Junior Luke Burns had to pick two role models during a team activity this preseason. He wrote down his father — and fifth-year teammate Parker Sloan. What would each of them say in a hard time and in an easy time? That was the exercise.
What would Sloan say if Burns was about to face a big moment?
“You know you’re good enough,” Burns wrote. “Do what you do, baby.”
That’s what Sloan would have said. On Friday night, starting his first game in almost two years, Burns did what he did, baby. And he was much more than good enough.
With Boston College in town to open ACC play, and Virginia desperately needing a win to reverse a stumbling 1-0-3 start, Burns broke the deadlock in the 49th minute. Twenty-two minutes later, he slotted a perfect pass to senior Brendan Lambe, whose smashed shot swerved in to seal the game.
It has been a bumpy and often funky first five games for a Virginia team that started the year ranked No. 11. Burns has had his own testing road. He came in as a freshman two years ago and cemented himself immediately, then earned a starting spot for four straight games at the end of the season.
He played in every game last season, scoring twice and registering two assists. But he never once started.
“It was really hard,” Burns said. “We have Marco Dos Santos, who's one of the best 10s in the country, and he's our captain, and I think he's an unbelievable player. So 100 percent he should be starting. It's too bad they got the red card, and I was just grateful to get the opportunity.”
Burns was not the only new face in the starting lineup Friday. Virginia was missing three starters — Dos Santos and freshman Prince Abanfo to red cards, and junior Arnold Matshazi to injury — and one key player off the bench, sophomore Ethan Martinez. They still dominated Boston College, which entered 3-0.
Virginia ripped off 20 shots to their opponent’s 9, including 14 in the first half to two for Boston College. It was dominance of a sort that many may not have expected from a team that entered with losses to UCLA and High Point and FGCU.
Virginia, though, knew its quality and that the losses reflected one-off errors and not the squad’s potential.
“It’s hard for me to say this when you’re 2-3 now,” Virginia Coach George Gelnovatch said. “But for large parts of all our games, we look like we normally look. Great, in control, have most of the possession, expected goals, all that stuff. We’re on the wrong end for a bunch of different reasons.”
Friday’s result?
“That’s a little bit more what we’re used to,” Gelnovatch said.
“We've dominated most games and just given up silly mistakes, so it felt good to just close it out,” sophomore Zach Ehrenpreis said. “I think that we raised our intensity to some other level today, so it just felt great.”
The other change for Virginia was in goal. Spencer Sanderson had started every game this season. But the one donning the jersey before the game was Caleb Tunks.
“We just think it was time for a change,” Gelnovatch said. “No one’s given up on Spencer. We need him. But there were some goals happening that we felt like it was time for a change.”
Tunks had started two other games at Virginia, including an ACC game last year when Casper Mols, then the starter, and Sanderson were both injured. He mustered a clean sheet in that scoreless draw with the Tar Heels. But he faced far more action Friday.
He was forced into a massive save in the 84th minute, sprawling to his right, and finished with five saves.
“It was his time,” Ehrenpreis said. “So I think that we were all super supportive. He had a great game.”
Virginia meant business from the outset. There was an extra intensity to the proceedings. Before the game, Brendan Lambe got shouted to from the stands. He is a gregarious guy with an easy smile, even in the darkest moments. But he gave an unsmiling little wave and went back to rocking back and forth.
A couple hours later, he was dancing in the corner, unleashing nearly a full routine after his goal. He had seen some open space and gestured to it, and Burns slipped him in. Lambe blasted the ball, his foot going through it like an anvil, and the sheer power took it over the keeper.
Virginia was dancing the whole night.
“Not to say anything bad about our last team at all because we were incredible last year. But this team is just as good, if not better,” Burns said. “ACC we didn't lose a game last season. Won't happen again this season.”
Burns’s goal delivered the moment of inspiration the team needed. Freshman Isaac Mwakutuya picked up his head and found Sloan at the edge of the penalty area. He scooped it into the corner, then swerved off to the corner flag for a knee slide.
The whole team mobbed against the brick wall.
Once the mob disseminated, a line formed to hug Sloan. Sebastian Pop, Chase Duke, Drew Serafino, Smith.
At the front of it was Parker Sloan.
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