Since the Virginia men’s soccer team released its schedule June 30, coach George Gelnovatch has been eying one stretch of games: Sept. 21 against Notre Dame through Oct. 11 against Duke.
By the end of this period, the Cavaliers will have played seven games in 21 days — a brutal assignment even for the deepest, most veteran of squads. With a mixed bag, Virginia completed the most demanding part of that stretch last week.
Beginning with the Irish on a Sunday, the Cavaliers played three games in a six-day span. Undermanned, Virginia senior midfielder Eric Bird carried his team to a 1-1 double overtime tie. But things turned south for then-No. 2 Virginia shortly thereafter.
Still fatigued, the Cavaliers dropped a midweek home contest against Davidson before falling against No. 9 Syracuse. It appeared Virginia was doomed to lose three straight before junior forward Darius Madison brought the Cavaliers back in the final minutes to defeat James Madison.
So while No. 19 Virginia (6-3-1, 2-1-1 ACC) might not be fully rested after defeating Pittsburgh last Saturday, the Cavaliers still feel prepared for their Tuesday night matchup at No. 20 George Mason (7-1-2, 0-1-0 Atlantic 10) given the rough patch they have already endured.
“We’ve gotten past that,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s a tough stretch that we’re in, but it’s manageable as opposed to that week after the Notre Dame game — that was really hard to manage.”
But even though the Cavaliers feel confident after overcoming their two-game losing streak, they seem aware the sense of urgency would be more pressing had they not defeated James Madison.
The Dukes lead until the 89th minute, when Madison — playing his first full match of the season — delivered his heroics, scoring the equalizer with 92 seconds remaining in regulation. Eight minutes later, he headed in the golden goal.
“I thought the confidence we gained was really important going into an ACC game at [Pittsburgh],” Madison said.
Virginia’s confidence was reflected on the field in the Pittsburgh game, with the Cavaliers taking 19 shots and scoring a season-high three goals to deal the Panthers a shutout loss.
Now again entrenched in a winning streak, Virginia is poised to climb the rankings with a win against the Patriots. And along with a resurgent attitude, the additions of Madison and sophomore forward Nicko Corriveau have brought back the offensive firepower the Cavaliers lacked throughout the first half of the season.
It is no coincidence that against Pittsburgh — the first game all season in which both forwards played a full 90 minutes — Virginia tallied three goals and notched its first multi-point victory of the year.
“They’re finally starting to get rhythm and fitness and form,” Gelnovatch said. “It looked like it in that game. They looked like two good forwards that are starting to get rhythm and form and playing together.”
The duo’s scoring ability will certainly be put to the test against a stingy George Mason defense in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots — led by sophomore goalkeeper Steffen Kraus, the 2013 Atlantic 10 rookie of the year — have allowed just five goals this season for a .50 goals against average.
On the other end, senior midfielder Timi Mulgrew leads the Patriot attack with eight goals and two assists for 18 points. His next-closest teammate — freshman forward Henning Dirks — has nine points on the season.
“Davidson, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, JMU — [George Mason is] like those teams,” Gelnovatch said. “They’re at their best when they play us. They’re on their home field. It’ll be on TV. It’ll be their biggest crowd of the season. We just have to have the right mentality.”
The defense, consistently counted on to keep Virginia in games, has delivered so far this season, recording five shutouts. Finally healthy, the Cavalier offense now has the same upbeat mindset. And with the addition of talents such as Madison and Corriveau, their usual offensive strategy is more likely to produce.
“We have the same game plan every game — just move as a team and move their defense around and hopefully get some good runs for me and Nicko and the outside wingbacks and hopefully get some goals,” Madison said.
George Mason might be trending in the wrong direction. After a 1-1 double overtime tie against Navy, its unbeaten season came to a close as the Patriots were pounded, 3-0, by Virginia Commonwealth — a team the Cavaliers defeated 1-0 Sept. 15.
Meanwhile, Virginia team members said they feel that, now that they are finally healthy — excluding junior forward Marcus Salandy-Defour, who is out for the season with a torn ACL — they are ready to play their best soccer of the season.
“We’re coming around and we’re peaking at the right time,” Madison said. “Hopefully we can keep this ball rolling and take this into the rest of the season.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at George Mason Stadium.
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