UVa stuns Johns Hopkins
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
March 28, 2004

In the 10 months since they played for the 2003 national championship, Virginia and Johns Hopkins had experienced drastically different fortunes. The Cavaliers had stumbled from their perch, dropping four of their first six games in 2004, while the Blue Jays had won five straight to establish themselves as the nation’s dominant lacrosse team.

But when they faced each other Saturday night at Klockner Stadium, it was like nothing had changed.

Playing with passion, poise and skill it had rarely exhibited this season, No. 17 UVa defeated No. 1 Johns Hopkins, 9-8, on Foster Gilbert’s goal in the third minute of overtime.

“This feels like as fine a game as we’ve played in a long time, including the championship game,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia, whose team beat the Blue Jays, 9-7, in last year’s NCAA final.

The teams’ first meeting since then certainly had a championship atmosphere. Under the lights at Klockner, a raucous crowd of 4,910 filled the stands on one side of the field and the hill on the other. Both teams maintained a high degree of intensity throughout the game, fighting for every ground ball and delivering crushing checks.

But it was the Cavaliers (3-4), in desperate need of a victory, who made all the big plays down the stretch.

They overcame a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 8 on Matt Poskay’s goal with 2:20 left. They survived a flurry of Hopkins shots in the final two minutes. Tillman Johnson then made a tremendous save early in overtime, setting the stage for Gilbert’s heroics.

Following a UVa timeout, the sophomore, who moved from midfield to attack this week, dodged from behind the cage and whipped a shot over the left shoulder of goalie Scott Smith.

“Coming out of the timeout, we knew they were going to put a short [stick] on me behind,” Gilbert said. “They said if I got a clean look, take a shot. If not, we’d work for something better.”

Gilbert got a step on short-stick midfielder Benson Erwin, who received no help in Hopkins’ man-to-man defense. The goal sparked a wild celebration as the Cavaliers rushed the field and mobbed Gilbert, throwing their sticks in the air and exchanging hugs and high fives.

“This is huge,” said Johnson, who finished with eight saves, none bigger than his stop of Conor Ford’s point-blank shot in the opening minute of overtime. “Beating the No. 1 team in the country really gives us a lot of confidence right now. This is what we really wanted. The defense played out of their mind and the offense put the ball in the net.”

That had not been the case for the Cavaliers much of the season, though they carried some momentum from last week’s 10-9 overtime victory at Towson. Still, no team had come close to beating the Blue Jays (5-1), who clobbered No. 3 Syracuse by 12 goals last week.

“It was all about believing in ourselves,” said attackman Joe Yevoli. “We’ve been playing better every week. We definitely believed we could beat them today.”

Gilbert, Yevoli and Kyle Dixon each finished with two goals for Virginia. Peter LeSueur and Kevin Boland each scored twice for Hopkins.

Neither team led by more than two goals. Dixon scored twice on outside shots to open the game, but the Blue Jays answered with three straight goals and the score was tied at 3 at the half.

Yevoli scored twice in the third quarter as the Cavaliers took a 6-5 lead. Hopkins then scored on its first three shots of the fourth to go up 8-6, but Virginia stayed patient. Gilbert made it 8-7 on a dodge from behind the cage and Poskay tied it with a 12-yard rip off a feed from Yevoli.

After a slashing penalty on long-stick midfielder Ricky Smith left them a man down, the Cavaliers had to survive a barrage of Blue Jay shots at the end of regulation. At one point, UVa turned the ball over with Johnson out of the cage, so Dixon had to make a save on a shot by Corey Harned, preserving the tie.

“Today we just sort of gave it all up for the team, whatever was required,” Starsia said. “When things aren’t going great, everybody has their own little agenda. It happens that way. But today it felt like everybody was focused on this game and doing whatever we needed to do to win.”
 

Gillen's job status still in question
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 28, 2004

While time is running out on this year’s college basketball season, Virginia fans are wondering if time is running out on Pete Gillen’s job as coach of the Cavaliers.

