Cornell, Virginia and lacrosse's LI accent

They have been friends since the fourth grade, when they first started playing lacrosse together. Goalie Adam Ghitelman and attack David Lau were teammates at Cold Spring Harbor and shared numerous triumphs on the turf at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium, including two Nassau titles and one Long Island championship. "Good memories, good vibes on this field," Ghitelman said Friday.

But Saturday at noon, friends will become foes at Shuart. Lau, Cornell's second-leading scorer with 46 points, will try to get the ball past Virginia goalie Ghitelman, who is tied for fourth all-time in NCAA history with 47 victories.

Second-seeded Cornell (14-2) plays seventh-seeded Virginia (10-5) in the first game of the NCAA quarterfinal doubleheader, with third-seeded Johns Hopkins facing sixth-seeded Denver at 2:35 p.m.

"It's really cool to have two guys from the same youth program and the same high school playing here," Ghitelman said. "But once the game starts, there are no friendships."

Both players are seniors, so one will see his college career end on a field of high school glory and in front of a crowd that is expected to exceed 11,000. "A lot of my family and friends will be here," Lau said. "It will be a lot of fun. When I played against Adam [on March 12, the Big Red's last loss], I gave him a big hug before that game."

They have not spoken by phone, e-mail, text, Twitter or Facebook this week. "Laying low a little bit," Ghitelman said with a laugh. "I don't want to say the wrong thing."

Lau agreed, saying, "I'm just worrying about my team and my task."

Lau teams with Tewaaraton Award finalist Rob Pannell of Smithtown West (86 points) and Steve Mock of Huntington (39 points) to form an all-Long Island front line. "We started calling ourselves Long Island's Finest Attack," Lau said. "It's an inside joke on the team. We get teased a little."

Now they hope to test Ghitelman a little. "Pannell is up there with the best players in the country," the goalie said. "That's where their motor is. Mock and Lau complement him really well. They're all dangerous. We'll have our hands full."

So will the Cornell trio, because Ghitelman has had a brilliant career.

"The winningest goalie in Virginia history, and that says a lot," Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia said. "He's become a much better ball-stopper and much more of a leader. He's a really good athlete and a special player outside the crease."