Virginia doesn't play the final weekend of the lacrosse season, so it gives coach Dom Starsia a chance to disperse his coaching staff throughout the eastern half of the United States.

Assistant Marc Van Arsdale was at tonight's America East semifinals and will fly out to Detroit to see the GWLL semis tomorrow. Assistant Hannon Wright will take in Hopkins-Loyola and Hofstra-Drexel on Saturday. And Starsia will be at Princeton-Brown on Saturday afternoon.

But apparently, scouting the final weekend is something of a Sisyphean task for the Cavaliers --- there's always plenty more to do once the 16-team field is released.

"Of course, we won't play the teams we go see," Starsia said, pointing out that it is nearly inevitable for the Cavaliers to draw someone they don't scout during the season-ending bye.

Who, then, could continue the Cavaliers' wicked luck in such a scenario? UMBC is a possibility. So are Georgetown, Navy and perhaps Army, though the Black Knights would require a flight to make it to Charlottesville.

If indeed it is the Retrievers, you can be sure Starsia will get a chuckle out of it on his conference call with reporters on Sunday night.

--- Patrick Stevens