After two sit-down meetings with UVa Athletics Director Craig Littlepage within the last week-and-a-half, the two men are scheduled for another face-to-face sometime early this week. The two camps awaiting a decision, the “Keep Pete” and the “Pete Must Go” fans each believe they have good arguments.

Littlepage said weeks ago that the thumbs up or thumbs down will ultimately be his decision, though he would likely discuss the matter with Virginia President John T. Casteen III.

A few weeks ago, after back-to-back home losses to Maryland and N.C. State, both winnable games in my view, I thought Gillen was a goner. At that point, I wondered if UVa would win another game.

Gillen didn’t give up

To the coach’s credit, as several players will tell you, he didn’t give up on himself or his team.

“He could have easily turned his back to us,” said UVa junior center Elton Brown. “He could have given up on us and we could have finished 2-14 in the ACC.”

The Cavaliers rallied, won six of their last 10, knocked off three of the top 15 teams in the nation, one of which is still playing this afternoon. Two of those four losses were to Duke, also still playing.

They won an ACC tournament game, won an NIT game and would have likely won another had the Cavs played Villanova here or had another day’s rest.

Still, fans aren’t happy with the program playing in a third straight NIT in Gillen’s sixth season. They aren’t happy with UVa bombing out in the ACC tournament.

Others believe Gillen deserves a chance to at least coach the team next year when he will have everyone back except Todd Billet and will have a program infused with three talented freshmen.

Coach K’s thoughts

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski believes that anyone wanting to fire Gillen is, in his words, “an idiot.” Coach K noted how Virginia’s young team had improved late in the season, one of the criticisms of past Gillen squads who nose-dived at season’s end. Even those who aren’t in favor of Gillen’s return have to acknowledge that this team got better at the end.

There’s no question there are some members in the Virginia athletic department who want Gillen gone. Ditto that for some of the most influential boosters who donate big bucks to the basketball program.

This episode is filled with all sorts of sidebars that only complicate the issue. UVa has taken pride in years past that it was a more honorable institution and conducted business with its coaches on a higher plain than many of the athletics-driven schools around the country.

However, when Casteen invited some heavy hitters to supply the cashola to make Virginia the Stanford of the East, did all that change? Obviously, if you’re going to ask people to ante up that kind of megabucks, they demand excellence in return. Anything less is difficult to accept.

It should be noted that several key figures in the athletic department and Virginia Athletic Fund have basketball backgrounds. Littlepage was head coach at Penn and Rutgers. Terry Holland, UVa’s winningest basketball coach, casts a long shadow on the program from his AD emeritus position. VAF director Dirk Katstra played hoops for Holland. Fundraiser Barry Parkhill is a Wahoo playing legend and was head coach at William & Mary.

Certainly having those folks around turns up the pressure on anyone running Virginia’s basketball program.

Littlepage hasn’t said much about the issue of late, which some take to be a good sign for Gillen, while others believe its just another case of letting the coach twist in the wind.

“It’s accurate to say that we have been discussing the situation and that we will be continuing,” Littlepage said last week after meetings he termed “productive.”

Attempting to read between the lines there is near impossible. Does productive mean that the two men are agreeing on issues that need to be addressed to make Gillen’s future more concrete, or are they attempting to settle on a buy-out? Will Virginia demand that Gillen lose some assistant coaches in order to save his own skin?

Who knows.

One thing is for sure, if Virginia does fire Gillen, then it had better make sure it doesn’t make a mistake with the next hire. Choosing a flavor of the month, some guy who got hot during the NCAA Tournament could be a mistake.

If Littlepage chooses to pull the trigger, then he had better hit a home run with his next hire. If the ACC is as loaded with Hall of Fame coaches as perceived, then Virginia had better get its own Hall of Famer.

