When it comes to faceoffs, Jack deVilliers has always favored finesse over force, brains over brawn and technique over thuggery. But as he learned last year, it takes all of those qualities to succeed in major-college lacrosse. “I just wasn’t strong enough,” said the Virginia midfielder, who lost more than half his draws as a freshman. “There are some big guys out there, and they just overpowered me sometimes.” Determined not to let that happen again, deVilliers gained weight and strength in the offseason. He now tips the scale at a solid 200 pounds, about 15 more than last season and 30 more than when he arrived at UVa in the fall of 2001. “I was stunned, absolutely stunned, when I saw what he looked like when he came back to school,” said UVa coach Dom Starsia. “This is a boy who clearly put in a lot of work to make himself a better player.” The results have been just as stunning. Voted the team’s most improved player in the preseason, deVilliers has been among the nation’s top faceoff specialists this season. He has won 68 of 112 draws, or 60.7 percent, and has not had a losing day yet while facing some of the same guys who dominated him last year. DeVilliers is a major reason the Cavaliers (5-0) are undefeated and ranked No. 1 going into tonight’s matchup at No. 4 Johns Hopkins (3-1). “The key is we keep getting these faceoffs and that allows us to control the game,” said senior midfielder Chris Rotelli. “It’s tremendous for us to be able to dictate the tempo of the game and decide how it will be played, rather than having to start every possession on defense. I’ve always thought the faceoff guy is the most underrated, most important guy on the field. And Jack’s been unbelievable this year.” Relying on his polished technique, DeVilliers won more than 70 percent of his faceoffs at St. Paul’s School in Lutherville, Md. He thought he could do the same in college, but he was in for a rude awakening. “Jack was very smart and very good, but he just wasn’t physical enough to counter some of those big guys, those bulls,” Starsia said. “They can chop your arms to negate your technique, then push you off the ball. The problem was Jack didn’t have anything to go to if his technique was taken away.” Now deVilliers can push back, or at least hold his ground. He admits he will never be the strongest guy on the faceoff X, but he has the power and leverage to keep the thugs at bay. Then he can use his varied moves — his arsenal has expanded since last season — to win the faceoff cleanly or direct it toward one of his wing men. DeVilliers says his mental improvement has been as important as the physical part. He used to focus only on his favorite move, the Laser, and get psyched out if it didn’t work. “I’d get scared and say I can’t change it up, I have to win this faceoff, so I have to use my best move,” deVillers said. “I’d go to it over and over. Now I mix up what I do. Even if I lose a faceoff or two, I think it’s better if the other guy off balance and wondering what I’m going to do. The other guy should worry about me rather than me worrying about him all the time.” He began the season strongly, winning 16 of 23 faceoffs against Drexel, 19 of 32 against Syracuse and nine of 16 against Princeton. Getting the better of Princeton’s Drew Casino, who won 16 of 26 in last year’s meeting, was a mark of deVilliers’ improvement. He also held his own against Towson’s Ben DeFelice and Zak Smith, splitting 16 draws against perhaps the nation’s top faceoff duo. His good work has sparked a number of scoring flurries for the Cavaliers, who are benefiting from the extra possessions that deVilliers secures. “I knew if I could just win three more faceoffs per game, it would make a big difference,” deVilliers said. “When you have guys like Johnny Christmas, Joe Yevoli, A.J Shannon and Chris Rotelli, you’re going to score one of every two possessions. I just want to keep giving them chances.” DeVilliers says he has been helped by his wing men, including speedy junior Zach Heffner, a converted defensemen who has been superb in his new role. “Jack’s been unbelievable for us this year, and Zach Heffner getting all those ground balls, it’s just like rebounding the basketball,” said Christmas, a sophomore attackman. “If they keep doing that, we’re going to win all the games. You have to give a lot of credit to those guys.” Tonight at Homewood Field, deVillers’ brawn will be tested again against the aptly named Lou Braun, a 6-foot, 200-pound brute for Johns Hopkins. Braun won 11 of 15 faceoffs, most against deVilliers, in Virginia’s 12-6 victory last year. But deVilliers is looking forward to the challenge. “It’s just another chance to prove myself and show what I can do,” he said. “I think it’ll be fun for everybody. Playing under the lights at Homewood Field, in lacrosse it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Women's activist Brill explains actions
That decision could face one or more targets who have been -- or will be -- approached for both vacancies.
Chattanooga athletic director Steve Sloan told the Anderson (S.C.) Independent earlier this week that he expected to hear from Clemson about the Moccasins’ first-year coach, Jeff Lebo.
