Cavs left with big hole
Leitao's squad faces challenges in days without Singletary
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Sean Singletary knows what people are saying. If the University of Virginia men's basketball team was so mediocre this season with a lineup that included Singletary, one of the ACC's all-time greats, how can the 2008-09 season not be worse?

"Everybody thinks just because I'm gone, the team is going to go the opposite way, but I don't see that happening," Singletary said. "Not with Coach Leitao."

Singletary's college career, and Dave Leitao's third season in charge of the U.Va. program, ended Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. In the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, Bradley exposed Virginia's myriad defensive flaws and ralllied for a 96-85 semifinal victory.

"It's a cruel way to end," Leitao said of the final game for seniors Singletary, Adrian Joseph, Ryan Pettinella and, possibly, Tunji Soroye, who played in only two games this season and might seek a medical redshirt.

Joseph had 15 points against Bradley - only the second time in more than six weeks that the 6-7 forward scored in double figures. Pettinella, a 6-9 center, contributed six points and three rebounds in 19 minutes for U.Va. (17-16).

Neither Joseph nor Pettinella will be impossible to replace, but Singletary is another matter. The 6-0 point guard ranks fifth all-time at U.Va. in points, fourth in free throws made, third in assists, third in 3-pointers made and second in steals.

"He'll tell you that we're going to be a good team, but he's going to leave some big shoes to fill," said Jeff Jones, who started 25 games at shooting guard and closed his freshman season by burning Bradley for a career-best 26 points.

Leitao's first team at U.Va. exceeded expectations, advancing to the NIT and finishing 15-15, and 2006-07 represented another step forward. Virginia shared the ACC's regular-season title, reached the NCAA tournament's second round and posted a 21-11 record.

Expected to contend for a return trip to the NCAAs, the Cavaliers instead collapsed this season. They finished 10th in the ACC, in part because of injuries that cost them centers Soroye and Laurynas Mikalauskas, forward Will Harris and point guard Sammy Zeglinski for much of the season. But other factors contributed to the Wahoos' decline, most notably the shoddy defense that became their trademark.

If Leitao's first two teams at Virginia had not been so sound in that area, the regression would not have been as stunning. Bradley shot 56.7 percent from the floor in the second half Wednesday. The Braves, who'd struggled on the boards all season, outrebounded U.Va. 43-38.

"I put it all into one package," Leitao said. "Rebounding is the same thing as defense. It's an attitude."

As life after Singletary begins for Virginia, Leitao will build around the 6-8 Mikalauskas (7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg), 6-8 power forwards Mike Scott (5.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Jamil Tucker (5.2 ppg), 6-5 swingman Mamadi Diane (11.8 ppg), the 6-4 Jones (4.8 ppg), 6-2 guard Calvin Baker (8.6 ppg) and the 6-0 Zeglinski, who had season-ending ankle surgery in January.

Mikalauskas and Diane will be team's only seniors in 2008-09. Tucker and Baker will be juniors, and Jones, Scott and Zeglinski will be sophomores. Three 12th-graders signed with Virginia in November - 6-5 Sylven Landesberg, 6-11 John Brandenburg and 7-0 Assane Sene - and Leitao is hoping to land another perimeter player for 2008-09.

Landesberg is a McDonald's All-American, and Brandenburg and Sene should help shore up a defense that, with Soroye out, lacked an interior presence. U.Va.'s other centers - Pettinella, Mikalauskas and Jerome Meyinsse - combined to block only nine shots this season.

 

March 27, 2008
Brad Franklin
Special to CavsCorner.com

It might be hard to believe but I enjoyed every single minute of the University of Virginia's respective seasons in football and basketball.
.
Granted, I might not sign up again for losing at Wyoming. And getting beat by Virginia Tech twice on the hardwood isn't my cup of tea, either. But as someone who grew up on a steady diet of UVa sports, the last seven months have been, as a writer, nearly unexplainable.

From Bryant Stith and John Crotty to Mike Frederick and Percy Ellsworth, I had heroes throughout the years. I had Joe Rowe, who was from my hometown, and Demetrius "Pete" Allen, the fan-favorite of my section growing up. And then there were Junior Burrough and Travis Watson.

But with supreme apologies to Anthony Poindexter and Harold Deane, in my book, there are no two heroes bigger than Chris Long and Sean Singletary.

