Cavaliers seek second road win against top-five opponent
Returning to ACC play, the No. 12 Virginia men's soccer team looks to repeat last year's impressive showing at Chapel Hill against No. 5 North Carolina tonight at Fetzer Field.
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Returning to ACC play, the No. 12 Virginia men's soccer team looks to repeat last year's impressive showing at Chapel Hill against No. 5 North Carolina tonight at Fetzer Field.
Off to its best start since 1979, the No. 3 Virginia field hockey team - now 10-0 - will travel to Richmond tonight for an in-state contest.
The field hockey team prepares to host both Boston University and Boston College - its first ACC opponent of the season - this weekend, continuing a three-game homestand while hoping to extend its eight-game winning streak.
The No. 14 Virginia women's soccer opens ACC play Thursday night against N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C.
The Virginia men's soccer team defeated George Washington 2-1 in overtime last night, earning coach George Gelnovatch his 200th career win in his 14th season.
The Virginia field hockey team stands alone as the University's only undefeated team, recording its fifth shutout of the season in a 3-0 win against No. 8 Michigan State Sunday at Turf Field.
In its second ACC contest, No. 20 Virginia men's soccer faces No. 2 Wake Forest tonight in Winston-Salem, N.C. .
The sole undefeated team on Grounds, No. 5 women's field hockey (6-0) finally retreats to its home field this weekend to take on Michigan State following a contest against William & Mary this afternoon in Williamsburg. Virginia's last home appearance was Aug. 30.
After a highly contested loss to No. 19 Duke in double overtime, the No. 16 Virginia men's soccer team seeks its first home win of the 2009 season as it takes on Mount St. Mary's in non-conference action Tuesday night.
Coming off its highest final ranking in nearly 50 years, No. 16 Texas Christian University opens its season against the Cavaliers in Charlottesville. While Virginia suffered a highly disappointing 26-14 loss to William & Mary last Saturday, TCU capitalized on the first week of college football season by squeezing in a few extra practices.
In the 2008 season, the Virginia field hockey team won its first four games. Then, in game five, the Cavaliers' undefeated streak was broken in a 1-0 clunker on the road against James Madison.
Before heading south to begin postseason play, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team will wrap up its regular season at home Saturday against unranked Dartmouth.The Cavaliers (12-1, 2-1), currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, saw their hopes of an undefeated regular season come to an end last Saturday as the squad fell to Duke 15-10.“It’s never good to lose, but if there was a better time to lose, it would be right now,” senior captain Danny Glading. “It gives us a chance to regroup right before the playoffs. It refocuses us and makes us work a little bit harder at practice every day because we know that you can’t take for granted our success in the past and all the work that we’ve put into it.”This week presents an opportunity for the team to seize both redemption and momentum. Virginia held the No. 1 ranking in the country for eight weeks before its loss in Durham. Though Virginia’s three wins prior to the defeat were by narrow margins, it still entered the matchup dominating the ACC in goals, assists and shots.“We really haven’t been on top of our game the last few weeks of play,” sophomore goalkeeper Adam Ghitelman said. “Duke was a good reality check for us. You can’t win every one.”With the exception of a close four-goal win last year, Virginia has had little trouble handling Dartmouth in the past. The Big Green, however, enter Saturday’s game riding the momentum of their first Ivy League win of the season against Yale last night in overtime.Senior captain and attackman Brian Koch, who has tallied 21 goals thus far — one of which was the game-winner against Yale — leads the Dartmouth attack. Dartmouth, which is 4-8 on the season, has only averaged eight points per game. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, average 13 points per contest.The Cavaliers will need to focus on transition play, ball control and overall time of possession if they wish to reel in a win against the Big Green. Although Virginia is 12-1 this year, the team squeaked by in several of those wins, including a seven-overtime thriller against Maryland.“We know that when we get into close games, we’re willing to adjust to defensive styles we need and we have guys that can make the big time goals,” Glading said. “I think that helps our confidence going into the playoffs.”Should the game come down to the wire, Virginia will look to use its highly touted deep roster to its advantage. The Cavaliers not only boast a deep bench, but also a handful of explosive players in the starting line.Virginia attack Glading, sophomore midfielder Shamel Bratton, senior attackman Garrett Billings and senior midfielder Mike Timms were among 21 players announced this week as nominees for the 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded annually to the top collegiate player in Division I.Bratton has proved to be an offensive weapon in his second year, scoring 21 goals — already seven more than last season — to rank sixth nationally in scoring among midfielders. With 29 points, Bratton has twice been named ACC Player of the Week this spring. Billings currently ranks eighth in the nation with 44 points and has contributed 29 goals this season. He has led the team in goals on three occasions this season.Glading, meanwhile, leads the team in total points (45) and assists (23), while ranking third in goals (22). He is sixth in the country in assists and seventh in total points. Timms, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the most dominant longstick midfielders in the country.If Virginia combines its strong roster with a full 60 minutes of focus, Dartmouth could be hard-pressed to beat the No. 2 team in the nation.“Usually we’ll get going for a quarter or two, but we need to start gelling and putting full games together,” Bratton said. “Playing well against Dartmouth will definitely be a right step in the way.”Following the Dartmouth matchup, Virginia will return to Durham to face Duke in the first round of the ACC playoffs next week.