"I'm sure they'll call," Sloan said. "In my view, he's one of the best coaches probably in the country. He's an ACC guy. He's got a lot of good qualities."
At that time, Sloan already had been contacted by Virginia Tech about the job that came open March 10, when athletic director Jim Weaver fired Ricky Stokes after four seasons, and Sloan said he anticipated a call from Penn State about its opening.
Weaver has said he is prepared to make a contract offer well in excess of the $210,000-per-year package that Stokes was making, but how high will he go?
Larry Shyatt was getting a package in the range of $420,000 per year when he resigned Monday after five seasons at Clemson. The Tigers may go as high as $750,000 for their next coach.
Lebo signed a 10-year contract worth $300,000 per year and has an escape clause.
"If we believe we have found the right candidate, we understand there's market initiatives we have to react to, and we will react to market initiatives," Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips, a former Virginia Tech football coach, told the Anderson newspaper.
"I came to Clemson because we have a great opportunity across the board -- and that certainly includes basketball -- to be good at everything we do and we're not going to shortchange ourselves on that issue."
A coach who has been linked with the Clemson opening, as well as Tech's, is Oliver Purnell from Dayton. Purnell has two years left on a contract reportedly worth between $400,000 and $500,000.
If Purnell, a former Radford University head coach, isn't available, Clemson might be interested in former Highlanders aide Dave Dickerson, an assistant at Maryland for the past seven seasons.
"I would make Clemson an attractive university," Dickerson, a South Carolina native, told The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.
It has been reported that Dickerson removed his name from consideration last year at College of Charleston. Maryland made an announcement to that effect, but that may have been because Virginia assistant Tommy Herrion was going to get the job.
Names mentioned with the Clemson job by various South Carolina newspapers are Lebo, Purnell, Dickerson, Western Kentucky head coach and ex-Clemson assistant Dennis Felton, ex-Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, ex-South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler, Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins and Oklahoma State assistant Sean Sutton.
Phillips previously was the athletic director at Oklahoma State, where Illinois coach Bill Self was an assistant. Neither Self nor former college and NBA head coaches Lon Kruger or Tim Floyd is considered a serious candidate at Clemson
When contacted by The State, Kruger, most recently the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, said he is not interested.
ELEVEN DAYS AFTER his dismissal, Stokes still has not spoken -- and may never speak -- to The Roanoke Times. According to one interesting scenario, Stokes would join the staff at the University of Richmond, should an opening occur. Stokes played in the Richmond area and once worked with Spiders' head coach Jerry Wainwright at Wake Forest.
FORMER ROANOKE TIMES sports editor Bill Brill wrote the History of Duke Basketball, but, if there's a demand for a Vol. 2, publishers might have to look elsewhere after Brill left Sunday’s ACC championship game with nearly 11 minutes remaining.
Don't be surprised, however, if Brill is chosen to pen the History of Duke Women’s Basketball. (We'll get to that).
Brill continues to insist that he left the Greensboro Coliseum, with Duke trailing by 14 points, because he didn't want to become stuck in traffic and miss the NCAA pairings show.
Even longtime Brill apologist John Feinstein pointed out that Brill lives 50 miles from the Greensboro Coliseum, the game ended before 3:30 p.m. and the pairings show didn't start until 6:30. It would have taken a monumental traffic jam for Brill not to drive 50 miles in three hours.
Au contraire, Brill insists. He didn't want to miss the WOMEN'S pairing show at 5 p.m.
Wonder what coach Mike Krzyzewski would have to say about that? One of the greatest comebacks in Duke men's history and Brill was worried about missing the women's pairings show!
For the record, Krzyzewski ended his Monday press conference by advising the media that Duke would be providing a capsulized summary of the last 11 minutes of Sunday's game.
VIRGINIA FOOTBALL recruit Philip Brown is getting mixed reviews after one month at Fork Union Military Academy, where he reportedly has made significant progress in two academic subjects but has not had as smooth an adjustment to the military lifestyle.
There is some question whether Brown will remain at Fork Union long enough to play football for FUMA in the fall. He was one of the best players on the Phoebus High School team that won its second of back-to-back state championships this past fall, but enrolled at Fork Union in February.
It was expected that Brown would need three semesters at Fork Union to meet NCAA eligibility requirements and, if he keeps his grades up, he would still be on that track after this spring. He had a reputation for not dealing well with authority at Phoebus, however, and that remains an issue.
If isn't resolved, Brown might be looking for another postgraduate program for the fall.
