Cavaliers point to strong finish
Singletary & Co. eager to build on two-game streak
Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Barack Obama likes to talk about what he calls the "audacity of hope" -- hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty.

Hope lives on the University of Virginia men's basketball team. Picked to finish fifth in the ACC, the Cavaliers are 12th. But Virginia (3-9, 13-12) has won two straight, and Dave Leitao's players are confident they still can salvage a season that began with such promise.

"I'm a firm believer that we still have a shot," said Sean Singletary, U.Va.'s all-ACC point guard.

"I don't see why not. I believe we can win every game," said junior center Laurynas Mikalauskas, whose return from a shoulder injury has coincided with the Wahoos' recent improvement.

Leitao is more restrained. U.Va.'s wins over Boston College and N.C. State pleased him, and Leitao likes the heightened focus he has seen from his players at practice. But the Cavaliers' third-year coach remains realistic.

"I know we got a ton of work to do," Leitao said last weekend after Virginia routed N.C. State 78-60 in Charlottesville. "We're in 12th place out of 12 teams, so we got our work cut out for us from here on out."

U.Va. has four regular-season games left, plus at least one in the ACC tournament, which starts March 13 at Charlotte, N.C. Virginia has played only twice in the past 2˝ weeks, but its stretch run begins today at Miami (6-7, 19-8).

In rapid succession, three more games will follow. Virginia visits Georgia Tech on Monday night for a game that was rained out Feb. 21, then hosts seventh-ranked Duke on Wednesday night. The Cavaliers close the regular season March 9 against Maryland in what may well be Singletary's final appearance at John Paul Jones Arena.

Nobody at U.Va. is talking publicly about the NIT, which rarely is the stated goal of a Division I team. Still, given the Cavaliers' midseason woes -- they lost 10 of their first 11 games in the new year -- earning a spot in that postseason tournament would be no small feat.

Miami, meanwhile, will be devastated if it ends up anywhere except the NCAA tournament. To reach that goal, the Hurricanes know they probably need to finish at least 8-8 in ACC play.

"We've got three games left, and we've got to get at least two of them," Miami coach Frank Haith said Wednesday after his team's 79-69 loss at Clemson.

Today's game will showcase two elite guards: Singletary and Miami junior Jack McClinton. Singletary ranks third among ACC players in scoring, second in assists, fifth in steals and seventh in free-throw percentage. McClinton, who began his career at Siena, is first in free-throw percentage, first in 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and sixth in scoring.

"I was listening to Dave talk about Sean in terms of his toughness, in terms of his competitive spirit, and I would think [Singletary and McClinton are] very similar in that regard, just rallying guys behind them and how hard they work," Haith said. "Jack is one of the hardest-working kids I've been around, because of that, and he's your best player, the other kids fall in line."

That Singletary's teammates follow his lead is unquestioned.

"Nobody in the locker room wants the season to be over, and even though a lot of people have counted us out, we're sticking together," Singletary said. "We know what we can do."

. . .

NOTE: Some reserved tickets are available for the Cavaliers' games against Duke (Wednesday) and Maryland (March 9). Those seats usually are set aside for students, but the games fall during U.Va.'s spring break.

The tickets went on sale last night at www.virginiasports. com. Any tickets remaining Monday may be purchased by telephone (800) 542-8821) or at U.Va.'s ticket office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium.

 

Canes lean on McClinton
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 1, 2008

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Of Virginia’s nine conference losses this season, three have come in overtime and two have come in regulation by two points or less.

UVa coach Dave Leitao seemed keenly aware of this when he talked about facing Miami guard Jack McClinton today in the Sunshine State.

There was respect in Leitao’s voice as he answered a question about the Hurricanes’ leading scorer, but also a hint of trepidation.

Clearly, Leitao recalled last year’s visit here when his team blew a 12-point first-half lead and McClinton drilled two 3-pointers in the final 1:06 that propelled Miami to a 68-60 upset. The loss essentially cost Virginia sole possession of an ACC Championship.

