(Photo Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics)

In lacrosse, Johns Hopkins and Virginia have met 94 times, including meeting each other each year for the past 73 seasons. And since 2006, the Blue Jays and Cavaliers have fought for the right to hoist the Doyle Smith Cup. 

That right will not be earned by either team in 2020 as the series has been put on halt due to scheduling conflicts. Word started swirling late last spring that the two schools were not scheduled to play in 2020, and the release of Johns Hopkins schedule yesterday has officially confirmed those reports. 

While Johns Hopkins will renew their rivalry with Navy after not playing for the past two seasons, their annual meeting with Virginia will not happen. As previously mentioned, it will be the first time in 73 seasons that these two programs have not met on the lacrosse field. 

According to Johns Hopkins’ Records, the Blue Jays hold a 60-32-1 all-time record over the Cavaliers. Virginia’s 16-11 road victory against Johns Hopkins last season ended a two-year drought in the series for the Cavaliers. 

The Doyle Smith Cup was introduced to the series in 2006 as a way to honor Edward Doyle Smith Jr., for his lifetime of contributions to the lacrosse programs at both schools and on the national stage. 

Smith was a 1966 alum of Johns Hopkins and served as team manager and statistician for Johns Hopkins under head coach Bob Scott from 1963-1968. He worked as an assistant sports information director at Virginia from 1968 until his retirement in 1999, serving as the lacrosse team’s statistician for the Cavaliers under four head coaches–Buddy Beardmore, Glenn Thiel, Jim Adams and Dom Starsia.

Additionally, Smith is credited with the standardization of game statistics in lacrosse and was the Information Director for the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). He received their Man of the Year Award twice and the USILA media award now bears his name. In 2000 he was elected to the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame as the first only non-player and coach ever selected. Smith passed away in June 2004.

In the Doyle Smith Cup era, Virginia has a 9-5 series lead. 

While this great series is currently at halt, let’s hope that they can get back on each other’s schedules in 2021 or meet in the NCAA tournament this season.