FORK UNION BASKETBALL coach Fletcher Arritt shed some light Thursday on an oral commitment made by basketball star Donte Minter, who Wednesday denied having made the commitment when Arritt said it had taken place one night earlier.
Arritt said Minter was momentarily scared off by a situation that occurred with former Fork Union big man Jason Parker, who signed with North Carolina, only to have the scholarship offer withdrawn after it was determined (erroneously) that Parker was a non-qualifier. Parker later surfaced at Kentucky.
Minter did commit Tuesday and remained committed Wednesday but was hesitant to go public in case his transcript was deemed unsatisfactory. Minter did confirm his commitment Thursday after learning from UVa that his paperwork was found to be in order.
GREENSBORO - Dean Smith is North Carolina basketball. Wait a minute -- sorry, left a word out of that last sentence.
Dean Smith is crippling North Carolina basketball.
The winningest coach in Division I history has become a pox on his North Carolina program since 1997, when he engineered the promotion of Bill Guthridge by retiring one week before the start of practice.
North Carolina had no choice but to accept Smith's recommendation and elevate Guthridge, a good coach but a terrible steward. Guthridge went 80-28 in three years but had no vision, and left the North Carolina mansion on a foundation of quicksand.
Blame Smith, who overestimated his longtime assistant.
When Guthridge quit in the summer of 2000, Smith lined up Kansas coach Roy Williams, but again Smith misread a former assistant. Williams had too much loyalty to the Jayhawks to leave, creating a coaching vacuum North Carolina athletics director Dick Baddour scrambled to fill.
Smith, who did not return a phone call for this column, got in the way again. He approached former UNC player Larry Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers about becoming coach, and while Brown was all for it, Baddour didn't want to hire a coach who had stained UCLA and Kansas with NCAA scandals.
Smith helped Baddour become athletics director in June 1997 when John Swofford resigned to become ACC commissioner. That was a favor with strings, though, and Smith wanted to be the puppeteer.
When assistant Phil Ford pled guilty to driving while intoxicated during a 1997 recruiting trip in Michigan, Smith handled it internally. Baddour has told reporters he wasn't aware of the conviction until years later.
After Baddour replaced Guthridge with former North Carolina player Matt Doherty, Smith added a chapter to his autobiography with a passage suggesting Baddour should have considered Utah's Rick Majerus.
This season Smith stuck a verbal knife between Doherty's third and fourth vertebra when he said during a news conference -- a news conference Smith called to discuss the ACC's 50th anniversary -- that Doherty would be fine, "if you have your players with you."
North Carolina fans took that statement to imply Doherty doesn't, more fuel for an uninformed, shortsighted and unfair fire that rages on the Internet, on Web sites where Tar Heels fans debate.
Almost six years after retiring, Smith wants to be the wizard behind the curtain, but times have changed. This is college basketball, not a family, and he's the Dean, not the Don. Now kindly be a good Dean and let the program you love move forward the way it must -- without you.
With Johnson, Virginia's Starsia sees results of his eye for talent
Goalie from St. Mary's will lead No. 1 Cavaliers against Hopkins tonight
By Rich Scherr
Special To The Sun
Originally published March 22, 2003
University of Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia saw something special in
goalie Tillman Johnson, even though most others hardly saw Johnson at all when
he was a high school junior.
Despite starting his sophomore season at St. Mary's High in Annapolis, Johnson
rode the bench the following year - the one considered most crucial for college
recruiters - in favor of Chris Garrity, now a highly regarded senior at Penn
State. Undaunted, Starsia continued to look at Johnson as his goalie of the
future.
It's a move that continues to pay handsomely for the top-ranked Cavaliers (5-0),
who will visit fourth-ranked Johns Hopkins tonight at 8. After becoming the
first sophomore in 19 years to be named an All-Atlantic Coast Conference goalie,
Johnson was selected as a preseason first-team All-American.
"He's the best goalie I've ever coached," said Starsia, Virginia's 11th-year
coach. "He's our leader on the defensive end of the field, and he's been our
best player since the first day of practice, hands down."
Blessed with uncanny quickness for a player his size - 6 feet 1, 192 pounds -
Johnson reacts to the ball with a singular decisiveness, and he plays with the
kind of emotion that often inspires teammates.
"When I make a big save, I feel like I just have to let it out," said Johnson,
21. "I enjoy being out there and I show it when I play. It's not because I'm
trying to be cocky or anything. I'm just having a blast out there. I try to play
with all the emotion I can and boost the team whenever we need a little extra
help."
He gave the Cavaliers more than a little help in wins over Hopkins and Maryland
his freshman season that raised him to the level of the nation's elite.