“He may be the best player in this league that you can trust with a shot from 25, 27 feet,” Leitao said. “Regardless of what he’s been shooting at the time - he’s going to make that shot.”

McClinton has been Mr. Clutch all season for Miami. The senior, who played his freshman year at Siena for former Virginia assistant coach Rob Lanier, has Miami (19-8, 6-7) in the hunt for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2001-02 season.

Virginia, meanwhile, is a long shot to make any kind of postseason play. However the Cavaliers are riding a modest two-game winning streak and are coming off their best defensive performance of the season against N.C. State.

Virginia (13-12, 3-9) will need that kind of effort again today.

Miami has a well-balanced scoring attack and big man Dwayne Collins (9.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) has been playing out of his mind in recent weeks.

But when things have been on the line for the Hurricanes, it’s usually been McClinton - a 90 percent free-throw shooter - who’s come up big.

McClinton, according to Miami coach Frank Haith, is the type of player who has always felt as if he had to prove himself - a likely byproduct of not being heavily recruited out of high school.

“I think that grittiness, that toughness, enables him to have success at this level,” Haith said.

Recently, Haith says he overheard Leitao talking about Sean Singletary’s toughness and competitive spirit and couldn’t help but think of his own senior floor general.

“I would think that they’re very similar in that regard - in rallying guys behind them and just how hard they work,” Haith said. “Jack’s one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever been around and because of that - since he’s your best player - other guys fall in line.”

Leitao also sees some similarities between Singletary and McClinton. He remembers getting his first look at McClinton when he was prepping at the South Kent School in Connecticut. Leitao, coaching DePaul at the time, was recruiting Dorell Wright (now a member of the Miami Heat), but couldn’t help but notice McClinton.

“Just watching him play and getting to know him a tad, you could see his work ethic and determination,” Leitao said. “There are obviously different things that he does than Sean, but at the same point in time I think they both carry a dagger with them.”

It’s a dagger Leitao hopes he doesn’t have to feel for a second straight year.

Dunks

Miami leads the all-time series, 4-3. The schools split two meetings last year, each winning on their own home floor. …Today’s game is the first of a three-games-in five-days stretch for Virginia. UVa plays at Georgia Tech on Monday, then hosts Duke Wednesday. …Virginia hasn’t won in the state of Florida since 2001 - a span of seven games.

 

UM BASKETBALL
UM hoops hopes to rebound vs. Virginia
To get back on track, UM needs soft-spoken Dwayne Collins to find his aggressive side as the Canes return home to face Virginia on Saturday.
Posted on Sat, Mar. 01, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
By MANNY NAVARRO
 
Dwayne Collins was asked to reveal what exactly has led him from being the soft-spoken, 6-8, 235-pound sophomore in the Hurricanes frontcourt rotation to the chest-pounding and howling, high-flying dunk machine he has morphed into over the past two weeks.

''I have no idea,'' Collins said Friday in his usual soft voice. ``I guess my aggression. I've been going to the basket more and just straight at people.''

Collins, who was named ESPN.com's and Rivals.com's National Player of the Week Monday for his instrumental role in the University of Miami's wins win over Duke and Maryland last week, will no longer have a choice when it comes to being Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. UM coach Frank Haith said Friday he wants the beast all the time.

The Hurricanes (19-8, 6-7 ACC) certainly could use the new and improved Collins on Saturday when it hosts Virginia (13-12, 3-9 ACC) at 2 p.m. in front of a sold-out BankUnited Center.

With a win, UM would earn its 20th win of the season for only the 10th time in program history -- and the first since finishing 24-8 in 2001-02. Miami also would strengthen its bid for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.

`ANOTHER LEVEL'

But Haith believes in order for his team to be successful Saturday, Collins, who is averaging 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds a game this season, needs to get the ball in his hands.

''I told the team yesterday Dwayne Collins is playing at another level and we have to match him,'' said Haith, who admitted his team -- with three games to play in the regular season and NCAA Tournament hopes -- can ill afford to lose Saturday.

