During his first two postseason appearances for Virginia, freshman goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita allowed four goals and notched 11 saves between the pipes. Photo by Thomas Bynum

The Virginia men’s soccer team has dealt with its share of roster turnover since it captured the 2009 national title, but two years later, the Cavaliers (12-7-1, 4-3-1 ACC) are looking to duplicate the feat.

After a season filled with injuries and inconsistent performances, the Cavaliers find themselves right where they wanted to be all along: in the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in program history.
When the 48-team draw was announced on Monday, the bracket revealed that the Cavaliers would host Delaware in a first-round play-in game with the winner advancing to face No. 13 seed UCLA Sunday in Los Angeles.

Tonight’s match against the Blue Hens (12-5-4, 6-4-1 CAA) will likely mark Virginia’s final home appearance of the year, and the Cavaliers hope that a rowdy home crowd can jumpstart another deep postseason run.

“The opportunity to play at home in the postseason is huge,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “We’re happy about that. Being at home you’re a little more up-tempo, more aggressive and more offensive.”

Tonight’s matchup pits Virginia, which is making its 31st consecutive appearance in the national tournament, against an underdog that had not qualified for the tournament since 1970. Throughout their lengthy NCAA streak, the Cavaliers have also hosted at least one game each year.

Whereas six-time national champion Virginia earned its 2011 bid via an at-large invitation, the Blue Hens qualified automatically by winning the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Sunday.
Toting a resumé that likely would not have been convincing enough for the selection committee to pick the Blue Hens as an at-large team, Delaware entered its conference tournament with little to lose. Last Thursday night, the Blue Hens opened with a 0-0 stalemate against Northeastern, which they eventually won 4-3 in penalty kicks.

The following day, Delaware eliminated top-seeded James Madison 5-4 in penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 deadlock during regulation and overtime. During Sunday’s title game, the Blue Hens capped their title run with a 2-1 triumph against Old Dominion.

“The CAA, this particular year, was one of the top five conferences in the country so we have a lot of respect for them,” Gelnovatch said. “I have a lot of respect for Ian Hennessy, the head coach at Delaware.”

While Delaware was forced to play three down-to-the-wire games in four days, the Cavaliers had two days off from practice following last Friday’s 1-0 loss against North Carolina, which allowed the team to rest up and prepare for what lies ahead.

“I hope that at some point during the game that [Delaware’s fatigue] shows,” Gelnovatch said.

One Cavalier who has continued to seek improvement during the team’s brief respite is freshman goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita, who struggled to find consistency during the ACC Tournament. Despite a pair of spectacular saves during the second half of the quarterfinal matchup against Wake Forest, LaCivita appeared shaky in net for most of the game. Against North Carolina, LaCivita came up big throughout as he kept the Tar Heels off the scoreboard for 91 minutes before conceding the game-winner.

“I want to get better every day,” LaCivita said. “The thing about being a goalkeeper is you really never can rest or be complacent. Each game is an opportunity for me to get better and help my team win.”

LaCivita — who has repeatedly credited senior co-captains and central defenders Greg Monaco and Mike Volk for his success as a freshman starter — will need a boost from his teammates to slow down a potent Delaware attack.

The Blue Hens feature the CAA Player of the Year, senior midfielder Evans Frimpong, and the CAA Rookie of the Year, sophomore forward Roberto Gimenez, at the top of their formation. Frimpong leads the team with 12 goals and is followed closely by Gimenez with 10.

Overall, Delaware’s 39 team goals throughout 21 games ranks 19th nationally. Virginia checks in at No. 11 in scoring offense with 40 goals in 20 games. With a relatively even matchup on paper, the possibility of another tie looms large. In the event that the game is decided in penalty kicks, LaCivita said he is prepared for the high pressure stakes.

“I feel confident in a PK shootout if we would need to be in that,” he said. “There’s really not much you can do to prepare. As long as you go in confident, you have a good chance.”

Tonight’s kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.