As fans, no two individuals could better represent their teams, their universities and, most importantly, themselves better than Nos. 91 and 44.

Now, that experience is over. And all we have is memories.

I can't say I'm enjoying this part.

Long is the type of player that doesn't just happen. He's what you get when hard work, ability, desire, and opportunity make a pact to stay together forever.

For an example of just who he is, one need look no deeper than the numerous reports about how he used his family's wealth and the perception that he was given everything to drive him. He's never satisfied with good — he wants to be great.

And Long goes about reaching for said greatness by being among the most honest, humble, doesn't-believe-his-own-hype player the gridiron has ever known. It's a delicate balance in that he considers his ability a gift and responsibility but also uses any perceived slight as motivation.

Either way, Long's fuel supply, as UVa fans know, is very rarely ever depleted.

Singletary, on the other hand, has a drive and heart that he wears firmly between the double-fours on his jersey. Even when he was exhausted to the point of physical incapacitation or frustration beyond comprehension, he found a way.

And Singletary never gave in. That's not who he is or wants to be. And there's a lot to be said for such a feeling when you go from first-to-worst in the ACC.

What the Philadelphia native did in the CBI, for instance, will go down in Wahoo lore, mainly because of the way he embraced his college career's impending conclusion. And still, Singletary gave everything and left it on the floor of John Paul Jones Arena.

It's hard to really quantify what Long and Singletary will mean to UVa in the long-term. In the short-term, sure, they were the "big men on campus."

But their impact will be felt long after a Texas Tech field goal finished a bowl game or a final drive to the basket against Bradley wasn't enough.

For me, these two players mean a great deal and I'm not ashamed or afraid to have it spelled out to the masses: They were, are, and forever will be the greatest Wahoos ever. Period.

All we have now are memories, like knowing Long would save us against Middle Tennessee … or UNC … or Maryland.

And you knew Singletary would save us, and he did, hitting "The Fallaway" against Duke or making "The Steal" against ODU.

I'm stuck somewhere between seeing No. 91 tracking down a quarterback and trying to find No. 44 dribbling through traffic.

Two players. Two games. One common denominator: "It."

Some think Virginia might've wasted the senior seasons of possible its two greatest players. I say, maybe. But really, who cares?

We could look back on 2007-08 as the year Long got legitimate Heisman hype or the year Singletary carried the Cavs when no one else seemed remotely interested in the job.

We also might look back and wonder what might've been had we surrounded them with just a little more; Long with an offense that could've rescued his D when it was playing its guts out or Singletary with a force in the paint to balance out opposing defenses.

But I'll remember that feeling of pride I got whenever I went to watch the two play, home or away. Win or lose, I knew the best player on the field or court was wearing my colors. And that means something.

I'll tell my kids about Long's unwavering motor. I'll rave about Singletary's quickness and quiet demeanor. I'll talk all night about the time Long morphed into a real, live Gladiator. And I'll finish with the tale of how a 5-foot-11 dynamo struck fear in the heart of opposing teams everywhere.

An NFL career here. An NBA career there. Contracts and endorsements and all that? Doesn't matter.

From now until the end of time, Chris Long and Sean Singletary will always have my team attached to them.

And after all they've given us over the last four years … that might be the coolest going away present.

How often does a sport fan get to say something like that about two players finishing great careers in the same year?

Happen again? Not even a chance.

Thanks for everything, guys.
 

CBI puts Virginia in the red
The UVa athletic department loses more than $150,000 by playing in the first CBI.
Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com 981-3129

Of the five ACC men's basketball programs that were available for the College Basketball Invitational, only Virginia decided to take a plunge that ultimately could cost the Cavaliers more than $150,000.

"We knew that going in," executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver said. "We spent a lot of time talking about that aspect of it, but, at the end of the day, it was not a financial decision.

"We wanted our kids to keep playing. That's what it came down to. It's pretty hard to say 'no' to that."

The CBI is sponsored by the Gazelle Group, a marketing firm known in these parts for its sponsorship of the ill-fated 2000 Black Coaches Association preseason game between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. That game was suspended by lightning before the opening kickoff and never played.