Against the host Blue Jays, he recorded 18 saves and allowed just one goal over
the final 44 minutes of his team's quadruple-overtime win, then came back the
following week to shut down visiting Maryland, recording 16 saves in a 7-2 win.
"Those are games we don't win without Tillman," Starsia said.
After first picking up a lacrosse stick at age 6, the youngster was heavily
molded by a pair of former Ivy League standouts.
His next-door neighbor was Highley Thompson, who as a senior played for
Princeton's first NCAA title team in 1992.
Once involved in the sport, he met Nick Kallis, a former Penn goalie who saw
potential for the aspiring midfielder in goal and taught him the basics as his
longtime youth coach.
"It just turned into something that I enjoyed more than midfield or any other
position on the field," said Johnson.
At St. Mary's, Johnson also played defensive end in football, in addition to
hockey. Being a lacrosse goalie, however, had become his passion, and he dreamed
of taking his game to the collegiate level - a dream that suddenly seemed remote
when he was benched for a hotter goalie his junior year.
Starsia, however, had kept Johnson on his radar after noticing his potential at
his summer camps in Charlottesville.
"He kind of jumped out at some of the coaches in the camp," Starsia said. "He
was just the best ball stopper I had seen in some time."
Starsia offered him a scholarship before the start of his senior year at St.
Mary's, and Johnson has had the starting job since joining the Cavaliers.
"If I have my mind set on being good at something, then I will do it," Johnson
said. "I might not be the fastest guy or the strongest guy, but I'll definitely
work the hardest to excel."
#1 Virginia vs. #4 Johns Hopkins
March 22, 2003 * 8 pm
Homewood Field * Baltimore, Md.
Game Info
The Records:
Virginia: 5-0
Johns Hopkins: 3-1
Television:
Tonight's game is being televised in the Baltimore area by WMAR, channel 2.
Scott Garceau, Quint Kessenich and Keith Mills call the action and provide the
analysis.
The Rankings: (USILA/Inside Lacrosse)
Virginia: 1/1
Johns Hopkins: 4/3
The Series vs. Johns Hopkins:
Overall: 20-51-1
Away: 7-31-1
Current Streak: W4
Biggest UVa Win: 8, 2000 (16-8)
Biggest JHU Win: 15, 1931 (15-0)
UVa Goals: 605
JHU Goals: 878
Starsia (UVa) vs. JHU: 8-5
Last Meeting:
Virginia won 12-6 last year in Charlottesville
The Series vs. the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins holds a commanding 51-20-1 record in the all-time series with
Virginia. The rivalry between the two schools goes all the way back to two
meetings in 1904, well before lacrosse was recognized as a varsity sport at UVa.
The series didn't resume until 1926, the second "official" year of the UVa
varsity program (but still 22 years before UVa joined the USILA). The teams have
met at least once every season since 1948, the longest current series of any
Virginia opponent.
John Hopkins' 51 wins over Virginia are by far the most wins by any school over
the Cavaliers. Maryland is next with 39 wins over UVa.
Virginia has also played more games against Hopkins than any one else (72).
Again, Maryland is second with 69 games vs. the Cavaliers.
The Blue Jays have dominated the series in Baltimore, winning 31 of 39 match-ups
at Homewood Field (with one tie). However, Virginia has won two of the last
three games at Homewood, including a dramatic 9-8 quadruple overtime victory two
years ago in the most recent meeting at Homewood. That game is the longest game
in both Virginia and Johns Hopkins' history. Conor Gill scored the winner 1:15
into the fourth overtime period to send the Cavaliers home victorious.
This game features some historical patterns that could bode well for the
Cavaliers.
Known as a team that likes the up-tempo pace, Virginia would certainly like to
see its offense explode vs. the Blue Jays since the Cavaliers are 17-7 all-time
when scoring at least 10 goals. In fact, when UVa scores more than 13 goals they
have won 11 of 14 games against Hopkins.
UVa can also be successful if it is able to contain the Hopkins offense because
it is 13-3-1 when allowing fewer than 10 goals. The Blue Jays have not scored
more than eight goals in the last three games vs. the Cavaliers.
Virginia's current four-game winning streak against Hopkins is its longest
winning streak ever over the Blue Jays. Overall, the Cavaliers have won seven of
the last nine vs. Hopkins.
Cavaliers Off to Best Start Since 1996
Virginia is 5-0 this season, its best start since the 1996 squad opened with six
straight wins. The Cavaliers are one of seven undefeated teams left this season
and have the nation's second-best record behind Rutgers (6-0).
This is just the third time the Cavaliers have won their first five games under
head coach Dom Starsia.
