After suffering through a debilitating 0-2 start, the Cavaliers have battled back to even their record at 2-2. Virginia, however, will have its .500 record put to the test tonight as the Cavaliers travel to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth at 7 p.m.
Virginia has evened its record with a small two-game winning streak that began last weekend. Virginia knocked off George Mason 3-2 in double overtime Friday and handed Hofstra a 4-2 loss Sunday evening at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers’ win against George Mason, which came at the Patriots’ home field, will likely give the young bunch of inexperienced players a needed confidence boost. Virginia faced a 2-0 deficit in that contest, yet the Cavaliers were able to rally to tie the game and send it into overtime. They later won the game on a golden goal from freshman forward Brian Ownby.
Tonight, the onus will be on Ownby, freshman forward Chris Agorsor and junior midfielders Neil Barlow and Jonathan Villanueva, among others. The Cavaliers struggled to convert scoring opportunities into goals at first, but have scored seven goals in their last two games. Virginia will need to keep up that standard in order to overcome the Rams.
“Seeing that we’ve had many [scoring] opportunities is a good sign,” sophomore goalkeeper Dan Louisignau said. “As we continue to get those opportunities, they will go into the back of the net. I’m confident about that.”
Making matters worse for Virginia is the fact that the Cavalier defense has yet to record a shutout. While the defense has performed admirably considering it has had to break in an entirely new back line, it still has not put together one great game from start to finish. Shutouts, while largely unimportant in the grand scheme of things, are important feats for a young defense that can build confidence and camaraderie among an inexperienced group. For that reason, the Cavaliers should be anxious to post that first zero.
VCU, however, has its own ideas. The Rams head into Fridays’ game sporting a tough roster that can take on any opponent. While VCU currently holds an unimpressive 1-3 record, this record belies the quality of talent the team possesses. The Rams have quality losses to No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 11 North Carolina, playing both teams within one goal, despite being over-matched in each contest.
“VCU played Wake [Forest] evenly, and lost a close match to North Carolina,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch remarked. “We’re at their place and we know it’ll be a tough game.”
The Rams are led by senior midfielder Gerson Dos Santos, the pre-season Colonial Athletic Association player of the year. Dos Santos recorded seven goals and two assists in 2007 while leading VCU to one of its most successful seasons in program history. Senior defender Dirk Dittrich and sophomore defender Jorit Loehr were also named to the preseason All-CAA team and should be major factors for the Rams.
Considering that VCU has an experienced team and Virginia is still trying to find its way, Friday’s matchup between the two teams has the potential to be a very important game.
Should Virginia win, it could cement the confidence of the young team and perhaps permanently erase the bad memories of the beginning of the season. On the other hand, should VCU win, Friday’s game could be a major springboard for the Rams toward a very successful season and a return to recent struggles for the Cavaliers. Which option become reality, however, remains to be seen.
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