different level.
03:51 And so that's hopefully where the benefit comes from and
03:54 tremendous respect for them.
03:57 >> And they seem to be playing faster this year than they have-
04:00 >> Yes. >> In under Tillman previously.
04:02 Do you think it helped a little to play a fast ground team last week that also
04:06 wants to, I mean, obviously it's not the exact same, but how do you go into this
04:10 knowing that you're not seeing the maybe typical Maryland deliberate
04:15 attack that you've seen in years past?
04:16 >> That's a great question, Caroline, because that last,
04:19 the first time we played them, that surprised us, how quickly they were playing.
04:22 Even if it wasn't a normal four on three fast break,
04:25 they were pushing the four of IV4.
04:27 And that surprised us.
04:29 And so yes, playing Brown where the broken record to our team all week,
04:34 you gotta get back in a hole.
04:35 These guys love fast.
04:36 We love fast and we scored six transition goals against Brown.
04:38 This Brown team loves fast.
04:42 And it does help to say, hey, it's the same message.
04:45 Cuz we know how Maryland surprised us the first time around.
04:49 We were expecting them to say, like a lot of teams, when you play Virginia,
04:53 possess the ball, control it.
04:54 Maryland just, we're swinging.
04:56 And so that was really helpful.
04:58 >> And how important is it gonna be to have the defense, not just obviously
05:01 the slides and everything you just talked about, but Maryland's gonna take shots.
05:04 I think they took over 50 in the first one.
05:06 Getting, forcing them into shots that make it easier for Matt and goal.
05:10 >> Yes, and you're right.
05:11 They're gonna get their shots.
05:13 And so can we get them to take shots that aren't the highest percentage.
05:18 Because that is one of the best things about their offense.
05:20 They pass up 40% shots for 50 or 60% shots.
05:26 They'd say for a pass up shots that most teams would die to get.
05:29 And they're moving up one more and it's so bad.
05:31 How can we get them to take that shot?
05:34 That's better said than executed.
05:35 But that's the objective is to try to give Matt noon shots that are
05:40 not as dangerous, but it's really hard against this offense.
05:43 The best passing team I've seen in years.
05:45 It's the best lacrosse team since I think selfishly in 2006,
05:49 Virginia undefeated team.
05:50 There's just, there's no weaknesses.
05:53 >> I guess, yeah, how happy are you with the way Connor looked last week?
05:57 And have you had a good week of practice with the offense?
05:59 Has everyone stayed healthy?
06:01 I mean, Kastner wore a brace for the first time.
06:03 I know it's not the offense, but is he doing okay?
06:06 How do you feel about health going in?
06:07 I know the page said he wasn't at 100% the last time you played Maryland.
06:10 So how do you feel going into this one with,
06:13 at this point the season on the line every week?
06:15 >> Right, relative to some other points in a season, we're happy with our health.
06:19 Are we 100%?
06:19 No, I recognize most teams aren't 100%.
06:22 So, but yeah, Cole Kastner had a little something, something last week in
06:25 practice, we held our breath.
06:27 Fortunately, it's just a knee brace and not something bigger and
06:30 more season ending.
06:31 Yeah, so it's a group of warriors.
06:34 We're passioning them up, Rebecca Bazo and her crew are doing a fantastic job.
06:38 And we're gonna compete.
06:40 It does make me wonder, we play hard, we ride hard, we fight for
06:44 every ground ball, we expose our bodies.
06:46 And this is the natural outcome, that you got Connor and Matt Moore starting
06:50 attacking, and Cole Kastner beating us up.
06:54 You saw the Brown game, you guys flipping around, but
06:57 coach I'm going back in that game.
06:58 And I just, I love the men for this.
07:00 So we're about as healthy as we can be at this point a year and
07:03 we're fortunate we've had no season ending injuries.
07:05 >> Mike, this is a neutral site,
07:07 even though it's a little bit harder to meet your fans at the end of the game.
07:10 >> I know, it's a, well, we did play Maryland the first time in a neutral site
07:14 in a fantastic venue at Audi Field.
07:16 It would be neat to be in a horseshoe.
07:18 I've been to a game there as a football fan, and we've all seen it on TV a lot.
07:23 So it'll be really cool to be out there in Columbus, Ohio, and
07:26 there's good lacrosse in that community.
07:28 And so, yeah, to be in the horseshoe, I'm excited to be out being inside of
07:32 the horseshoe to see the locker rooms and the recruiting rooms and
07:34 the trophy rooms, that's gonna be really neat.
07:36 >> Not a great view from the crossbars.
07:38 >> No, way up there.
07:40 >> I mean, it won't affect you, but for me it's-
07:42 >> Why don't you think of Mike?
07:43 >> [LAUGH]
07:44 >> Come on, guys.
07:45 >> Also, Audi's like neutral.
07:46 >> It couldn't be any more different than Brown University Stevenson Field,
07:51 which barely seats 3,000, they announced 3,200, but
07:54 there were people standing on top of the porta potties watching that game.
07:57 And having this raucous environment and atmosphere,
08:01 versus now Columbus, Ohio with 100,000 empty seats,
08:05 even though there's gonna be about 5,000 people there.
08:07 Incredible venue, but it just won't be the rowdiness that we experienced.
08:12 But there'll be enough rowdiness coming from the Maryland,
08:15 the way that, I shouldn't say rowdiness,
08:17 there'll be enough intensity coming from the opposition so we can just focus on them
08:21 and not have to worry about the hostile fan base of the opponent.
08:25 >> [LAUGH] >> Who's in charge of the orange helmet?
08:29 I know that's a tradition, I guess, going back to 19, going orange.
08:34 >> Yeah. >> Are you a superstitious guy?
08:35 Do the players want that?
08:36 Is there somebody else who makes that decision?
08:38 >> I don't have a good answer to this.
08:39 I have no idea what we're wearing until Friday before games.
08:44 And then they tell me what they're wearing.
08:45 And yeah, so I don't think that's a good answer.
08:48 >> You don't plan it out weeks in advance.
08:50 >> No, the wardrobe is not my category.
08:52 If you saw me, how I walk around this planet dress,
08:55 you would understand that completely.
08:57 >> And I think I'll do a feature on Rebecca.