This weekend, having completed its regular season, the No. 18 Virginia women's soccer team (11-5-2, 4-3 ACC) travels to Tallahassee, Fla. for the ACC Tournament. The third-seeded Cavaliers kick off today at 2:30 p.m. against No. 24 Duke (8-8-2, 2-3-2) at a moment in which their season finally appears to be falling into place.
A young Cavalier contingent opened the 2002 season with high preseason expectations. Initially ranked sixth in the nation, mid-season blunders dropped Virginia off the national radar, as a frustrated team opened their conference schedule 0-3 with close losses to Clemson, Maryland and North Carolina.
But since their Oct. 19 defeat against the Tar Heels, Virginia seems to have solved its problems. Following the disappointing 2-1 loss at Chapel Hill, Virginia impressively swept its final four games of the season, all conference matches.
Most recently, in their Saturday meeting at Florida State, Virginia finished their regular season with an upset over the No. 15 Seminoles, 2-1. Senior forward Darci Borski, who received her second consecutive ACC Player of the Week award, notched the Cavaliers' first goal, and freshman midfielder Kelly Hammond added the security goal before halftime. The Seminoles quickly responded after the break with a goal in the 53rd minute, but failed to find another opening in the Cavalier defense.
"The win against FSU was big because we played well as a team defensively after they scored their first goal," Borski acknowledged.
Thus, after beginning ACC play with a discouraging 0-3 record, Virginia finished the conference season a solid 4-3, the four victories propelling them into this weekend's action. Entering today's competition, Virginia finds itself with a national ranking of its own and the ability to make a run at the ACC Championship, one of its preseason goals.
"The ACC championship is definitely within reach," Hammond said. "We have realized that we can compete with any team in the ACC after playing them during the regular season."
To have a chance at the championship, Virginia must succeed today against Duke, seeded sixth in the tournament. The Cavaliers fared well against the Blue Devils at Klöckner Stadium on Oct. 23. Virginia's 2-0 victory over the visitors marked its first ACC win and spearheaded its current winning streak. Virginia outshot Duke 13-6, and junior goalie Anne Abernethy, with two saves, notched her fourth of five shutouts of the season.
Today, however, the stakes are much higher. The Blue Devils enter the match with a two-game winning streak and have won five of their last seven games.
"Duke was a great team that played with a lot of intensity," Hammond said. "We are expecting a hard fought battle, but we hope to come up on top once again."
A victory over the Blue Devils not only guarantees Virginia the opportunity to compete in the tournament and possibly win -- it also would aid the Cavaliers in securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament, something the Cavaliers have had their sights on all season.
Having battled and overcome adversity and disappointment, the Cavaliers look as strong and confident as they have all season as they enter this weekend's critical competition. With their talent and will power, the Cavaliers are hitting the tournament in the perfect position.
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