The Cavaliers have frequently been stymied in getting quick starts due to a
series of early-season losses to Syracuse. Virginia got over that hurdle,
however, with a 16-15 win over the Orangemen earlier this month.
Rankings Don't Mean Much Tonight
One of the characteristics of the Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins series since the
late 1980s is the inability to use rankings as a predictor of victory.
The higher ranked team has lost 11 of the last 16 regular season meetings dating
back to 1987. In fact, from 1990-1995, the higher ranked squad lost each time.
Over the last 10 years or so this rivalry has also been death to teams ranked
#1. The Blue Jays came to Charlottesville last season as the top-ranked team and
suffered their first loss of the season 12-6. Since 1991 a team ranked #1 has
lost four of five games in the series. Virginia won as #1 in 1996 and lost in
1991 and 1995. In addition to last year, Johns Hopkins lost as #1 in 1992.
Things have turned somewhat the last few years as the higher ranked team has
claimed victory in four of the last six regular season contests.
Virginia Scores Many, Allows Few
Despite playing against some excellent defensive squads, the Virginia offense is
averaging 13.8 goals per game, fourth in the country. Not to be outdone, the
defense is being just as effective, relinquishing an average of 8.0 goals per
game and ranks 17th nationally.
Last Sunday's 10-2 win over Towson is characteristic of the Cavaliers' play this
season. While their 10 goals is a season low, the two goals allowed are the
fewest they've allowed in two years. It is also the fewest goals the Tigers
scored in 11 years as they suffered their biggest defeat of the season.
Virginia has hold the most goal scoring superlative allowed by each opponent so
far this season except against Towson. Defensively, the Cavaliers have also
given up the fewest number of goals in a game by each opponent except Drexel.
Nonetheless, Virginia has handed each opponent their biggest loss of the season
(in terms of margin).
Cavaliers at Homewood
This is the fifth year in a row Virginia has played at Homewood Field, a site
that's been very good to the Cavaliers recently.
In addition to winning two of the last three contests against Johns Hopkins
dating back to 1997, Virginia's last two trips to the NCAA final four have been
via quarterfinal wins at Homewood.
In 2000 the Cavaliers gained a 10-9 win over Duke, while last season they downed
Cornell 11-10.
Virginia's last loss at Homewood was a 16-15 defeat to Johns Hopkins in 1999.
Johnson Shines in Two Last Week
Junior goalie Tillman Johnson was sensational in two wins last week--14-8 vs.
Notre Dame and 10-2 vs. Towson.
In the two games over nationally ranked teams he recorded 23 saves and allowed
just 10 goals for a 69.7 save percentage. He also scooped up 16 ground balls in
the pair.
In the win over Notre Dame 11 days ago he recorded eight saves, while allowing
eight goals, the first time ND scored fewer than 10 goals this season. It must
also be noted three goals were extra man goals, scored after the outcome was
pretty much determined.
He allowed just three goals in the first half before the Cavaliers extended
their lead to six early in the third quarter at 9-3. From that point the
Fighting Irish never got closer than three goals (and that was after the three
EMO scores). Johnson also led the team with seven ground balls.
Johnson admitted his performance last Sunday against Towson was his best of the
year. He was spectacular in the cage and finished with a season-high 15 saves.
He also led the team once again with nine ground balls. With Towson applying
pressure early in the game, Johnson was unbeatable. He made seven saves in the
first quarter, including several from less than seven yards, as UVa held a
tenuous 1-0 lead after 15 minutes. Virginia built a 6-0 lead before the clearly
frustrated Tigers were able to score their first goal more than 28 minutes into
the contest.
He then held them scoreless for another 27 minutes before they scored their
second goal. Towson's two goals are the fewest they've scored in a game in 11
years and the fewest UVa allowed in two years.
deVilliers Improves at Faceoff X
One of the big questions for the Cavaliers coming into the season centered on
the play of faceoff man Jack deVilliers (pronounced duh-vill-yea). He was the
team's primary man at the faceoff X last season, a tough assignment for a
rookie.
He won less than 50 percent of his draws for the season (.478) but improved
during the latter part of the campaign and won more than half in two of his last
three games. In perhaps his best performance of the season he won 13 (career
high at the time) of 24 attempts in the national semifinals vs. Syracuse.
The sophomore from Lutherville, Md., worked hard in the offseason and came back
bigger and stronger and has given the squad a big lift with his play.
He was instrumental in the win over then #1 Syracuse earlier this month, winning
a career-high 19 of 32 draws (.594), including 11 of 17 in the second half as
UVa came from three goals down to win 16-15.
