Lacrosse World Rocked by UVA Murder

The prominent University of Virginia lacrosse program suffered a tremendous shock today, after a player on the men’s team was implicated in the death of a female Cavalier player.

The New York Times reported that 22-year old George Huguely was arrested and charged with murder on Monday morning after former girlfriend Yeardley Love was found dead in her off-campus apartment at 2:15 a.m.

According to the Times, Love showed signs of physical trauma, which led to suspicion of Huguely.

The tragedy places two programs in turmoil that had been enjoying stellar campaigns in 2010. The top-ranked men’s team will be very competitive in the upcoming NCAA Championships in Baltimore, Md., and the women’s program does not lag far behind, ranked in the top five nationally.

Although sentencing still lies ahead for Huguely, who is currently being held in a regional jail, the incident continues to raise scrutiny for top men’s lacrosse programs with the Duke scandal still fresh in the public consciousness.

According to ESPN, Huguely attended the same preparatory school in Maryland as the Duke players who were charged with sexual assault in 2006. Those charges were later dropped.