The Gazelle Group formed the CBI this year as a postseason alternative for men's basketball teams that did not receive bids to the NCAA tournament. At least this year, the CBI was unable to compete with another established postseason event, the National Invitation Tournament.

In fact, when Virginia announced March 15 that it had reached agreement with the CBI, it was with the understanding that UVa would accept an NIT bid if offered one day later.

Virginia also agreed tentatively to serve as a first-round CBI host, knowing that it would have to guarantee $60,000 in gate receipts.

"When you play in a tournament like that, you never know what's going to happen because nobody knows what the tournament is about," Oliver said.

After consultations between UVa and Gazelle Group, tickets were priced at $10 for the general public and $5 for UVa students. Attendance for the first game was announced at 4,022, which included 150 students, Oliver said.

The crowd was much larger for a second-round UVa home game with Old Dominion, but, again, the attendance of 6,460 wasn't half the capacity of 14,593-seat John Paul Jones Arena.

A third UVa home game attracted a crowd of 5,852, who saw the Cavaliers' CBI run end Wednesday night in a 96-85 loss to Bradley.

Virginia's crowds were comparable to what the CBI was drawing in other venues. Tulsa, which faces Bradley in a best-of-three championship series, had 5,339 for its game Wednesday night with Houston.

"Our numbers are not inflated at all," Gazelle Group president Rick Giles said. "During the regular season, you get a tickets-distributed number that's generally higher than what's in the arena. You don't have the corporate, season-ticket, older donors who don't necessarily show up."

Tickets for the CBI were not part of season-ticket packages.

Virginia was able to hold onto revenues made from parking, concessions and sponsorship agreements, "but it takes between $45,000 and $50,000 to put on a game," Oliver said. "Then you're going to tack your guarantee on top of that."

It's no wonder that teams like Georgia Tech politely declined. Wake Forest's coaching staff wanted to play, Giles said, but the administration said no.

"I firmly believe, if the guarantee stays at the same level, it will seriously limit the number of teams that can participate," Oliver said. "With the NCAA tournament and the NIT, the teams that are left are not the big-time schools who can eat guarantees for home games.

"There were some big-name teams that said 'no' to participating in this tournament."

The only way for a school to cut its losses was to go on the road. The Gazelle Group handles travel expenses and even chartered planes when commercial flights were not available, Giles said.

"We're not getting rich on a $60,000 gate," Giles said. "Setting the guarantee was another way of saying, 'Make sure you're committed to this.' We're not doing that for our own profit at somebody else's expense."

Other schools might not have the same kind of set-up costs as John Paul Jones Arena, an all-purpose venue where crews were disassembling the floor and bleachers within minutes of the final horn.

For the CBI to have a future and for teams like Virginia to consider it a viable alternative, crowds will have to pick up. Nobody disputes that.

"The initial response from fans was, 'Oh, my gosh, we didn't make the NCAA,' " Giles said. "What we're about is rekindling a spark.

"It will be interesting to compare the NIT crowds in New York with our crowds at Tulsa and Bradley because I think our atmosphere's going to be a lot better."
 

Season's conclusion raises questions about Soroye
Harris situation equally mysterious
By Doug Doughty

Some Virginia men’s basketball teams would have been happy to win six of their last 10 games, but, by the time the Cavaliers righted themselves this year, the season was too far gone.

The Cavaliers were done in by an 11-game stretch between Jan. 3 and Feb. 12 in which they lost 10 games. UVa’s greatest shortcoming was defense and even when the wins came more frequently at the end of the season, the defense wasn’t much better.

I doubt I’m the only person who wonders if 6-foot-11, 252-pound post man Tunji Soroye would have made a difference. After undergoing preseason knee surgery, Soroye missed seven games before making his season’s debut Dec. 30 against Hartford.

He played three minutes against Hartford, came back five days later and played five minutes against Xavier, then sat out the rest of the season with a back injury.

Soroye meets all the criteria for a successful hardship appeal that would enable him to return for a fifth year in 2008-2009, but there are several issues to be addressed first.

Soroye said he would be interested in returning in 2008-2009 but the Cavaliers do not have an available scholarship. However, Soroye recently told Charlottesville beat writer Whitelaw (rhymes with “outlaw”) Reid that he would consider taking out a loan in hopes of obtaining a Master’s degree.

