Where have you gone, Sergei Samsonov? In what is typically a boon sports fortnight -- don't worry, I said "sports fortnight," not "beard fortnight" -- a key component is missing this spring: the NHL playoffs.
University of Virginia seniors LaTonya Blue and Brandi Teamer have been honored with selections to the 2005 Virginia Sports Information Directors' All-State women's basketball team.
The No. 3 Virginia men's tennis team won its 20th match of the season Sunday afternoon, with a 5-2 victory over No.
Baseball purists claim the key to winning championships is through pitching and defense. The Virginia baseball team has taken this assertion to heart by dominating the pitching and defense departments this year.
The Virginia women's lacrosse team went on the road to Philadelphia Sunday and dominated the Temple Owls by the score of 20-5.
Every four years, some of the best American athletes come together to compete in an international competition that the United States usually dominates. No, the competition in question is not the Olympics.
With a little under three weeks left in softball season, the Cavaliers are looking to make a late push to improve their postseason credentials. While a 16-21 record might seem to indicate the Cavaliers have not done much to help themselves, Virginia is 5-3 in the ACC and believes a strong finish can put the squad in position to make a run through the ACC Tournament, and possibly, into the Regional Tournament.
It is not time yet to write a eulogy for this year's Virginia baseball squad. There are however, plenty of reasons to be anxious about the trajectory this season is taking. The Cavaliers have already lost eight conference games -- two more than they did during the entire 2004 campaign.
Looking at the setup going into the Virginia vs. N.C. State baseball game this weekend, one couldn't help but think of a seesaw.
When the World Cup is mentioned, one immediately thinks of Pele, soccer chants and an announcer yelling "Goal!" as loudly as he can.
It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." It was Virginia senior catcher Jenn Wynn and sophomore pitcher Coty Tolar who followed that mantra yesterday at the Park as the Cavaliers (16-21, 5-3 ACC) blanked the Maryland Terrapins (19-12, 3-3 ACC) 2-0 to finish 2-1 in a three-game series with their ACC neighbor and rival.
Despite the fact that Virginia men's lacrosse has beaten North Carolina 41 times dating back to 1938, Saturday's 15-9 drubbing of the Tar Heels will always hold a special place in the history books. The win, which boosted the Cavaliers' record to 8-1 overall, also was coach Dom Starsia's 138th victory at the University, making him the most successful men's lacrosse coach in school history. Starsia moved into first place after passing Jim "Ace" Adams, head coach from 1978-1992. "I think guys knew [the record was coming up] in the back of their heads, but no one brought it up all week," junior Matt Poskay said.
Monday may have been Opening Day for Major League players, but for the Virginia Cavaliers, the baseball season already is in full swing. After nearly two months of games, Virginia currently stands at 20-9 on the season, which at first glance may seem like an admirable record for such a young team.
When the No. 3 Virginia men's lacrosse team takes on North Carolina Saturday, it'll get a glimpse of where it stood as a team at this stage last year. When the two teams met last season in Chapel Hill, North Carolina had a 5-3 record and NCAA aspirations.
Conventional wisdom says that most major conference schools try to use early season non-conference games to tune up heading into their conference schedule.
Following Saturday's loss to Duke, the No 4. Virginia women's lacrosse knew it would need to learn from the experience.
Last April, the Cavaliers saw the traditional script of Virginia versus No. 5 Duke. For the first two years of coach Brian Boland's tenure, Virginia won more matches than the previous year before ultimately running into a wall against the Blue Devils in April.
"Wait, who are you going to go interview again?" my roommate asked yesterday afternoon as we were chilling on our balcony. "Oh, I don't know, only someone who was in PLAYBOY last year!" I shot back. Sensing his initial shock, I decided to lay it on even more. "Not only that, but I've also heard reports that this person is the president of the Fashion Club at U.Va.
In the evolution of lacrosse, the final progression is the development of professional leagues. Baseball, basketball, football and hockey each only have one premier league in the United States, but lacrosse doesn't just have one league -- it has two.
If there were any signs yesterday that the No. 3 Cavaliers were looking ahead to their ACC clash with No.