Anything less isn’t going to offer much to get excited about. And, who’s to say that a coach with less credentials will do any better than the man who currently occupies the seat.
 

No. 4 Cavs crush Owls
By Jerry Miller / Daily Progress correspondent
March 28, 2004

The Temple Owls were quiet.

In fact, the only hoos were coming from the Virginia bench and bleachers as the Cavs harmoniously passed the ball all over the field and shellacked Temple, 19-5, at Klockner Stadium.

“The offense is organized chaos, it’s tough to defend against,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “If I was an attacker, it would be the system I want to play in.”

The No. 4-ranked Cavaliers (8-2) clipped the Owls early after Caitlin Banks intercepted a floating Temple (2-4) pass, and then eyed Courtney Young who slammed Banks’ assist for the first goal of the game.

After Megan Condon tied the game at one, Banks again created, this time for herself, as the senior attacker sprinted through the open field and flipped a backhand rip by Temple’s Megan McLouth to give the Cavaliers the lead for good at 2-1.

Virginia continued with the onslaught and headed into halftime with a 12-2 advantage.

Cavalier attacker Amy Appelt, who entered the game with a team-leading 40 goals and 14 assists, drew much of Temple’s defensive attention, which opened up time and space for fellow attacker Tyler Leachman.

“Amy gets so much defensive attention, so everyone ends up concentrating on her,” said Leachman of her teammate. “It really freed me up.”

Leachman took advantage of the double teams sent Appelt’s way and scored a game high five goals.

But it was Leachman’s lone assist that drew the loudest applause from the Cavalier faithful.

The sophomore scooped up the ball just inside midfield, raced through the open field, and then whipped a slick pass to attacker Kate Breslin.

After she received the pass, Breslin ducked under the swooping sticks of two Temple defenders, attacked the cage and adroitly slung the ball in the back of the net to give the Cavs a 15-3 lead.

“We focused on getting better with our fastbreak and running through our offense,” Myers said.

Virginia’s Morgan Thalenberg was dominate in winning balls all over the field and helped the Cavs control possession thoughout the afternoon.

For the game, Appelt notched a hat trick for the 10th consecutive game to go along with two assists.

Young logged two goals, and Banks added a goal and three assist.

Virginia goalie Andrea Pfeiffer was rarely tested, but when she was, Pfeiffer was brick walling it on the goal-line. The senior netminder registered eight saves in the game.

The Cavs host No. 5 James Madison on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
 

Fast fall starts likely for Tech, UVa
Lithuanian big man takes official visit to Tech
By Doug Doughty
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Fridays

If Virginia Tech goes 7-0 to start the 2004 football season, just remember you heard it here first.

If it doesn't, give me a second to delete this column from the archives.

First, the Hokies have to get past national co-champion Southern California in the Black Coaches' Association Football Classic. But if you're a Tech fan, you've got to love the way the schedule sets up.

Of Tech's first seven games, five are in Blacksburg, one is at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Md., and the other is at Wake Forest.

Tech is certain to have the home-crowd advantage in six of those games and in the seventh one, at Wake Forest, there's a good chance that Tech fans will outnumber Wake fans.

I'm not sure that Tech will play in a truly hostile environment all season. The Hokies' other three road games will be at Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Miami.

To some, Tech's season-opener with Southern Cal would appear to be a mismatch but, as recently as last Oct. 26, the Hokies (No. 3) were rated higher than the Trojans (No. 5).

My guess is that Tech will be a 10-point underdog. Randy King thinks the line will be closer to 17 to 21.

IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, Virginia will be ranked ahead of Tech in the preseason polls, if the Hokies are ranked at all. Moreover, like Tech, UVa has the kind of favorable early season schedule that should enable the Cavaliers to rise in the polls.

After beginning the season Sept. 4 at Temple, UVa has consecutive home games against North Carolina, Akron, Syracuse and Clemson. Temple, booted out of the Big East because of sparse football attendance, will have a hard time matching the Cavaliers’ turnout.