My first inclination is to think it’s a no-brainer. Think how much better Virginia would have been with a presence like Soroye’s in the middle. Soroye could block shots, a threat that did not exist without him.

“I definitely would like to see him come back,” said Mamadi Diane, who had a team-high 22 blocks for the season, including one of two UVa blocks Wednesday night in a 96-85 loss to Bradley.

Problem is, we remember Soroye at his best. He had 11 rebounds and four blocks at Maryland last year and was instrumental in a 69-65 victory at Comcast Center. But, in 81 career games, he has reached double-figure rebounds once. He has had three games with four blocks and one game with three.

The last time I saw Soroye, which was the only time I saw him this year, he was chasing after a loose ball at Xavier and could not bend down to pick the ball off the floor. Who knows? Maybe he needs surgery.

It’s always something with Soroye. One summer, he contracted malaria, which prevented him from gaining weight. The next year, it was a sports hernia. Then knee surgery. Then, his back. Big bodies are like that.

There’s little risk if you bring Soroye back. He’s a character guy who’s not going to cause any problems in the locker room, but maybe it’s best to get a full medical report first.

With the Cavaliers at the NCAA scholarship limit and still recruiting players for 2008-2009, there’s something of a cloak of secrecy surrounding the program now. Coach Dave Leitao had few answers Wednesday when asked if the Soroye matter is near resolution.

“It’s not even close,” Leitao said. “We’ve been finishing out the season and, again, nothing is changed nor can I tell you anything different than what I said a month ago or two weeks ago or a month ago.

“It’s not a decision where Tunji can say, ‘This is what I’d like to do,’ or coach Leitao can say, ‘This is what I’d like to do.’ There’s a lot of avenues to this that have to be talked about. Medical issues and a lot of other issues.

“We may both want something to happen and it may not happen. Or vice versa. That process will start once the season comes to an end.”

Although media relations director Rich Murray had invited the media to ask two more questions, there was no second question after Jeff White asked about Soroye.

Wednesday probably was not the time to ask about Will Harris.

HARRIS, BY THE WAY, has not played since an 11-minute appearance Jan. 30 at Maryland. At the ACC Tournament, he and Sammy Zeglinski sat in the crowd.

While some may have interpreted that as a slap, the reality was, there is a limit on the number of players that a team can have in uniform at the tournament. Since Harris and Zeglinski were unable to play, walk-ons Andy Burns and Will Sherrill filled out UVa’s 15-player allotment.

Zeglinski is still walking with a boot almost two months after foot surgery, although he has ditched his crutches. His redshirt appeal should get a rubber stamp.

Harris played in game No. 18 of UVa’s 33-game season, so he can’t get an extra year. That was his 15th game, which represents too high a percentage to meet the hardship requirement, plus he played in the second half of the season, which is another stipulation.

Harris, too, has a back issue. However, little has been sent about the extent of the injury or the prognosis for a full recovery.
 

Baseball ready for series against Tech
After George Washington loss snaps home winning streak team looks to put pieces back together
Dan Stalcup, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Virginia's No. 18 baseball team snapped an 18-game home winning streak in its 17-5 blowout loss Wednesday to George Washington University. With three home games at Davenport Field against Virginia Tech this weekend, the Cavaliers have a chance to return to their winning ways and prove the big loss was a fluke. Virginia will suit up against the Hokies Friday night at 6, Saturday afternoon at 1 and Sunday afternoon at 1.

After a five-run burst by Virginia (20-5, 5-4 ACC) in the first inning Wednesday, the Colonials slowly worked their way back to take a 6-5 advantage in the fourth inning. Despite George Washington's momentum, the Cavaliers were still in the familiar territory of a close game: Virginia had won four of its previous five games by two or fewer runs. Instead of displaying the mettle the Cavaliers had shown in those close victories, however, they collapsed and fell for the first time this season at Davenport Field.

Junior first baseman Jeremy Farrell, who leads the team in home runs and slugging percentage, said the team already has moved on from Wednesday's loss.

"This is baseball; we're obviously not going to go 56-0," Farrell said. "At this point, we're 20-5. We're going to focus on the positives and get back out there this weekend."

