As the Virginia men's soccer team looks toward the coming season, it sees two lofty goals: the ACC and NCAA championships. Anything less would be unsatisfactory for a team that in past years has seen disappointing postseason results obscure stellar regular season campaigns.
Led by six seniors for whom last year's 3-0 NCAA quarterfinal loss to Creighton was merely the latest in an annual date with frustration, team members have returned voluntarily to Charlottesville this summer for grueling workouts and training sessions.
"I think we all felt our exit out of the [NCAA] tournament was a little premature," senior midfielder Curtis Bush said. "It left a bitter taste in all of our mouths, and I think that has given us the impetus to come back early. I don't think you'll find many teams across the country whose entire roster is back for the summer and training earlier on volunteer workouts. That says a lot about what we think we are capable of this year."
Although formal practices with coaches cannot start until Aug. 6, players have been working out together for several weeks in the weight room and in captains' practices. After losing only two defensive starters from last year's squad, the Cavaliers have placed great emphasis on teamwork this summer.
Helping with this process will be the team's exhibition tour in Europe. In the third week in August, the Cavaliers will travel to Holland and Germany to play against some of those countries' premier sides. It is a once-in-a-lifetime trip that all the players are looking forward to.
"It's going to be a cool experience," senior defender Marshall Leonard said. "None of the teammates have been overseas as a team, so it's all new to us."
Returning for his sixth season at the Virginia helm is head coach George Gelnovatch, who has compiled an 82-26-11 record in his five seasons in that post. Although he won't make any promises, Gelnovatch said the team was in good shape heading into camp.
"We lost two center backs, but Matt Oliver, who was redshirted last year, is healthy, so he's clearly going to be there," Gelnovatch said. "There is still going to be a lot of guys competing for positions. I can't promise anybody anything, but we have lots of depth, and we are a pretty good team."
Heading into training camp, Virginia has added six newcomers to its roster. Gelnovatch expects two or three freshmen to challenge for starting positions this year. John Hartman, Kirk Dinnal and Zane Hill will add to the Cavaliers' incredible depth at midfield. Defenders Jeff Tuman and Chris Fehrle and forward Chris Megaloudis will compete for playing time at their respective positions.
The Cavalier goal line will be in the worthy hands of junior goalkeepers David Comfort and Kyle Singer, who last year started 13 and 11 games, respectively. After ending last season as the starting goalkeeper, Comfort may have a slight edge over Singer, but Gelnovatch looks for the starting role to be decided by "healthy competition" in camp.
The defense also looks encouraging despite losing two starters to graduation.
"Toward the end of the season, we played very well, we came together," Leonard said. "I think early on we're going to have to come together, since we're losing two fourth-year center backs, but I think the guys coming in are going to take their places very well. I think we're going to be really solid back there, probably more solid than we have been the past three years."
Last year's offense proved itself to be quite capable of scoring goals, and with the further maturation of the midfielder and forwards, this year's front lines look even better.
"The talent and the depth are certainly there, and now it's just a matter of playing together," Bush said. "Given the talent and the athleticism that we have in the midfield, it can certainly come together in a pretty good way."
Junior forward Ryan Gibbs echoed this need to work together and said the forwards would need to step up their pressure on other teams.
"We have to work harder on defense, making sure that [opponents] don't get easy plays out of the back," Gibbs said.
The Cavaliers' regular season schedule is a difficult one, and they face stiff competition early. Following the home opener against Liberty, Virginia will face UCLA and Creighton, the teams that have defeated the Cavaliers in the NCAA tournament the past two years. Gelnovatch said those tournament losses should not drastically affect the team's preparation this time around.
"The fact that you have lost means that we have the advantage of having seen them before," Gelnovatch said.
The Cavaliers end the tough early stretch by playing six consecutive games in one of the toughest soccer conference in the nation, the ACC. But after facing a few less challenging teams, Virginia expects to end its season playing the best of the best once again.
"There's no more losing in the quarterfinals, there's no more getting to the game before the Final Four and losing," Gibbs said. "That's unacceptable"
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