CHARLOTTESVILLE - Last night it avenged one of its regular-season losses. Tomorrow afternoon the University of Virginia men's lacrosse team gets an opportunity to avenge the other one.

The host team in the ACC tournament looked very much at home in last night's second semifinal. Third-seeded Virginia never trailed in an 11-8 win over No. 2 seed Maryland before a crowd of 3,507 at Klockner Stadium.

"Probably our best game of the year," said U.Va. goalie Bud Petit. His coach, Dom Starsia, agreed.

The Terrapins (8-5), who humbled the then-No. 1 Cavaliers 13-7 in College Park on March 29, didn't face Petit in that game. Last night, in his fourth consecutive start for U.Va., the former Collegiate School star sparkled. The Terrapins' final two goals came in the final 92 seconds, with the outcome long since decided.

"I thought all our defensemen played well, but Bud stepped up for us today," Starsia said. "It seemed like we got a big save from him whenever we had to have it."

Now comes the rematch U.Va. wanted most. Virginia (12-2) meets top-seeded Duke (14-1) at Klockner for the ACC title tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The Blue Devils floored fourth-seeded North Carolina 17-6 in the first semifinal.

U.Va. knows all about Duke's awesome firepower. The Devils scored the game's last 10 goals April 12 in a 19-9 rout of the Wahoos at Klockner.

"We haven't been thinking about Duke at all this week, not one bit," Petit said. "We just thought about Maryland. But now that we beat Maryland, it's all Duke. We've got a chance right now. That was our best game, and I don't know why we can't keep it going."

For the second straight game, all-ACC attackman Ben Rubeor scored four goals for the Cavaliers.

"Ben is Ben," Starsia said of Rubeor, who with 128 career goals ranks fifth all-time at U.Va.

Garrett Billings also had four goals against Maryland (8-5), but unlike Rubeor, the junior attackman from Canada had been a non-factor in the regular-season finale. Billings has been slowed by a bad back, and against Darmouth he failed to record at least one goal or one assist for the first time this season.

"He just looked horrible," said Starsia, who didn't mince words with Billings.

"I said, 'I know you're hurt. You've just got to figure out a way to play through it. You can't just give in to it,'" Starsia recalled. "And you could see a change in practice this week. . . . I don't know that he's feeling any better, but I think he's a little more determined to get something done for us."

Virginia, which fell behind 3-0 in College Park, scored the first two goals last night. Billings had both.

"I had a terrible game last weekend, and I knew I had to step it up today," he said.

Virginia ------------------------- 3 3 3 2 - 11
Maryland ------------------------- 2 1 3 2 - 8

Goals: Virginia: Rubeor 4, Billings 4, S. Bratton 2, Riley. Maryland: Catalino 2, Ritz 2, Groot, Young, Reynolds, Holmes.

Assists: Virginia: Lamade 3, Glading 2. Maryland: Reed 2, Catalino, Mendes, Sear.

Goalies: Virginia: Petit (8 saves). Maryland: Carter (33 minutes, 18 seconds; 6 goals allowed, 8 saves); Phipps (26:42; 5 goals allowed, 5 saves).