Though the Hokies (8-15, 0-9 ACC) have only one win in their past 14 games, that victory came in their last game, an 18-11 slugfest against JMU Tuesday. Virginia Tech, like the Cavaliers Wednesday, allowed the opponent to remain close into the game's middle innings. Unlike Virginia, though, the Hokies scored runs consistently throughout the game. The Hokies capped their impressive offensive performance with a six-run ninth inning.

Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said the Cavaliers will have to perform at the top of their game to overcome the Hokies' recent offensive effectiveness.

"Virginia Tech has swung the bats very, very well the last three ballgames and scored a lot of runs," O'Connor said. "We're going to have to be better [than we were Wednesday]."

Virginia is the favorite in the weekend series because the Cavaliers haven't lost to a sub-.500 opponent -- nor to a conference opponent -- at home this season; however,Virginia Tech, even with its 0-9 ACC record, could still threaten the Cavaliers.

The 0-9 record "is deceiving. They've played Florida State, at Georgia Tech, and UNC -- three of the better teams in the league," O'Connor said. In "two of the Florida State games, they were winning by significant runs in the middle of the ballgame."

Starting for Virginia Friday will be junior right-hander Jacob Thompson. Thompson last pitched March 21 in a 7-3 victory against Boston College, rising to 3-0 on the season.

"I thought that [Thompson] threw the ball really well last weekend," O'Connor said."I know that he'll be ready to go Friday night."

In the highly competitive ACC, where Virginia's third-place division standing is still strong enough to justify a top-25 national ranking, every conference game is crucial both for seeding in the ACC Tournament and building momentum going into the postseason. Though Virginia must work off a disappointing loss and Virginia Tech boasts an impressive victory, the Cavaliers are poised to come out strong against the Hokies.
 

Healthy Farrell thrives
Published: March 28, 2008

The kid in the candy store would have been jealous.
A mere high school student and the son of a former major league pitcher, Jeremy Farrell spent many afternoons killing time shagging fly balls at Jacobs Field with members of the Cleveland Indians.
Virginia’s starting first baseman also worked a stint as the Indians’ bat boy and picked the brain of at least one All-Star infielder on a regular basis.
“One of the years, Omar Vizquel was on the shelf — he was hurt and rehabbing — so I would bounce questions off him,” Farrell said. “I would ask him stuff like, ‘Who’s the toughest pitcher you have faced?’
“He would come back with ‘Pedro Martinez.’”
At that point, Farrell’s dad, John, served as Director of Player Development for the Indians.
Having recruited numerous players from Farrell’s high school, Saint Ignatius, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor — then an assistant at Notre Dame — spotted the youngster at a showcase.
After taking the job at UVa prior to the 2004 season, O’Connor put the memory to use.
“He really fit the profile for what we what in a player,” O’Connor said.
Virginia also offered what Farrell sought in a suitor.
“[O’Connor] kept in contact with me, and coming out of high school I was looking for a good academic school with a strong baseball program and a place where I could go and develop,” Farrell said. “I felt UVa had the total package.”
Early in his sophomore year at UVa and after a postgame interview with The Daily Progress, Farrell was told something that changed his life — and his favorite baseball team.
“I got a call from my mom saying I hear something about my dad in the news,” Farrell chuckled.
John was about to be named the pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox, months before the start of what proved to be a World Series championship season for the organization.
Farrell quickly became a Red Sox fanatic.
“Family ties,” he explained. “I have to root for my dad.”
Thus far this season, Farrell has enjoyed his own fan club at Virginia’s Davenport Field. The junior enters tonight’s game with in-state rival Virginia Tech at 6 p.m. batting .386 with four homers and 24 RBI. The long-ball production matches his total from his first two injury-plagued seasons.
“The injuries that he has suffered have been very disappointing to him,” O’Connor said. “He’s a guy that was our starting third baseman as a freshman in 2006. It’s tough for a guy like him that’s a very good player and really believes in himself to deal with something like that.”
Farrell also dazzled Wahoo Nation last weekend with a grand slam in Sunday’s sweep-clinching victory over Boston College, lifting the
21st-ranked Cavaliers (20-5, 5-4 ACC) into a tie for third place in the Coastal Division.
“I think Jeremy is the ultimate team guy and where he has improved is with his pitch recognition,” O’Connor said. “He is more advanced than he was his first two years.”
Throughout it all — the good, the bad and the ice packs — Farrell has remained a steady source of inspiration and just another Cavalier despite his dad’s high-profile employer.
“Jeremy is a very humble guy,” O’Connor said. “He grew up in the big leagues and grew up around baseball, but he handles himself with such a maturity.
“He just has a presence about him that he is confident and he is very professional in the way he goes about his business.”

