April 6, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia's Shamel Bratton was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Player of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, April 5. Bratton played a key role in lifting top-ranked Virginia to an 11-10 win over No. 10 North Carolina Saturday afternoon in the Inside Lacrosse Big City Classic in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J..

The sophomore from Huntington Station, N.Y., led the team in total points (4) and shared as UVa's leading goal scorer (3). Virginia fell behind by four goals (7-3), its biggest deficit of the season, midway through the second quarter before Bratton got going. He turned the momentum to Virginia's favor with three consecutive goals over a three-minute-and-10-second span to pull his team within one goal at 7-6 at halftime.

Bratton's three goals started UVa on a five-goal run that enabled the Cavaliers to seize control. Virginia took the lead for good with fewer than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Bratton assisted on Garrett Billings' goal with 9:59 left in the game, UVa's 11th goal of the game, as UVa took an 11-9 lead. UNC scored later but was never able to tie the score.

Virginia returns to action Saturday against Duke in Durham, N.C. The game is set to face off at 4 pm ET and will be televised by ESPN2.

-ACC-