The humidity on Sunday was so thick it seemed that the air was almost solid. The temperature was hovering in the upper 80s and maybe even reached the lower 90s. On the field though, the Virginia women's soccer team continued to run back and forth through the blazing heat, sticking to the ball without slacking.
About halfway through the first half, the ball rolled out of bounds, and Kelly Quinn walked onto the field as a substitute for forward Jen Rostadt. Before the end of the first half, Quinn had been pulled off and replaced by Kara Frederick. In the second half, Quinn subbed in again, this time for Sarah Curtis. A total of four players subbed in -- a significantly higher number than last year -- when generally one substitution would occur per game.
"We plan to use our players," coach Steve Swanson said. "I think we've got some excellent players right on through our team. Even players that didn't play tonight, they're going to be involved."
This increased subbing can be attributed mostly to the increased depth on the team. Not only are there eight new players but five team members who chose to take last year off to play in the U-19 World Championship in Thailand have returned.
This influx of players gives every position on the team an added pool of back-up players that simply wasn't there last year. For example, goalie Christina De Vries played all but 19 minutes and 40 seconds of last season, which were played by goalie Erin Lycan. This year however, De Vries will be aided by freshman Celeste Miles and sophomore Laura Comeau, who was one of the five playing in Thailand last year.
"We need that depth," Swanson said. "I think that showed toward the end of the game. That depth really comes through at the end, especially on a day like [Sunday] where it's muggy and it's really hard to get yourself going."
Sunday's substitutions may have been a big factor in getting the Cavaliers their second win of the season. Virginia had been on West Virginia's side, unable to break through, the entire game. The winning goal came with 14 minutes left, perhaps because West Virginia, who had subbed about half as many players as Virginia, was simply too fatigued to repel the Cavaliers' attacks any longer.
The new depth showed through in Friday's game against Rhode Island as well, when six different players each scored once to contribute to Virginia's 6-0 shutout of the Anchorwomen.
The only downside to the Cavaliers' deep roster is the relative inexperience of the team. Not only are there eight freshmen who are learning to play with a new team, but the players who were playing for the U-19 team last year, though they gained valuable playing experience, were still not playing with the team.
This means that the Cavaliers this year do not have as much experience with communication and playing together as a coordinated unit. However, even that seems to be coming along pretty quickly.
Virginia's starting defenders, for example, three of whom are new this year, and one who is returning from Thailand, held up fine in Sunday's game.
"They're all different players with a completely different style," Shannon Folley said. "But the four girls back there now are doing amazing. They are so much further ahead than we thought they would be."
Tonight, the Cavaliers go to JMU for their first regular season road game. There they will test their 2-0 record and the theory that change can sometimes be a very good thing.
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