Coming off a sweep against Marshall and Richmond, the Virginia women’s tennis team looks to conquer Maryland in its first ACC dual match of the season Friday at College Park.Maryland (2-6), which struggled earlier this season but cruised past Pennsylvania in a match this week, presents an opportunity for Virginia (6-2) to prove its conference dominance. Because both teams have yet to play an ACC team, though, the Cavaliers’ advantage is not quite so clear.“Right now, just on paper, Maryland has had a little bit of a rough start,” Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau said. “But you’re never going to play anyone in the ACC that’s not strong. They’re going to be plenty competitive and probably be as good as most of the teams we‘ve played this season.”Maryland has lost by large margins in many of its matches and has struggled both defensively and offensively, despite an experienced roster. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have played in several close matches this season but have emerged victorious more often than not.With a 6-2 record as proof, Virginia has been able to dominate in both singles and doubles early in the season. Despite a winning record, however, the Cavaliers are still very much in the midst of transition, adding freshman Karoline Steiro to their spring roster mid-February. “I think that you’re always in search of that perfect chemistry in a group that’s really not always working well together but kind of has a common goal and a common bond,” Guilbeau said. “Overall they’ve transitioned very, very well. They’ve come out and I think they’ve been, in many ways, leaders — that’s a lot to ask when you’ve got freshmen.”Though the freshmen may be transitioning well, seniors Amanda Rales and Maggie Yahner must still set an example for the young team.“It’s important for them to have somebody to look up to and for that person to be doing the right thing on and off the court, so I definitely try to do my best at that,” Rales said. “At the same time, they have a lot to bring to the table, too, so there’s [one] thing that I can look to them for.”Virginia, though less experienced than some teams, is learning quickly and performing well. Freshman Emily Fraser now holds the No. 1 singles position after playing well at the spot in last weekend’s series against Richmond and Marshall.Additionally, Virginia also acquired sophomore Neela Vaez, a transfer from Purdue. Vaez has proved vital in many of Virginia’s victories, in spite of adjusting to a new system.“It’s been really great,” Vaez said. “I think everybody’s great here and I like it a lot better. The training is actually a lot [harder]. It’s quite a bit more demanding, We trained hard over there, too, but the coaches here are definitely expecting a little more out of us for each individual workout.”This dedication to overall fitness and training has helped Virginia deal with a slight understaffing problem, which was the result of several setbacks and injuries. Freshman Claire Bartlett and Steiro are injured and therefore will be unable compete in dual-season competition. Making do with six of eight players, the Cavaliers have another busy weekend ahead. They must remain healthy and focused, as the team’s bout against Maryland will be followed Sunday by a match against Boston College.“Boston College is a dangerous team; they have good strong players there,” Guilbeau said. “I know they’re hungry this year. They showed us a very strong level at the IPA regional championships in the fall, so we know we’ve got our hands full with Maryland and BC, and like I said, any team in the conference is going to be absolutely to the highest level.”Before Virginia can search for triumph against Boston College, however, it must seek to overcome a seemingly weak Maryland squad. Regardless of the Terrapins’ losing record, the team’s greater depth of experience might prove problematic for Virginia.“I know they definitely have some solid players,” Rales said. “They’re one of those teams that hasn’t typically done as well in the ACC but at the same time they could very easily surprise you.”The first match in College Park will begin at 3 p.m. Friday.
