Asked how well-rested his team is for its NCAA tournament opener, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch compared his team’s energy to that of last year’s NCAA championship-winning squad, saying it was “reminiscent of last year.” Cavalier fans certainly hope so, as their team plays Rider at home on Thursday to kick off its title defense.
Virginia fans are looking forward to welcoming their team back to Klöckner Stadium for the first time since Oct. 30, when the No. 19 Cavaliers tied North Carolina 0-0 following two overtimes. Overall, the team ended the regular season with a 4-2-2 ACC record, an improvement from last season’s 3-3-2 conference mark.
After ending the regular season, Virginia lost 1-0 to Notre Dame Nov. 8 in the ACC tournament and has since had 11 days to prepare for its NCAA tournament opener. The road to the Sporting Park in Kansas City is long, made even longer by Virginia’s unseeded status in the draw and the possibility of playing some of the country’s best teams like Clemson, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
But the Cavaliers can certainly embrace this position, as they were underdogs for last year’s championship and managed to win the title. Gelnovatch pointed out that the 10 to 12 days of rest time, mostly spent in training, is the same schedule the team faced last year and said his players are responding positively by bringing energy to training while having a “same old, same old” attitude.
This squad feels like it has been here before, as 18 current players were part of the championship-winning team from last year.
Add to this experience the team’s exciting freshman class, with players like midfielder Derrick Etienne — who is having a breakout season — and it is easy to understand Gelnovatch’s cautious optimism.
However, the Cavaliers are determined not to get complacent Thursday night, as Gelnovatch talked about about recording “over 100 games from past championships” and using them to define Virginia’s playing style for the recently sorted bracket, which he called “a fair draw.”
Gelnovatch quelled any fears of not having enough time to prepare for Thursday’s game, dismissing the fact that his team would have to go through a “crash course” regarding the Rider team. He stressed that this time constraint was “very similar to the Tuesday-Friday” schedule that the team deals with during the regular season.
One recent concern for the team has been an injury list that included the likes of senior midfielder Scott Thomsen and junior forward Riggs Lennon, who were both suffering from nagging injuries but returned to action against Virginia Tech Oct. 23.
The long rest period following the ACC tournament game has meant that experienced upperclassmen have been able to play their way back into shape, providing a valuable postseason boost with their freshness and experience.
However, Gelnovatch confirmed that sophomore defender Sheldon Sullivan was still not fit enough to play against Rider, saying he “was not quite there yet.”
Promising a team performance full of energy and acumen, the coach hopes to get his attempt to lead Virginia to its eighth national title off to a winning start Thursday.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
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