``We need to get him the ball. These guys know that and they have to ride him.''

Collins, who has started eight of Miami's past nine games, has been on a shooting tear since his career-high 26-point outburst against Duke on Feb. 20. In his past three games, he has shot 71.3 percent and averaged 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. In Wednesday's 79-69 loss at Clemson, Collins scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but had only seven shot attempts.

''Dwayne has a repertoire of things -- we just like his dunk. We think that's a great post move for him,'' said Haith, who added Collins' improvement can be credited to his better understanding and timing of when to post up in the paint.

``He's definitely grown as a player. He's more aggressive. He's shooting his free throws better. He's got a tremendous jump hook that is tough to guard. He's been our go-to guy in the paint. Any good team has to have a guy like that to go to. A guy that you can give the ball to and have something positive happen.''

Miami has had a lot of positives happen when Collins has been instrumental in the offense. In his 12 double-figure scoring games, UM boasts a 10-2 record.

Last season, Collins grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to go with 11 points in Miami's 68-60 upset of the 24th-ranked Cavaliers at BankUnited Center.

SIMILAR TO DUKE

This time around, though, it will be the ACC's last-place team that will be looking for the upset. Haith said Virginia, which has won two consecutive games and nearly upset North Carolina on Feb. 12, potentially could present problems for UM because it plays a lot like Duke. Haith said the Cavs, led by the ACC's third-leading scorer in senior guard Sean Singletary, can put as many as four players on the court who can shoot and make a three-point shot.

But unlike Duke, Haith said, Virginia has the size inside to counterbalance the strength of his post players.

''We need to win at least two of our next three,'' Collins said.

``We're hungry because all we think about is the tournament. We know this is it.''

 

No surprise: Virginia's Long impressive at NFL combine
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 10:49 AM
By BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

City of speedy cars, schoolboy hoopsters and one golden-arm quarterback, Indianapolis has now been graced by Chris Long, a big lug with a big heart and -- if you read tea leaves, mock drafts and testimonials from pro scouts and general managers -- a big future.

We know all about Long in these parts from his slam-bang career at Virginia. NFL types congregating at Indy for their league's predraft combine (read: cattle call) got their chance to chat him up and size him up over the weekend.

Howie's kid was officially measured at 6-3 and 272 pounds in Indianapolis.

U.Va. listed him at 6-4, 279 last season.

It's about the only instance anything about him was overstated.

He could be the No. 1 selection in the draft come April 26. That's what people are saying, anyhow, and it couldn't happen to a worthier guy.

The Dolphins own the top pick, by the way. They're bossed by Bill Parcells, salivates over marauding defensive ends, who favors the 3-4 alignment with which Long is familiar and who has a past with U.Va. coach Al Groh (in case you've missed one of Chairman Al's 1,173 references).

Even if the Dolphins go in another direction -- at 1-15, their needs are all over the map -- the Rams, Falcons or Raiders (for whom his father had a Hall of Fame run) figure to make Long a very early choice in the proceedings.

Perpetual motion being a highly valued commodity in that marketplace.

"I tell you what -- when you talk about guys having a huge motor, you look up the word 'motor' in Webster's dictionary and you'll find Chris there," Richmond coach Mike London -- U.Va.'s defensive coordinator the past two years -- said yesterday. "The NFL is filled with guys who are try-hard guys. The guys who try hard and have great ability are the ones who stick out."

Long sticks out like a sore thumb -- ironically, a leftover impairment from the Gator Bowl that prevented him from showing off his bench press at Indianapolis. As it is, he apparently impressed everyone, whether he was on the field, in chitchats with NFL honchos or on the podium.

"I don't see myself as doing anything extraordinary with my effort," he said during his press op. "I just think that's the way football is supposed to be played -- at a high speed. I'm not a guy who does things half-speed well."

He was an incalculable presence for the Cavs last season -- the key to their 9-4 finish that included an NCAA-record five wins by one or two points. The raw numbers alone -- 14 sacks, 19 tackles for a loss, 23 quarterback hurries -- were eye-catching enough. But Long's field-tilting plays had even more impact.

