After fighting the pouring rain and hard-nosed play that surrounded last Sunday's loss to N.C. State, the Cavaliers are looking to regroup and form a united front against William & Mary tonight at 7 p.m. at Klockner Stadium.
One face that will be missing from today's game is first-year midfielder Kyle Martino, who is serving a one-game penalty due to a red card he received in the 59th minute of Sunday's contest. Either third-year Curtis Bush or first-year Kenny Arena, the son of former Cavalier Coach Bruce Arena, will start in Martino's place. Rob Wright also will not play due to a sprained right ankle received against the Wolfpack, though he is expected to dress for Saturday's game against Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond.
Against the Tribe, the No. 19 Cavs (6-3-1, 1-2-1 ACC) will try to eliminate any lapses in play like the ones that happened in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the 'Pack and in the team's 3-2 loss against Gonzaga Sept. 5.
"The main thing that has been missing from the last couple of games is the effort," midfielder Mike Feller said.
The Cavaliers will attempt to handle William & Mary's counterattack by staying organized in the back and middle in case of a one-on-one towards goal.
"We don't have a rule or an offsides trap" as a set counter play, Gelnovatch said. "I just tell the guys to do what makes sense."
As a result of the loss to N.C. State, the Cavs were dropped from the Soccer America poll for the first time in 15 years. This ends a streak of 177 consecutive placements in the top 20. However, they still hold the No. 19 slot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
William & Mary (4-3-3), which is coming off a disappointing tie to Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday, is sure to be looking for an upset over Virginia. The Tribe is anchored in the back by All-American senior goalkeeper Adin Brown, who is also a candidate for National Player of the Year.
Brown will be joined by Kevin Knott, an All-CAA candidate, at left back. Miguel Hernandez, Garrett Chittum and Andy Ross round out the defense.
Both teams bring a physical style of play to the pitch. During the N.C. State match, a total of 38 fouls were recorded, although this pales in comparison to the 53 combined fouls tallied Saturday when the Tribe met Fairleigh Dickinson. One casualty of the rough play Sunday was Cavalier goalkeeper Kyle Singer, who sustained a mouth injury after getting kicked.
"As a team, you should expect a lot of energy and enthusiasm" tonight, Gelnovatch said.
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