Starsia suspends midfielder for entire 2012 Virginia lacrosse season

Last season Virginia men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia had to suspend midfielders Rhamel and Shamel Bratton after they violated team rules. The 2012 season hasn’t even started yet and he’s had to suspend another midfielder.

On Tuesday, Starsia told The Daily Progress that he has suspended junior Nick O’Reilly for the entire 2012 campaign for a “violation of team rules.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound O’Reilly, who is from Rockville Centre, N.Y., had four goals and six assists during his three games played in the NCAA Tournament last spring.

After the suspension of the Bratton brothers in the latter stages of the season, O’Reilly came on strong, registering at least a point in his last seven games played.

In the victory over Maryland in the NCAA championship game, he had a career-high five points (one goal and four assists).

On another front, Starsia said there isn’t any truth to a rumor that he was going to retire after the 2012 season.

“I did a little podcast for Inside Lacrosse and we were talking about Steele Stanwick and I said something to the effect of, ‘When Steele graduates it may be time for me to retire,’” Starsia said. “But I was joking about that.

“I have no plans for retirement coming up right now.”