His interception at North Carolina, for instance, set up a field goal and what became the decisive points in a 22-20 win. His blocked field goal at Middle Tennessee was the difference in a 23-21 squeaker. His third-quarter sack for a safety at Maryland turned an 18-17 decision U.Va.'s way.

Through it all, there was this enduring image of No. 91 being double-teamed, triple-teamed, horse-collared, dragged down and generally abused by desperate blockers. And he never whined. He just picked himself up, returned to the huddle and hit the throttle at the snap again.

"He performs like a star, but he doesn't act like a star" is how Groh put it, a testament to Long's upbringing and team-oriented modus. Looks like he's been taught well.

"No matter where I was picked, any opportunity to play [in the NFL] is an opportunity I would cherish," he said. "I'm a football player. I won't change. I'll be the same guy."

Which is to say, a cut above.

 

No. 1 Cavs edge No. 5 Texas
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 1, 2008

In most cases, tennis coaches tend to panic when their team drops the opening doubles point.

Not Brian Boland.

He has become so accustomed to watching his No. 1 nationally-ranked Virginia team battle back from such a deficit that it has almost become a ho-hum situation.

That was the state of affairs Friday night when the Cavaliers lost the doubles point once again, but stormed back to knock off fifth-ranked Texas, 5-2.

A record crowd of 983 fans turned out at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at The Boar’s Head Sports Club to watch Virginia improve to 14-0 in a huge tennis weekend. The Cavaliers host No. 9 Baylor (9-3) today at 2 p.m. (weather will decide the site, either outdoors at Snyder Center or indoors at Boar’s Head).

Down 1-0 after the doubles competition, Virginia dominated in the singles, winning five of six first sets en route to winning five of the six matches.

“It would make it a lot easier to win the doubles point, but I think these are the kind of experiences against top five teams that we need to have in order to improve and develop as a team,” Boland said afterward. “This team showed so much character and perseverance to stick with it when they were down and climb back into the match.”

The disturbing trend of dropping that doubles point is nothing new to the Wahoos. It has happened five times already this season, even as the team marched to the ITA National Championship in Seattle a couple of weeks ago.

“I think it helped that this wasn’t the first time it has happened to us,” said No. 6 singles player Teddy Angelinos, who was one of the heroes in yet another comeback. “It has happened to us against good teams, but it only makes us tougher.”

Angelinos, a senior from Athens, Greece, won his 11th straight match, beating Josh Zavala, 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the match at 4-2 before No. 3 Treat Huey closed the action with a 6-4, 6-4 win over freshman Ed Corrie, ranked No. 24 in the nation.

In fact, all five UVa singles wins came in straight sets, which surprised Texas coach Mike Center.

“I thought there would be a lot of close matches and some three-setters, but it didn’t go that way,” Center said of his 10-2 Longhorns. “I knew it would be a very tough match, but [Virginia] is definitely No. 1 for a reason right now. They played with a lot of poise, they played the big points well and I thought they were more aggressive in some key situations and that was the difference.

“Give Virginia a lot of credit. They outplayed us,” Center said. “It was the first time all year I really felt like we just got beat … flat out beat.”

While the nation’s No. 1 singles player, UVa’s Somdev Devvarman rolled to his 16th consecutive win, perhaps the key for the Cavalier win was their success in the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles matches where undefeated freshman Sanam Singh (No. 4), sophomore Houston Barrick (No. 5), and Angelinos (No. 6) each excelled.

“Texas is as deep as any team in the country, so I was really pleased with how we won down low,” Boland said. “We were slightly stronger at the top, although there was some parity there, too. And I felt like it was going to be close down low.”

Angelinos’ win was the key to the Virginia victory.

His matchup against the Longhorns’ Zavala was not a particularly good one for the big Cavalier, who prefers to play baseline. The aggressive Zavala’s game is rushing the net, so the pressure was on Angelinos to make a lot of returns and pass his foe at the net.