 

Just another game for men's lacrosse
Starsia tells Cavaliers to be ready every contest, no matter how highly opponent is ranked
Emily Hebeler, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

From top to bottom, men's lacrosse in the ACC provides challenging opponents, especially on the road. Thus, when a team faces the nation's fourth-ranked team on the road with an undefeated season on the line, most people would call that a big game; however, the Virginia men's lacrosse team sees its upcoming contest against Maryland in a different light.

"We preach the philosophy 'no big games,'" Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "And all it really does is remind guys that we have to be ready every game, and if you put one game ahead of another in terms of its importance, then what do we do the next week when we have to play another game."

The mantra seems to be serving No. 1 Virginia (9-0) well, as the Cavaliers are the only undefeated team in the top 20. After the overtime thriller against Johns Hopkins, Virginia will need to keep its upcoming game against Maryland (6-2) in perspective Saturday.

The Terrapins are coming off a 13-8 upset victory against North Carolina and threaten with their athleticism and aggressive defense. In three games this season, Maryland has held its opponent scoreless for more than 20 minutes, including the North Carolina game. The matchup between Virginia's offense and Maryland's defense should prove competitive, as Virginia has averaged almost 16 goals per game, compared to the 7.6 goals per game allowed by the Maryland defense.

"We need our defense to keep playing well and keep creating opportunities for our offense," senior attacker Ben Rubeor said. "We ask them [the defense] to kind of press out and create ground balls and transitions and offensive opportunities. On the offensive end, we have to shoot well because they are a solid defensive team."

Rubeor shared the honor of ACC Men's Lacrosse Co-Player of the Week with Maryland's junior midfielder Jeff Reynolds, as both players were influential in their teams' wins this past weekend. Both players scored three goals, and Rubeor's third goal forced the game into overtime.

Virginia's strong play has come from a number of other players, as well; depth has proved to be one of the team's biggest assets. Earlier in the season, the Cavaliers were without the talents of Rubeor and senior midfielder Will Barrow, and junior Danny Glading is currently recovering from a sore hamstring. Additional help has come from junior attack Gavin Gill and freshman midfielder Shamel Bratton, who had a career-high three goals against Johns Hopkins.

"I think we have fairly steady progress at the offensive end but we haven't had Danny and Ben healthy at the same time," Starsia said. "It's sort of the same at the defensive end. We have a number of young players contributing. I don't think we have put together our best game yet."

Maryland also features many young players, including freshman attack Ryan Young, who leads his team in assists and has contributed in every game except the North Carolina matchup.

Virginia beat Maryland twice last season and is anticipating a very physical game. Byrd Stadium also is a particularly hostile environment, as the Terrapins have compiled a 37-13 record at home since 2002.

"These conference games, these next three games, are the most physical games of the year for us," Starsia said. "You have to strap your helmet on tightly when you are playing Maryland and Carolina and Duke."

 

Virginia's quick offense keeps Dukes from upset
Cavaliers “win the first five and last five minutes” of JMU game
Ryan Williams, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Having lost a heartbreaker to then-No. 4 Princeton Saturday, the Virginia women's lacrosse team knew it had to dominate unranked James Madison from the outset.

The Dukes won the opening draw and attacked quickly, firing two shots within the first minute of the game. Virginia senior goalkeeper Kendall McBrearty made a save on the first shot, which skipped to her left, but JMU regained possession and shot wide again. The Cavaliers caused a turnover in front of their own goal and, after a JMU foul, began their attack. Senior defender and captain Claire Bordley carried the ball the length of the field and rifled a pass to sophomore midfielder Kaitlin Duff, who sent a shot into the back of the net less than two minutes into the game.

Early in Wednesday evening's contest at Klöckner Stadium, the Cavaliers' aggressive pace on offense dictated the game. Virginia (7-2, 2-1 ACC) scored the first five goals of the match, and JMU didn't make the scoreboard until the 10-minute mark of the first half.