In the win over Princeton the following week, he was equally as effective. He
won 11 of 18 draws (.611), including seven of nine in the second half as
Virginia scored five of the game's final six goals to win 10-7.
He was stellar in the win over Notre Dame, winning 14 of 23 faceoffs, the third
time this season he won at least 60 percent.
His "worst" performance (and we use the term VERY loosely) occurred last Sunday
against Towson when he split 16 attempts. Nonetheless he was able to control the
flow well enough to allow the Cavaliers to gain a 10-2 win. It must be noted
Towson came into the game winning 64.2 percent of its faceoffs this season.
A look at his statistics on a game-by-game basis is below.
opp., Wins, Pct.
Drexel, 16 of 23, .696
Syracuse, 19 of 32, .594
Princeton, 11 of 18, .611
Notre Dame, 14 of 23, .609
Towson, 8 of 16, .500
Rotelli, Shannon Atop ACC Lists
Midfielders Chris Rotelli and A.J. Shannon are two of the leading midfielders in
the country this season. Both were named preseason All-Americans--Rotelli to the
first team, Shannon to the third team--by Face-Off Yearbook. Both have also been
placed on the list of candidates for the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation's top
player.
Shannon led ACC mids in scoring last spring with a career-high 25 goals, while
Rotelli was right behind with 24.
Both are continuing their scoring tears this season and are tied for the team
lead with 13 goals apiece. Each is on a pace to establish career highs for both
goals and points.
In addition to tying for the team lead in goals, Rotelli is tied with Joe Yevoli
for the lead with six assists. His 19 points are tops on the squad.
Shannon is close behind in the scoring race tied with John Christmas with 17
points (13g, 4a).
The senior duo is among the leading active ACC players in goals and points.
Their place on each chart is shown below.
Career Goals
Player, school, pos., goals
1. Chris Rotelli, UVa, M, 72
2. Kevin Cassese, Duke, M, 70
3. A.J. Shannon, UVa, M, 69
4. Kevin Brennan, Duke, A, 63
5. Mike Mollott, Md., M/A, 59
Career Points
Player, school, pos., points
1. Mike Mollott, Md., M/A, 145
2. Kevin Brennan, Duke, A, 108
3. Kevin Cassese, Duke, M, 105
4. Dan Lamonica, Md., A, 97
5. Chris Rotelli, UVa, M, 96
6. A.J. Shannon, UVa, M, 94
Johnson Reaches Top 10 in Saves
Junior goalie Tillman Johnson is considered by many to be the top goalie in the
nation. He was a preseason first-team All-American and is the only Division I
goalie named to the list of candidates for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually
to the top player in the nation.
He has been the starter throughout his career. Last season he was an honorable
mention All-American after turning aside 173 shots, the most by a Cavalier
netminder since 1996.
The junior from Annapolis, Md., has been steady during the season's early stages
while going up against some of the top teams in the nation.
He had his best performance of the young season last Sunday against Towson with
a season-high 15 saves and allowing a season-low two goals. The 15 saves is tied
for the fifth-highest total of his career (18 is his high).
The 15 saves enabled Johnson to jump into UVa's top-10 career list. He is
currently 10th with 378 saves.
Johnson is averaging 10.6 saves per game this season and has a 57.6 save
percentage.
A look at UVa's career saves list is below.
Player, years, saves
1. Rodney Rullman, 1972-75, 553
2. Deeley Nice, 1960-62, 498
3. Bo Moore, 1952-54, 494
4. Chris Sanderson, 1995-98, 493
5. Peter Sheehan, 1984-88, 491
6. Cam MacLachlan, 1975-78, 470
7. James Ireland, 1991-94, 458
8. Tom Groeninger, 1988-91, 455
9. Bob Hoover, 1955, 57-58, 403
10. Tillman Johnson, 2001-pres., 378
Hughes Shuts Down Syracuse's Powell
Junior defenseman Brett Hughes has started throughout his career at UVa. His
first two years he played in the shadow of 2002 ACC Player of the Year Mark
Koontz, who like Hughes hails from Upper Arlington, Ohio.
But with Koontz graduated and off to a career on Wall Street, Hughes has assumed
the role of defensive stopper. He got a taste of it late last season following
Koontz' season-ending knee injury, but this season the role is all his.
An outstanding athlete--Hughes was an all-state football player in Ohio--he will
draw some of the top offensive players the nation has to offer this season.
His first big test of the season came against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in
the season's second game.