He did that under even more pressure. After Singh had defeated Luis Diaz Barriga 6-3, 6-4 in a heated match that put UVa ahead 3-2, all eyes turned toward Angelinos to close out Texas.

“Myself, I love the pressure,” Angelinos said. “I usually play better when I know there’s a lot of pressure on us. When I broke him in the first set it gave me momentum and I carried that into the second.”

If Angelinos was the clincher, then Singh’s match was a key one as well. He held his composure after losing several disputed points en route to his 13th straight singles win this season.

“I wanted to show my teammates some good energy from the first point and I did that when I broke [Diaz Barriga] in the first game and that was really helpful,” said Singh, who joined Angelinos and Devvarman as the three players undefeated in dual matches this season.

Singh was actually down 4-2 in the second set before battling back to a 4-4 deadlock, then had two big serves at deuce that pulled him through.

“I hadn’t played in a week (he sat out the Boston College match to rest), but I served well on big points tonight, something I have been doing in all my matches,” Singh said.

Boland said those three lower matches meant a lot to the team.

“We tend to count on Sanam and he came through, but what Houston did was big because he’s had some close matches and you can see a lot of improvement,” Boland said. “Teddy was big tonight.”

The win was a big one for the Cavaliers, which have compiled a 21-1 record at the Tinsley courts in the past three seasons. The lone loss came in 2006, a 4-3 loss to Texas.

“They’re one of the teams competing for the national championship this year, so we knew it was going to be tough,” Boland said. “It’s going to be another challenging match [against Baylor] today.”


 

Senior midfielder embraces defensive, leadership roles
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 1, 2008

When it comes to recruiting in college athletics, there’s always stiff competition among schools that are in close proximity or within the same conference.

But what about recruiting competition that exists within the same school?

When Will Barrow came out of high school in 2004, both the Virginia lacrosse and football teams were hot on his tail.

Barrow, a two-sport star at New York’s Baldwin High, was a midfielder in lacrosse and a wide receiver/defensive back in football.

The 6-foot, 186-pounder was being recruited by lacrosse coach Dom Starsia and football offensive coordinator Mike Groh simultaneously.

“I think I always wanted to come [to Virginia],” said Barrow, whose favorite pro athlete growing up was two-sport star Deion Sanders. “It was just a matter of whether I was going to play lacrosse or football. I decided that lacrosse was where my head and heart was.”

Barrow wasn’t offered a scholarship by Groh (because he chose to play lacrosse), but says he spurned football offers from the likes of Maryland, Pitt and Virginia Tech.

So far, he’s had no regrets.

Ditto for Starsia.

This season, Barrow was elected a team captain. Today, the senior leads third-ranked Virginia (3-0) against Syracuse. The two schools square off in Baltimore in the opener of The Face-Off Classic. Princeton and defending national champion Johns Hopkins play in the nightcap.

“It gets your nerves up a little more,” said Barrow, when asked about facing the 11th-ranked Orange (2-0) in a game that will be on national TV. “Although Dom likes to preach that, ‘There are no big games,’ there are games you get up a little more for. You know you have to bring your ‘A’ game when you play a team like Syracuse.

“With the Hopkins game right afterward, it’s almost like a Final Four atmosphere.”

Barrow, a first-team preseason All-American, knows all about Final Fours. He’s been to two, winning an NCAA title as a sophomore.

The soft-spoken Barrow says he is excited about the new leadership role he has taken on as a team captain. He says he will be the type of leader who lets his hard work do the talking.

After all, Barrow isn’t the type of player who lights up a stat sheet - he has just 11 career goals. As a short stick defensive midfielder - perhaps the most unglamorous position on the field - he does a lot of the dirty work.

Starsia calls the short stick defensive midfielder “a classically under-appreciated position.”

“I know some schools just hope that he can kind of slow an offensive middie down and then run off the field,” Starsia said, “but we fully expect our short stick d-middies to stay out there, clear the ball for us and then take advantage on the offensive end.