Clemson, one of the ACC's hottest teams at the end of the 2003 season, frequently gives Virginia fits at Scott Stadium. But, if Virginia merely wins games it is favored to win, it should be 5-0 going to Florida State on Oct. 16.

VISITING TECH THIS weekend is Laurynas Mikalauskas, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound Lithuanian who is a junior at the Blue Ridge School in Greene County. Virginia is among the schools that have inquired about Mikalauskas, who had 29 points in a 118-68 loss to Oak Hill Academy, which is rated No. 1 in the nation.

Neither the Hokies nor the Cavaliers have had a Lithuanian player, although the Cavaliers made an effort last year with Linas Kleiza. Kleiza ultimately went to Missouri, where one of the assistant coaches is Lane Odom.

Odom is the son of South Carolina head coach Dave Odom and older brother of Tech assistant Ryan Odom, both of whom have signed Lithuanian players in the past, Ryan Odom when he was on the staff at American.

Blue Ridge point guard Derrick Hankins, who began his career at William Fleming in Roanoke, set a Blue Ridge record with 16 assists in a 71-54 victory over St. Christopher's. Hankins, a senior, is considered a low- to mid-major Division I recruit if he meets NCAA eligibility standards.

TECH HAS MIKALAUSKAS on campus now for an official visit because there have been indications he will make an oral commitment before the start of the summer. Tech is still looking at players in the current senior class, with no certainty that the "5-8" scholarship rule will be rescinded and that it will get another scholarship.

"We're one frontcourt player away from having a chance," says Tech coach Seth Greenberg, who meant a chance to be a competitive ACC team. "Our guards are going to be pretty good. I hope we're in position to get somebody this spring."

IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING the Pete Gillen saga at Virginia, the word I'm getting is that Gillen and athletic director Craig Littlepage will hold their second meeting Monday, following Littlepage's return from the East Rutherford Regional.
 

'Surprised' Clark let go at UM
Canes will pay a price for firing; replacement to face ACC challenge
BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
mkaufman@herald.com

After much deliberation, the University of Miami fired men's basketball coach Perry Clark on Friday in the hopes a new coach will energize the program as the Hurricanes head into the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

Clark, who said he was ''somewhat surprised'' by the news, had three years -- and a guaranteed $2.25 million -- remaining on his seven-year contract. He compiled a 65-54 record at UM, including a school-record 24 wins in 2001-02, but the Hurricanes slipped with back-to-back losing records. UM lost 11 of its last 12 games this season, and did not qualify for the Big East tournament for the first time.

''We looked at the direction it was going,'' athletic director Paul Dee said, his voice trailing. ``This is very, very difficult because Perry Clark is a very good, honorable person I've enjoyed working with. But we felt it was in the best interest of our program to make a change.''

Dee stressed he has not spoken to any candidates, strongly denied Internet reports he talked to former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis, and said he intends to conduct a ''wide-open search'' with no strict timetable. He also acknowledged price will be a consideration, as his department is strapped with $3 million in fees for the move from the Big East to the ACC, legal fees from the Big East lawsuit, and now Clark's buyout.

''We have to see what obligations we have, and what we can afford,'' he said. ``There are some people today we couldn't afford.''

Among the possible candidates are Murray State coach Mick Cronin, Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez, South Carolina coach Dave Odom, Texas assistant Frank Haith, Florida State assistant and former UM assistant Stan Jones, Alabama-Birmingham coach Mike Anderson and Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins. John Calipari's name has come up -- as it does with most job openings -- but he recently signed a new deal with Memphis for $1.5 million a year, probably out of UM's price range.

Asked if locking in a coach for seven years, as he did with Clark, was a mistake, Dee replied: ``I won't say it was a mistake, but it's something I won't do again.''

Clark took a Sweet 16 team from his good friend Leonard Hamilton four years ago and vowed to ''max out'' and ``take what Leonard has done the past few years and create even more excitement.''