By all accounts Hughes was one of the unsung heroes in UVa's 16-15 win by
holding the explosive Michael Powell to just two assists. The game was only the
fourth of Powell's career in which he failed to score a goal and the
third-lowest point total of his career.
Hughes also contributed a big play on offense that proved to be a key in the
one-goal win. With six seconds left in the third period he launched a 90-yard
pass downfield for Joe Yevoli. Yevoli snared the ball one handed and fired the
ball past a stunned Jay Pfeifer for a goal at the buzzer.
Hughes leads the team's close defensemen with 19 ground balls this season.
Glading is Underrated Warrior
Senior midfielder Billy Glading is frequently overshadowed by classmates Chris
Rotelli and A.J. Shannon, among others.
However it is interesting to note that of the team's middies Glading spends more
time on the field than anyone.
An extremely gifted athlete--he was a standout point guard in high school--Glading's
speed and athleticism enable him to be effective on both ends of the field.
Offensively he is an opportunistic scorer, who has connected on nearly 35
percent of his shots in his career. This season he has found the back of the
nets seven times and has scored in three consecutive games.
He led the team for the first time with three goals in the win over Towson on
Sunday.
Defensively he is frequently the player the poles look to to carry the ball
downfield on clears. He is also adept at checking the ball free and leads the
team's short stick middies with 13 ground balls.
Christmas Shines vs. Blue Jays
Attackman John Christmas came to UVa amid much fanfare last season. After a nice
early start, it was his performance against the top-ranked Blue Jays in the
season's sixth game that got everyone talking last year.
He completely took over a tight ballgame by having a hand in UVa's final six
goals as the Cavaliers broke a 6-all tie and upset Hopkins 12-6.
Christmas assisted on four third quarter goals and scored twice in the fourth to
lead UVa to one of its biggest wins last spring. For his efforts he garnered
National Player of the Week honors en route to being named National Rookie of
the Year by Inside Lacrosse.
This season Christmas is tied for second on the team with 17 points (12g, 5a).
He scored four goals in the upset of then #1 Syracuse, including the winner with
22 seconds left in the game.
He also led the way with four goals and two assists as Virginia handed Notre
Dame its first loss of the season.
Hoo'll Lead the Offense Tonight?
The Cavaliers feature one of the most balanced offenses in the country with a
host of players capable of putting up big numbers in any given game.
Five different players have led the team in scoring and there doesn't seem to be
any pattern getting established as to who might lead on any particular occasion.
A.J. Shannon led the team in goals in the first two games, but has cooled since.
He scored five in the opener vs. Drexel and four the next time against Syracuse.
Shannon was one of three Wahoos to lead the way with four goals vs. the
Orangemen. John Christmas and Joe Yevoli joined Shannon in the scoring parade.
Midfielder Chris Rotelli featured the hot hand with four goals and an assist to
pace the offense in the win over Princeton.
Christmas followed with a 4-goal, 2-assist effort to lead the way against Notre
Dame.
Senior middie Billy Glading became the most recent player to lead the team in
scoring after netting three goals last Sunday against Towson.
Rotelli and Shannon (13 goals each) lead six players with at least seven goals.
Cavaliers Adapt to Any Style
The season is barely a month old, but the Cavaliers are proving adept at playing
just about style that confronts them.
In the season's second game Virginia defeated Syracuse 16-15 in an up-and-down
game. Both squads are renowned for their fast-paced style and the fans in
attendance at the Carrier Dome weren't disappointed in that regard.
In that game both teams built three-goal leads only to see the other team charge
back and tie the score. In Virginia's case, the Cavaliers saw their three-goal
fourth quarter lead evaporate to a tie at 15 before John Christmas' game winner
with 22 seconds remaining.
Against Princeton the next week, the Cavaliers played a team that prefers to
slow the pace.
The methodical approach didn't deter the Cavaliers, who withstood a three-minute
non-releasable penalty by matching the Tigers' one goal during the span.
After the Tigers scored two quick goals to start the second half to take their
only lead at 6-5, the Cavaliers clamped down on defense and picked up their play
on offense by scoring five of the game's last six goals to win handily 10-7.
Virginia defeated a Notre Dame team last week that also likes to slow things
down much like Princeton. The opening quarter was a wild one with both teams
racing up and down the field. The Cavaliers built a 4-2 lead after 15 minutes,
but the pace slowed considerably in the second quarter with UVa holding a 5-3
halftime lead.
The Cavaliers blew the game open with a lightning fast four-goal outburst to
open the second half, but the Fighting Irish closed the period with a three-goal
run of their own. Virginia clinched the win with another four-goal run that
opened the final quarter as the teams traded goals the rest of the way.
