Gary Gait and Co. have made a big splash just days before Christmas, adding a potential starter to the mix.
Former Virginia goalie Bobby Gavin, who entered the transfer portal on Friday, is now a member of the Syracuse Orange, according to Ty Xanders of Inside Lacrosse. Brent Axe of Syracuse.com had reported earlier that Syracuse had made a move, though he did not mention Gavin by name.
Former @UVAMensLax goalie Bobby Gavin — who entered the portal on Friday — will now head to @CuseMLAX, multiple sources told @Inside_Lacrosse. The @torreypineslax grad made two starts and eight appearances as a freshman in ‘21, earning @ACCMLax POTW honors w/ 13 saves vs. Army.
— Ty Xanders (@tyxanders) December 22, 2021
Hearing @CuseMLAX made a pretty big splash in the transfer portal as well. Stay tuned
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeMedia) December 22, 2021
Gavin, a sophomore, appeared in eight games and made two starts in 2021, winning ACC defensive player of the week honors after a 13-save performance against Army on February 14. In his other start, he anchored a win against Loyola. Overall, Gavin made 29 saves and stopped exactly 50 percent of shots faced.
A two-time CIF champion at Torrey Pines (Calif.), Gavin entered fall ball in competition with No. 1 goalie recruit Matthew Nunes for the starting job.
“It is a battle between those two right now,” Virginia head coach Lars Tiffany said on October 16 at Tierney Field after the Cavaliers fell 8-7 to the U.S. men’s national team. “I don’t think either is [at the level yet] where they want to be or where we need them to be, but they’re having a heck of a competition.”
Having only entered the transfer portal on Friday, Gavin wasted little time in choosing Syracuse, where he will now compete for the starting job following the graduation of Drake Porter.
Nelson Rice contributed to this report.