Instead, the Hurricanes did not make the postseason the past two years, attendance dropped to 2,500 a game despite a new on-campus arena, and boosters were discouraged about limping into the ACC with a stagnant program.

Dee walked into Clark's office late Friday morning to deliver the news, and the coach took it hard.

''I've never failed at anything, never been told I'm not good enough at any place I've been, so this is a new experience for me,'' said Clark, 52, who resurrected a dormant program at Tulane before coming to UM. ``I have to handle it and move on. I'll coach somewhere. I still think my résumé is strong enough. I don't think I embarrassed myself here.''

While Clark was disappointed in the team's record the past two years, he felt perhaps the expectations in South Florida were too high.

''When I was brought in, I thought it was to build a program, but they were coming off the Sweet 16 and the feeling around here was that they had arrived,'' Clark said. 'That was a plateau of 10 years of hard work by Leonard Hamilton. I felt we did a good job with a veteran team my first two years, but at some point, you have to rebuild. I felt I laid a very solid groundwork, and it's not like we were in 20-point blowouts where you say, `Man, there's no light at the end of the tunnel.' But this city has a pro mentality . . . tough place.''

Clark had been recruiting relentlessly the past few weeks, as the spring signing period begins April 14. C.J. Giles, the highly touted 6-11 signee from Seattle, said he must reconsider whether he wants to attend UM now that Clark is gone. He plans to meet with his family and coaches when he returns from an all-star game in Knoxville. UM would have to release him from his letter of intent.

UM freshman guard Guillermo Diaz was noncommittal when asked whether Clark's firing affected his loyalty to the school. ''It will be different under a new coach, and I have to see what happens,'' he said. ``I think it is unfair to fire him.''

Added senior captain Darius Rice: ``He was a great coach, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He did a lot for me, helped me a lot. But it's an administrative issue and I had no control over it.''

Clark said he has ''tremendous respect'' for Dee and UM president Donna Shalala, doesn't begrudge them, and leaves with his self-confidence intact. ``I came in here a good coach and a good person, and I leave a good coach and a good person.''

Asked what his immediate plans were, he smiled and replied, ``Go hug my daughter.''
 

Virginia stuns Hopkins on Gilbert's goal in OT
Resurgent Cavaliers deal No. 1 Jays first loss, 9-8

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team returned to its house of horrors last night and again couldn't figure out a way to beat the Virginia Cavaliers.

Sophomore Foster Gilbert scored at the 2:43 mark of the first overtime, giving the 14th-ranked Cavaliers a 9-8 victory over top-ranked Johns Hopkins before 4,910 at Klockner Stadium.

It was the Cavaliers' seventh victory in eight games over the Blue Jays (5-1) in Charlottesville. Virginia (3-4), which has beaten Hopkins in nine of the teams' past 12 meetings - including last year's national championship - also improved to 11-3 under coach Dom Starsia when playing the nation's top-ranked team.

"It was tough to be in the middle of this," said Starsia, whose team's NCAA tournament hopes were thought to be in big trouble two weeks ago. "We aren't used to losing around here. It was tough on me, it was tough on the kids. You need to see the results of your hard work."

Gilbert, who also scored to inch the Cavaliers to within 8-7 at the 9:52 mark of the fourth quarter, was isolated on Blue Jays short-stick midfielder Benson Erwin behind the net. Gilbert worked around Erwin to the front of the goal before beating Blue Jays goalie Scott Smith up high to spur a wild celebration.

"We just said if they went man and I [drew] the short stick ... I was going to try to get a shot off," said Gilbert, whose two goals moved his career total to three. "[Erwin] gave me the whole side and I just sprinted to the goal."

Gilbert's heroics were made possible because of a fabulous save by Virginia's All-American goalie, Tillman Johnson. After the Blue Jays' Kyle Harrison won the first faceoff of overtime, Conor Ford was wide open from five yards out, but the Cavaliers senior, who was so dazzling in Virginia's 9-7 win over Hopkins in last year's final, made a fantastic reaction save.