"Against Princeton, we went down 3-0 and we wanted to win the first five and the last five minutes of the game," Bordley said. "We wanted to score three or four goals in the first five minutes."

Winning those first five minutes and scoring the first five goals renewed the team's confidence and momentum early on, Bordley said.

"That was definitely a big momentum-builder, because in a lot of games this season we dug ourselves a little hole by letting the opposing team score first," Bordley said. "That kind of set the momentum and gave us a little confidence, especially after the Princeton loss."

Virginia, in fact, had given up the first goal to its previous six opponents. The Cavaliers' strategy to control the beginning of the game was instrumental to their win, as even the best-laid plans can go awry. The Cavaliers could not control the last five minutes of the game.

After leading 7-3 at halftime and scoring the first four goals of the second half, Virginia had an 8-point advantage with 14 minutes to play. The Dukes took a timeout to regroup. Something sparked during that conversation; James Madison scored six goals down the stretch to draw the score to 11-9 with 2:13 to play. Leading the attack for the Dukes was junior attacker Jaime Dardine, who tallied three goals and an assist, leading JMU in scoring.

The team knew the Dukes would not give up easily, Virginia coach Julie Myers said, and Virginia countered the comeback by controlling the ball to finish the contest.

Although the Cavaliers gave up more goals than they would have liked, Myers said, Madison is a streaky and emotional team, something for which Virginia prepared.

"James Madison is a very feisty team and they will never die," Myers said. "They don't care what the score is; they're going to come at you. I think our girls dug deep when they needed to and came up with a couple of big plays."

James Madison coach Shelly Klaes-Bawcombe said she believes the team's resilient comeback exemplified its playing style more than its early struggles did.

"I thought that we were tentative and careless," Klaes-Bawcombe said about how her team began the game. "I feel like turnovers were a big problem today, and I thought we were a little unorganized in the first half with our defensive transition."

The Cavaliers' five goals to begin the game took the team out of its rhythm, Klaes-Bawcombe said, and it took the team a while to get back in step.

"Unfortunately we didn't play as a team until the end," Klaes-Bawcombe said. "That's the JMU team that practices every day."

Myers, however, had a response to the appearance of a different Dukes team at the end of the game: mixing up the lineup by drawing on the bench.

"We were trying to get the kids some attention and experience on game day," Myers said. "What it shows us is that we need to work on our depth. We do have lots of practices -- it's just the end of March -- so we'll get our depth better and get them more game-ready than what they were tonight."

Twenty-five of the 29 players on Virginia's roster saw game action. Junior attacker Jenny Hauser netted two goals and an assist in Virginia's 5-0 run at the beginning of the game and another goal in the second half. Sophomore midfielder Brittany Kalkstein added three goals, and Duff contributed two of her own. In total, nine players tallied points for Virginia.

Virginia now must learn from its lapse at the end of this game before Saturday's ACC matchup with No. 6 Duke. In Durham, the Cavaliers will find their sixth ranked opponent of the season.

The James Madison game "definitely brings back that we have the ability to do this," Hauser said. "We know that the next two days are going to be solely focused on Duke."

No. 4 Virginia will try to do just that Saturday afternoon at 1 against the Blue Devils.

 

Cavs schedule Southern Miss
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 28, 2008

Virginia is heading to the “House That Favre Built” in 2009.
Well, at least to the first house.
On Thursday, Southern Mississippi officials announced that an agreement was in place with Virginia for a home-and-home series in football.
The Cavaliers will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., on Sept. 19, 2009, and Southern Miss will return the favor, playing in Scott Stadium in 2011.
Jason Gray, senior associate director of athletics at Southern Miss, said he faced a challenge securing opponents and worked hard on the deal with the Cavaliers.
“It’s been interesting,” told reporters. “I’d never done it before. I took as much advice as I could and they weren’t kidding when they said it’s a long process.
“It took me about seven months to get that Virginia game finalized.”
Virginia will be paid, Gray said, about $125,000 to help with travel plans to Southern Miss. UVa will pay the Golden Eagles the same sum in 2011.
Southern Miss, the alma mater of former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, went 7-6 last season and lost, 31-21, to Cincinnati in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
The postseason game was the final contest for the Golden Eagles under longtime coach Jeff Bower. After 17 years at his alma mater, Bower was forced to resign and former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora was tabbed to lead the program.