“We expect Will to capitalize on offensive opportunities.”

Starsia vividly recalls how Billy Glading, a former team captain, intitially wasn’t too thrilled about being a short stick defensive midfielder. Glading, however, eventually took to the position and helped lead Virginia to the 2003 NCAA title.

Barrow, who was used to scoring a lot of goals and

being more of a playmaker in high school, has adapted to his role nicely. He realizes that opposing offenses often look to expose the short stick - and he takes that as a personal challenge.

“It makes me play with an attitude,” he said.

Barrow gives a lot of the credit for his acclimation to his mentor - former Virginia short stick defensive middie J.J. Morrissey. “He showed me [the position] was just as important as goalie, attack or midfielder, and that’s the way I look at it,” Barrow said.

Barrow never second-guesses his decision to play lacrosse.

“There are obviously times when I go and watch the football games and say, “What if?’” Barrow said, “but there’s never been a point where I regretted playing lacrosse instead of football.”

Barrow’s coach is certainly glad to have him.

“I think he’s been playing his best lacrosse here in the last 12 months,” Starsia said.

 

Face-Off Classic reunites members of '04 St. Paul's title team
Five ex-Crusaders will suit up for tomorrow's event
By Edward Lee | Sun reporter
4:05 PM EST, February 29, 2008
 

Just about every summer vacation -- with an occasional Christmas or spring break thrown in -- a group of eight to 10 young men return from college campuses to the Baltimore area and gather to re-establish their friendships.

And after debates about the merits of dining hall food and tales of dealing with bewildering roommates have long ended, the conversation will invariably return to their high school years at St. Paul's in Brooklandville.

And more specifically, the year 2004, when the Crusaders lacrosse team stood atop the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association mountain.

"Usually when we're home and we're hanging out, that year comes up as a special time in our lives," recalled Pike Howard, who is a senior long-stick midfielder for No. 3 Virginia. "I feel like we definitely have that memory as a special part of what we accomplished in high school."

Five of those players will reconvene tomorrow at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium. And even though Virginia's Gavin Gill, Kyle Menendez and Howard, Johns Hopkins' Nolan Matthews and Princeton's Greg Seaman probably won't have a chance to exchange pleasantries, the bond between the former St. Paul's players remains strong.

The reunions -- which also include but are not limited to Towson's Jason Donati and Kyle Smedley, North Carolina's Bart Wagner and Lynchburg's Johnny Black -- are usually staged at one of the players' parents' houses. An offhand comment is all it takes to remind the St. Paul's graduates of that 2004 season.

"It comes up more often than not in conversations," said Matthews, a senior goalkeeper for the defending national champion and No. 1 Blue Jays. "While we're talking about the great times we had in high school and how we miss being around each other, that was one of the highlights of our lives."

The players differ on what they perceive as the turning point of the season. Seaman, a junior midfielder for the No. 9 Tigers, points to a nonconference game against Washington-area power Landon in which the Crusaders had a one-goal lead with a minute left before losing in overtime.

Gill, a junior attackman with the Cavaliers, remembers wresting away the season-ending tournament's top seed by beating a Boys' Latin squad filled with current college standouts Shane Walterhoefer (North Carolina), Brian Farrell (Maryland), Evan Burns (Bucknell) and Chris Boland (Johns Hopkins).

"When we beat them, that's when we thought, 'Maybe we can do this,'¤" Gill said. "You could have argued that they had more talent on their team, but we beat them, and that gave us confidence."

The victory over Gilman in the final overshadowed a scandal that wiped out the 2001 season. Several games into that season, St. Paul's school officials canceled the remainder of the campaign after learning that a junior varsity player had videotaped himself having sex with a 15-year-old girl without her knowledge and showed the tape to teammates.

The 2004 senior class was the only remnant of that incident, which made the school and the program the target of scorn. According to St. Paul's coach Mitch Whiteley after the championship final, an MIAA coach had described a potential Crusaders triumph as "an embarrassment to the whole league."