"We knew when Tillman made a save like that, you know that they were going to come down and give us our money's worth," said Smith, who made 12 saves.

Hopkins nearly won the game in regulation. With Johnson out of the goal directing the clear attempt with 59 seconds left and the game tied at 8, the Blue Jays forced a turnover. Hopkins long-stick midfielder Corey Harned scooped the ball up and took a shot on goal, which was saved by Cavaliers midfielder Kyle Dixon, who had dropped back to protect the empty cage.

The Blue Jays trailed 6-5 to start the fourth quarter before going on one of the quick runs that are becoming their trademark this year.

Peter LeSueur finished a feed from Kevin Boland to tie the game at 6. Sophomore midfielder Kyle Dowd fired a bounce shot past Johnson (eight saves) 90 seconds later.

Boland gave Hopkins an 8-6 lead when, in transition, he received a feed from Harrison, took a couple of steps in and ripped a high shot past Johnson at the 11:27 mark of the fourth quarter.

Gilbert answered, and Matt Poskay followed by culminating a near four-minute possession with a high shot from 15 yards out that beat Smith to tie the game at 8 with 2:20 to play.

"We made a lot of mistakes and they capitalized," said Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala. "We lost to a good team tonight."

Cavs Stick It to Blue Jays, Again
Virginia 9, Johns Hopkins 8
By Christian Swezey
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, March 28, 2004; Page E06

CHARLOTTESVILLE, March 27 -- Johns Hopkins has yet to figure out Virginia senior goalkeeper Tillman Johnson.

Johnson finished with eight saves, including an incredible one in overtime, and sophomore Foster Gilbert scored the winning goal with 2 minutes 43 seconds left in the first overtime in the Cavaliers' 9-8 victory over top-ranked Johns Hopkins before 4,910 at Klockner Stadium on Saturday night.

Hopkins got possession first in overtime, and leading scorer Conor Ford had a one-on-one with Johnson from about four yards away -- but Johnson saved the shot with the shaft of his stick, and Virginia gained possession.

Gilbert scored the winning goal a few seconds later. He went behind the goal, curled around to the right and shot high past Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Scott Smith, sending his teammates and several dozen fans racing onto the field.

"You will always take the first shot on a short-stick [defender] in overtime to see what happens," Virginia Coach Dom Starsia said. "We are not used to losing around here. You need to see the results from the hard work."

The victory also helped salve what had been a slow start for the Cavaliers (3-4), the defending national champions.

Saturday's game was the first between the teams since Virginia's 9-7 victory in the NCAA title game last year.

Johnson was 3-1 and had not yielded more than nine goals against the Blue Jays (5-1) entering Saturday. In the three losses, the Blue Jays had scoring droughts of 36:35, 26:34 and 21:43, respectively. The Blue Jays are 38-5 against the rest of the country and 1-4 against Virginia dating from 2001.

Johnson had their number again. The Cavaliers used an unorthodox defense in which short-stick midfielders Nathan Kenney and Dixon guarded attackmen Peter LeSueur and Ford, so long-stick defensemen could guard the dangerous Hopkins midfielders.

Starsia had used the defense in the title game last year, and it worked again Saturday, mostly because Johnson had four saves on close shots by Ford.

Dixon, Gilbert and Joe Yevoli had two goals for Virginia. LeSueur and Kevin Boland had two for the Cavaliers.

Virginia senior defenseman Brett Hughes also did his part. He held all-American attackman Kyle Barrie without a point or a shot.

Johns Hopkins entered the NCAA title game and Saturday's game ranked No. 1, which might have helped Virginia. The Cavaliers entered Saturday night's game 10-3 against top-ranked teams under Starsia. That included a 4-0 mark at Klockner Stadium.