Virginia Ranked First in USILA Poll
Following their win over Syracuse three weeks ago, the Cavaliers moved into a
tie for number one in the first USILA coaches poll with Johns Hopkins. A win the
following week at Princeton moved the Cavaliers ahead of the Blue Jays by a slim
margin. The Blue Jays have fallen to fourth in this week's poll following their
loss at Syracuse last Saturday.
This is the third time in the last four years Virginia has been ranked #1 in the
country in the coaches poll. Interestingly, the highest the Cavaliers were
ranked during their national championship year of 1999 was second.
Virginia is 3-0 this season when ranked #1. Last year the Cavaliers went 1-1
when ranked No. 1, but fell out of the top spot following a loss to #12 Duke in
the ACC Tournament. That loss is the lowest ranked team Virginia has ever lost
to while ranked first.
Under head coach Dom Starsia, UVa is 14-5 when ranked #1. The Cavaliers are 3-4
in road games as the top-ranked team, but have won three of the last four.
Cavaliers Vying for a Bit of History
Among followers of the college game, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Syracuse and
Virginia are generally regarded as the top programs in the country. Since 1987
the quartet has won every national title but one.
For much of the last decade the four have played each other during the regular
season (and frequently in the postseason as well) in a round robin schedule.
Periodically one school will win all three regular season games against the
others--it's happened four times since 1995.
Virginia is attempting to do something that's never been done before--defeat all
three on the road in the same season. The Cavaliers have already won at Syracuse
and Princeton earlier this month.
The Cavaliers downed all three in 1996, but all the games were in
Charlottesville.
Johns Hopkins has defeated all three in the same regular season eight times
(1931-65-67-68-85-89-95-99), while Syracuse has done it once (2000). However,
neither school has won all three on the road. (Princeton has never beaten all
three in the same regular season.)
Three Named to Tewaaraton List
Chris Rotelli, Tillman Johnson and John Christmas are among 16 candidates named
candidates for the Tewaaraton Trophy this season.
A.J. Shannon and Brett Hughes have been named "Players to Watch" by the
selection committee.
Rotelli is considered on of the nation's top midfielders. A preseason first-team
All-American, he leads the team with 19 points and is tied for the lead with 13
goals.
A preseason first-team All-American, Johnson is in his third season as the
Cavaliers' starter in goal. He is the only Division I goalie named to the
initial list this year. Johnson recorded a season-high 15 saves in the recent
win over Towson.
One of the most dynamic players in the country, Christmas is the only sophomore
on the list of candidates. He scored four goals, including the game winner, in
Virginia's 16-15 upset of top-ranked Syracuse early this month.
Owner of one of the hardest shots in the game, Shannon is off to a flying start
this season. He has scored a team-tying 13 goals and is on pace to establish a
career high.
Hughes is one of the leading defensemen in the country. In his third year as a
starter, he draws the opposition's top attackman. In the win over Syracuse, he
held Michael Powell to two assists, just the fourth time in his career he's ever
been held without a goal.
Six Receive All-American Nod
Six Cavaliers have been named to the 2003 Face-Off Yearbook preseason
All-American squad. Three Cavaliers were named to the first-team--sophomore
attackman John Christmas, junior goalie Tillman Johnson and senior midfielder
Chris Rotelli. Junior defenseman Brett Hughes was named to the second team,
while senior middie A.J. Shannon and sophomore attackman Joe Yevoli were
third-team choices.
Christmas is the only sophomore named to the first- or second-team. He was named
National Rookie of the Year last spring after scoring 29 goals to help lead UVa
to the national semifinals.
Johnson became the first sophomore goalie named All-ACC in 19 years last season.
He recorded 173 saves and is already 11th in school history in saves.
Rotelli was UVa's only first-team All-American last spring after scoring 24
goals. One of the top middies on the nation, he is one of the few midfielders
who makes an impact on both ends of the field.
Hughes has started every game of his career and will be looked upon to shut down
some of the nation's best attackmen again this spring.
Yevoli burst onto the national scene last year and led the ACC with 40 goals en
route to winning the league's Rookie of the Year award. He joins Christmas as
the only sophs named to the top-three preseason teams.
Shannon flourished in his midfield role last season after moving from attack. A
lethal offensive threat, he scored a career-high 25 goals to lead ACC middies.
Senior long stick midfielder Trey Whitty was named honorable mention preseason
All-American. He emerged as one of the top LSMs in the country last season and
has an uncanny knack for anticipating plays and picking off passes. A force in
transition, he scored three goals and added eight assists.