CHARLOTTESVILLE – What did Virginia’s Lars Tiffany ask of star player Connor Shellenberger going into Shellenberger’s final college lacrosse season?

Do less.

It’s been one of the most challenging things a coach has ever asked of him.

“It’s definitely hard sitting out of drills,” Shellenberger said this week as he prepared for his final regular-season home game at Klockner Stadium, Saturday against No. 1 Notre Dame . “I think the last two years were very eye-opening. Something had to change. What I was doing was not sustainable and was really not working for me or for the team.”

With opposing defenses playing Shellenberger more physically each year, on top of what Virginia asks its attackmen to do pressuring opponents as they attempt to clear the ball, Shellenberger had battled injuries and fatigue during the latter months of the season.

He’s still helped the Cavaliers to a 7-2 record in the NCAA tournament, including a national championship in 2021 . With 29 goals and 25 assists in his nine postseason games, Shellenberger has earned the moniker Mr. May from the national lacrosse media.

He and Tiffany believe he can play even better over the final month, if he’s healthier and fresher, a scary possibility for potential opponents.

To that end, Shellenberger and athletic trainer Rebecca Vozzo mapped out a detailed plan for the fall and spring, outlining when Shellenberger would be on the practice field and when he would step out of drills, what workouts he’d do and which he’d skip.

Vozzo, a staple with the UVa program since 2009, gently briefs Shellenberger of what each day’s workload will look like before practice, then more aggressively reminds him during workouts, when he inevitably gets antsy.

“She should probably carry a whistle,” Shellenberger quipped.

Adding to Shellenberger’s drive to be on the field all the time, especially back in the fall, was the fact that Virginia (10-3, 1-2 ACC) has a new offensive coordinator this season in former Lehigh coach Kevin Cassesse.

Shellenberger admitted he wanted to show Cassesse the hype around Shellenberger’s game was warranted. After one game, Cassesse was sold.

“He’s the greatest player I’ve ever coached,” Cassesse said after the team’s season-opening win over Michigan. “That’s it. Period. And when I say that, it’s not just about what he does on the field. He’s an exceptional leader. I’ve never been around a superstar that is this humble in my life. All he cares about is winning.”

Cassesse gives out a weekly team honor, the Invisible Man Award, to the player who makes the most the non-statistical contributions to the offense, setting screens, moving without the ball, making the passes that lead to assists.

“I think Connor won that award for the first six or seven weeks,” said fellow senior Payton Cormier, the nation’s leading scorer.

Mr. May has a different moniker inside the Virginia program.

“Mr. Unselfish,” Tiffany said. “That’s Connor Shellenberger.”

So, when Tiffany talked to Shellenberger, a three-time All-American, this offseason about taking better care of his body, keeping himself healthy for the back end of the season, Shellenberger begrudgingly bought in.

“As you see the years go on, he’s becoming smarter,” Cormier said. “But when he does go into drills, when he does go into all these sets, he’s going 100 mph.”

So far, the results have been encouraging. With seven goals and 11 assists in three games this month, Shellenberger is having the most productive April of his illustrious career, going into Saturday’s date with the Fighting Irish (9-1, 3-0), the team that sent UVa home from last year’s Final Four in Philadelphia.

Shellenberger did struggle with cramps two weeks ago in a road loss at Duke and came out briefly from Saturday’s loss at Syracuse after suffering a stinger.

But the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Charlottesville native believes he’s as healthy as he’s ever been heading toward the postseason. And his team will need that.

Virginia goes into the Notre Dame contest having lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2017. Goaltender Matthew Nunes struggled at Duke and the defense suffered breakdowns against Syracuse.

Still, UVa has clinched one of the four spots in next week’s ACC tournament in Charlotte and is in the running to host a first-round NCAA game at Klockner.

There’s a good chance it will face the Fighting Irish in the ACC semifinals, as well. Last season, UVa beat Notre Dame twice in the regular season, only to squander a two-goal lead with under three minutes to play in the national semifinals.

“The way we lost that game and the stakes of it, having the lead, has caused a lot of sleepless nights and nightmares,” Shellenberger said.

Otherwise, Shellenberger’s story at Virginia has largely played out like a dream. The hometown kid who grew up attending games and rooting for Cavalier legends including Steele Stanwick, is now the program’s all-time leader in points with 305.

Last year, Shellenberger went through Senior Day festivities, just in case he decided to turn professional, before the team’s win over Notre Dame, also No. 1 then.

Though he counts that day among his favorite moments of his college career, Shellenberger won’t participate in the festivities again Saturday.

“I know my mom probably wants to get back on the field one more time,” Shellenberger said with a laugh. “But I think I’m going to sit back and watch.”

That’s something he’s had to learn how to do.