In a blowout home season opener, the No. 4 Virginia’s women’s lacrosse team dominated conference rival Virginia Tech 19-3 in Klöckner Stadium Wednesday afternoon. Virginia, very early on, controlled the game clock as well as the ball. The Cavaliers quickly managed five goals before Virginia Tech could score one.“We really wanted to make sure that we set the pace and the tone of the game, and our starters did a good job of that — jumping all over the draw controls, really managing our transition and going hard to goal,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “We made it really hard for them to even process the ball for more than 30 seconds.”At the 27:36 mark, freshman midfielder Josie Owen fired the first goal — which, in fact, also was her first collegiate goal. Senior All-American midfielders Blair Weymouth and Ashley McCulloch collaborated on the next two goals.“It’s our first game, so we were looking to play as a unit: attack and throw out the midfield and transition,” Weymouth said. “We were able to move the ball quickly, and once you get a defense off their feet, then you’re able to find an open player, and it’s easier to score that way. We just executed our attacks the way we wanted to.”After the Hokies called in for their first time-out, junior attack Whitaker Hagerman made it 4-0. Owen then capitalized on a beautiful transition off a Virginia defensive save with 18:42 on the board. Virginia Tech answered back 30 seconds later with a quick goal from Jessica Nonn.Virginia refused to allow the Hokies to gain momentum though, allowing only one more Hokie goal in the first half and scoring five more times before halftime. Hagerman, McCulloch and Weymouth combined to score for Virginia, giving the Cavaliers a 9-1 lead at the 6:07 mark. Even with the clock ticking down, the Cavaliers kept their furious pace up, as junior midfielder Marye Kellerman put a goal away off a Hokie penalty.Not wasting any time, Owen again scored early in the second half, but Hokie senior midfielder Rachel Culp soon countered. This marked Virginia Tech’s only goal of the second half, though, as Virginia went on to score the next eight goals unanswered, ending the game with a commanding 19-3 lead. A pair of freshman midfielders began and finished the streak; Bailey Fogarty struck first and Julie Gardner capped off the scoring with an assist from Kellerman, both earning their first collegiate goals.In a series of fluid transitions and breakaways, Virginia goals came from nine different players, showing both versatility and depth. McCulloch led the way with four goals and four assists. Overall, the team made its presence known to Hokie senior goalkeeper Kari Morrison, who totaled only 13 stops off the Cavaliers’ 32 shots.“I think we maintained focus on the little things, worked on ball control, ground balls, watching each pass carefully. Of course this is the first game, we tried to get those first game jitters out,” said junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein, who won three draw controls and caused three turnovers.In what proved to be a very defensive game for the Hokies, the Cavaliers’ offensive preparation paid off.“We took a lot of time preparing for ourselves, making sure we [are] on-game and focused,” Kalkstein said. “We focused on some of [Tech’s] key players, took what we learned from our scrimmages on Sunday and tried to draw from some of the things we did wrong.”Virginia’s next match is away against Loyola College Saturday in Baltimore.
Coming off a compelling win on the road against Clemson, the No. 18 Virginia women’s basketball team will face Maryland tonight at John Paul Jones Arena.Virginia (16-4, 3-2 ACC) looks to stop a high-powered offense that has out-scored opponents by a total of 240 points, averaging 77.3 points per game this season. Having only lost to one ACC rival thus far, Maryland (16-3, 4-1 ACC) stands tall at No. 8, with its only conference loss coming at Duke.Maryland coach Brenda Frese will rely heavily on senior point guard Kristi Toliver, a second-team All-American last year who leads the Terps with 17.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, to penetrate the Cavalier defense. Senior forward Marissa Coleman has also progressed as a threat, putting up 14.7 points per contest. Virginia will also seek to contain junior forward Demauria Liles on the glass, who leads the team and is third in the conference in rebounding with 9.2 per game. Overall, Maryland has one of the more balanced teams in the country, as four players average double-figures scoring.“[Maryland is] a good team, but we’re a good team also,” senior guard Britnee Millner said, “We’re going to focus mainly on ourselves to make sure we do what we need to do in order to win. We definitely are [making preparations], but we are mainly focusing on ourselves.”In preparation, the Cavaliers look to weapons such as junior guard Monica Wright, who averages 22.0 points per game and also leads the team in steals.Against Clemson, Virginia showed its versatility and depth. Senior forward Lyndra Littles was the Cavaliers’ high scorer with 22 points, while senior center Aisha Mohammed added 17 points and 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the year.Virginia prepares to enter Friday’s game with both a positive mentality and eager spirit. The win earlier this season against defending national champion Tennessee on the road stands as the Cavaliers’ landmark road win thus far; after dropping its last home game to Florida State, the Cavaliers look to make a similar statement at home against the higher-ranked Terrapins. A win would also give Virginia coach Debbie Ryan her 692nd career victory and would improve Virginia’s all-time record against Maryland to 41-29.“It’s been interesting but you have to win your home games.” Ryan said, “My team knows that. You can’t play in this league unless you can win at home.”Though the Cavaliers are 10-1 at home, the team’s last home victory came Jan. 11 against Wake Forest. Maryland is 5-3 on the road in comparison. Although Maryland is ranked higher on most polls and standings, the statistics of these two ACC rivals are similar. “The conference is very strong; each team can win on any given day,” Millner said. “On Friday, I think it will be a great game and a good challenge for both teams,”The contest Friday might become a simple battle of wills. “Just believe we can do it, and we’re going to do it,” senior guard Kristen London said.
Although statistics may not reflect his importance to the team, 6-foot captain junior short-stick midfielder Will Barrow has proved vital to an undefeated 8-0 Virginia men's lacrosse team.
In the midst of a six-game winning streak and the excitement of a critical win at home against the University of Connecticut last weekend, the Virginia football team will travel to College Park to face Maryland (4-2) Saturday night.
Coming off a loss to Clemson Friday, No. 8-ranked Virginia will face Florida Atlantic tonight, kicking off a five-game homestand.