"I think that incident took awhile to shake off," Matthews said. "We were freshmen at the time, and we weren't as directly involved. But we banded together and said that was in the past and that we were going ahead."

The players from the 2004 team still have physical reminders of their accomplishment. An assistant coach carved up the game ball so that each player had a piece to take home. Some like Seaman still have their jerseys hanging in their closets.

But for the five players who will participate in tomorrow's Face-Off Classic, the goal is to add more mementos from championship moments.

"It was one of my best high school memories, but when you're at a place like Princeton, Hopkins or Virginia, the focus is winning a national championship here," Seaman said. "So we're all eager to replicate that [MIAA title] experience in college."

 

Thompson sets school record in Siena win
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 1, 2008

Sean Doolittle watched helplessly Friday afternoon at Davenport Field, displaying a genuine smile in the process, as he was knocked off his lofty perch by a close friend and former teammate.

Virginia right-handed pitcher Jacob Thompson dominated Siena over seven strong innings, propelling the Cavaliers to a 17-2 victory in historic fashion.

Thompson, a junior, fanned 10 batters and won for the 23rd time in his career, breaking a tie with Doolittle to become the

program’s all-time leader in wins.

Oddly enough, Thompson (2-0) claimed that he forgot about the impending record in the days that preceded his 34th career start.

“To tell you the truth, it hadn’t even crossed my mind,” Thompson said. “I knew when [Doolittle] got the record last year, but I guess it just slipped my mind.

“It is neat to have that, but it wouldn’t have come without our pitching coach, Karl Kuhn, working with me and without the rest of the team behind me.”

Thompson also proved he was human against Siena - the team’s ace allowed four hits, two walks and one unearned run in his final inning of work.

With ACC play starting Friday at North Carolina State, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor was pleased to see Thompson hurl his best outing since practice started the first day of February.

“He was ahead in the count, he was attacking the zone and when he does that, he minimizes his pitches and he gets good results,” O’Connor said. “I like where he is at. I felt like he needed to make improvement from the last outing and he did.

“I think he is ready to go. He is pitching good baseball.”

Thompson was spotted an early lead - the Cavaliers scored lone runs in the second and third innings and blew the game open in the fourth as they sent 11 batters to the plate.

Thanks to the six-run fourth, a frame that was fueled by two of Siena’s four errors, Thompson took an 8-0 lead to the mound in the fifth.

Siena (0-5), which lost 1-0 to Cornell earlier in the first game of the day, appeared poised to strike back that inning, loading the bases off Thompson with two singles and a one-out walk.

Virginia second baseman David Adams promptly strolled to the mound to chat with his starting pitcher.

The move paid off. Thompson got Siena’s Michael Ambury to ground into an inning-ending double play to shortstop Greg Miclat.

“He mainly was up there giving me a break,” said Thompson, who threw 68 of his 98 pitches for strikes. “I tried to focus and I got the grounder to the fielder that I wanted. I will certainly take that.”

Virginia, off to its best start since 1971, continued to pad to its lead with three runs in the fifth, one in the seventh and five more in the eighth as O’Connor rotated in three pinch hitters.

The Cavaliers torched four Siena pitchers for 18 hits, including three from Miclat. The junior, making just his second start at shortstop, also added a career-best five RBI and scored three runs.

UVa plays a pair of games today, entertaining Cornell (1-0) at noon and Siena at 3 p.m.

 

Cavs face first big test in Orange
By Bart Isley / risley@dailyprogress.com | 978-7240
March 1, 2008

After dealing with midterms all week, it appears Virginia’s women’s lacrosse team will have to put up with one more test Saturday.

That’s when the second-ranked Cavaliers will battle No. 4 Syracuse in Virginia’s home opener.

The contest with the Orange will be the first major hurdle for the Cavaliers, who disposed of an overmatched Virginia Tech squad and a struggling Richmond unit in their first two games.

“This game is clearly going to be a huge challenge for us,” said Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “They haven’t been tested yet either and I think both teams are really hungry to see where they are right now.”

