You don't win lacrosse games without scoring goals.
You don't win national championships without winning lacrosse games.
Deductive reasoning thus dictates you don't defend a national championship without putting the white ball in the back of the opposing team's net.
Fortunately for Virginia, which opens its season tomorrow at Drexel, the experienced and accomplished trio of juniors John Christmas and Joe Yevoli and sophomore Matt Ward lead an attack front line that can score with the best teams in the country. "Face-Off Yearbook" recognized each of the three in their preseason All-American teams, placing Christmas on the first team, Yevoli on the second and Ward as an honorable mention.
"There's no question that for our offensive production, a lot will fall on the shoulders of the attack, especially early in the year," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said.
No one, however, can challenge the fact that the young trio will be able to handle the pressure.
Christmas and Yevoli were named to the second team All-American team last season, with Christmas netting a career-high 36 goals, tied for first in the ACC.
"In Christmas, you have one of the most dynamic players in the game," Starsia said. "His athleticism often masks his touch around the cage. He's not just a good athlete playing lacrosse, but a good lacrosse player."
Yevoli led the squad in assists, dishing out a total of 26 for the season. Ward finished the year with 20 assists, the most among ACC freshmen, and 26 goals, good enough for fifth in the nation by freshmen.
"Ward is wise beyond his years," Starsia said. "His goals and assists last year show a balance in his game. He was completely unflappable."
The toughest challenge for the dynamic group this year will not be putting up big offensive numbers, but rather, scoring while also leading the young guns on the team. Last year, surrounded by senior leadership and experience in the midfield and defense, the group was able to concentrate on doing their job and producing enough points to win. For the 2004 season, however, Virginia's relatively young squad will look up to the attack for leadership.
Yevoli recognizes the need to add the responsibility of leadership and said he feels confident that the attack will be able to provide it.
"We're coming together well," Yevoli said. "But the attack just has to get used to leading, and we'll get used to that eventually."
The unit in need of the most leadership on the team is the midfielders, where only one starter from last year's solid line returns. However, that one starter is sophomore Kyle Dixon, who will be anchoring this line that looks to establish itself in the offense by the end of the year.
"The attack settles down the offense," Dixon said. "But our midfielders are just as good as them, so we just have to step up and play to bring that whole offense together."
Whether or not the seasoned veterans on the front line can lead and gel with the young talent of the midfield will prove to be a determining factor in Virginia's offensive success, as well as the squad's quest for its second consecutive national championship.
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