NCAA mens semi-finals - Virginia vs. Syracuse

The top-seeded Cavaliers will play for the title Monday against Massachusetts, which upset second-seeded Maryland 8-5 in the first semifinal.

Virginia (16-0) was led by Matt Ward with four goals and Garrett Billings with three. The Cavaliers built an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, keyed by three straight goals from Billings and fellow freshmen Danny Glading and Steve Giannone.

Syracuse rallied with five second-quarter goals to cut Virginia's lead to 10-7 at the half and stayed close through the third quarter. But the Cavaliers poured it on the final quarter, getting three straight goals to build to go up 15-8.

Glading, Jared Little and Matt Poskay added two goals each for Virginia. Brett Bucktooth, Brian Crockett and Kenny Nims each had two goals for Syracuse.

Orange goaltender Peter Coluccini had a tough time in the first quarter against the Cavaliers, which scored on all eight shots they took. The freshman goaltender didn't have a save until 10:22 left in the second quarter.

In the opener, Massachusetts got three goals from Sean Morris and Brian Jacovina, and Jake Deane tied the record for fastest consecutive goals by one team. Army (1999) and Butler (2004) scored a pair of goals in five seconds.

The Minutemen (13-4) held Maryland's star attackman Joe Walters without a point for only the third time of the season. Walters, who came into the game as the leading active scorer in Division I with 227 career points, was last held scoreless in Maryland's 11-5 loss to Virginia in the ACC finals.

Maryland rallied with a pair of goals early in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-4, but Jim Connolly halted the rally with his second goal of the game. Maryland (11-6) scored once more before Morris sealed the game and got the hat trick after stutter-stepping by a defender to beat goaltender Harry Alford with 6:33 to go.

Maryland has had a tough time in the tournament the last four years _ losing three times in the semifinals and once in the quarters. The Terrapins haven't won the title since 1975. UMass was making its first appearance in the semifinals.

The semifinals drew 44,562, the fourth straight year the event has set an attendance mark.

-- Courtesy Associated Press