The Cavaliers poured it on against Richmond and Virginia Tech, outscoring the in-state opponents by a 30-13 margin. Ashley McCulloch leads the Cavs with five goals and 10 total points, but the Cavs have also gotten big contributions from fellow upperclassmen Jenny Hauser (seven points) and Megan O’Malley (six goals)

“Our offense is definitely moving the ball really well and getting really good looks at the cage,” Myers said.

And all without the services of Blair Weymouth, Virginia’s superstar junior who was a first team All-American as a junior and a second team All-American as a freshman. Weymouth, who holds Virginia’s season record for total points, injured her ankle in a scrimmage before the Cavaliers’ season opener.

“I look at our offense and I think, we’ve done this without our most potent transition player and our most dangerous attacker,” Myers said. “She’ll be great to have back and we’ll take on another look with her.”

Weymouth is hoping to be able to play against Syracuse just a short time after the ankle was encased in a boot.

Syracuse counters Virginia’s offensive prowess with one of the country’s most highly touted offenses, with the Orange scoring 42 goals on their first two opponents, Canisius and 14th ranked Dartmouth. Syracuse relies on a multiple option, dynamic offense that can expose a defense’s weakness quickly.

“They’ve always been a really athletic and fast team, but this year they’re showing a lot of organization and stickwork,” Myers said. “I think that’s probably exactly what they needed to get into that top four spot.”

Goalie Kendall McBrearty will lead the Cavaliers’ charge defensively. The senior started last season and finished second among the Cavaliers in ground balls, a critical stat category in women’s lacrosse.

“She’s one of our best athletes on the team, and it’s not just the saves she makes,” Myers said. “She really anchors the defense and gets so many interceptions and creates extra possessions. She’s really one of our best defenders.”

The Cavaliers’ schedule won’t ease up after the home opener either. Virginia travels to Maryland and Penn State next week for a pair of critical road games.
 

Cavs close to title
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
March 1, 2008

Flexing the muscle of its great depth, Virginia built a comfortable 182-point lead heading into tonight’s men’s ACC swimming and diving championships in Atlanta.

The Cavaliers finished in the top three in six of the seven events on Friday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center to end the night with a 559-point total, out-distancing North Carolina with 377 and defending champion Florida State’s 352. Behind freshman Matt McLean’s record-breaking performance in the 200 free, Virginia is poised to reclaim its conference crown.

Ranked No. 15 nationally heading into the weekend, the Cavs should win their ninth ACC title in the past 10 years after Florida State snapped a string of eight straight UVa championships last season.

“They performed really well,” said Virginia coach Mark Bernardino in a press release. “We want to place ourselves in position to make the final push [Saturday].”

McLean broke both the ACC and meet record in the 200 free with a time of 1:34.54, then joined the Cavs’ 400-yard medley relay team to cap the evening with a first-place finish with a NCAA ‘B’ standard time of 3:12.49. Bryan Stahl, P.J. Sullivan and Lee Robertson completed that team.

Scot Robison (1:36.31), John Azar (1:36.65) and Taylor Smith (1:37.67), placed third, fourth and fifth as UVa dominated the 200 free. Freshman Ian Vogt was second in the 400 IM (3:49.59), just ahead of teammate Darren Ankosko in fifth.

Four more Wahoos placed in the top eight of the 100 fly, paced by Pat Reams in second (47.37). Lee Robertson (third), Eric Olesen (fourth) and Tony Colella (seventh) rounded out the effort.

Sullivan also finished second in the 100 breast (54.28), while Stahl (48.48), Olesen (48.72), and Bjorn Falk (48.86) finished third, fourth and sixth in the 100 back.

North Carolina’s Tyler Harris shattered the conference and ACC meet records in the 400 IM (3:47.36), to become the Tar Heels’ first champion in the event since 1986.

Florida State took the top two spots in the three-meter diving competition as sophomore Terry Horner clinched his second ADD diving title this week, earned him the meet’s Most Valuable Diver.

Finals begin tonight at 7 p.m.