Playing the waiting game
Schaub plays it cool as NFL Draft day nears
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
April 23, 2004

For his career, Matt Schaub played in 40 games at quarterback at Virginia. This weekend, Schaub will play another game - the waiting game.

After amassing 7,502 yards and rewriting the Cavalier football record book during his four-year playing career, Schaub will wait for his name to be called in the NFL Draft.

When the draft kicks off in New York City at Madison Square Garden on Saturday at noon, don’t expect Schaub to be sitting around watching pick-by-pick on television.

“We decided that I didn’t want to sit around and watch it,” Schaub said. “That was the advice I was given. Hopefully, I’m going to get out on the golf course and hit the ball around the course a little bit. … Whatever happens is going to happen, regardless of if you watch it or not.”

Despite Schaub’s desire not to watch as NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue scrolls of the draft picks, he remains positive about the process.

“I’m really excited,” Schaub said. “I’m anxious to see what happens, and where my next move is going to be. I want to know where I’m going to be playing, get there, start learning and begin to take in the system and learn how to be an NFL quarterback.”

Schaub’s wait may not be a long one.

Several draft analysts, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., have indicated that Schaub’s stock has risen since the end of his college career. In Kiper Jr.’s most recent mock draft, he has Schaub going to the Giants in the early

stages stages of the third round.

“I hope to go the first day, in rounds one through three,” Schaub said. “That’s where I hope to go and that’s what I’ve been told. Other than that, I’m just waiting for somebody to pick me up and get started.

The projections have four quarterbacks being taken before Schaub. Eli Manning (Ole Miss), Phillip Rivers (N.C. State), Ben Roethlisberger (Miami, OH) and J.P Losman (Tulane).

“Those guys have all had great careers and have done it for four years, whereas I’ve done it for two years,” Schaub said. “I know I can play alongside those guys and the difference between [who is taken] one and two and the four and five isn’t much, but you have to be put somewhere.”

Schaub, a native of West Chester, Penn., knows that it will be critical for him to get his feet wet in the NFL and learn from the fellow quarterbacks on the team that selects him in the draft.

“I think it’s best for me to come in the league not being asked to necessarily start right away,” said Schaub, who had private workouts for Cleveland and New England. “I think it would be good to learn under a veteran player and learn to become an NFL quarterback. ... I’d like to learn from somebody who has been playing for awhile and eventually get on the field.”

This past weekend, Schaub had the chance to learn a few things from another former Cavalier in the NFL - Aaron Brooks. The New Orleans Saints starting quarterback knows exactly how hard the waiting game will be for Schaub.

“It is tough with the anticipation and the waiting on your name to be called,” Brooks said. “It’s nerve-racking at times but you have to have patience and you have to believe in yourself. It will happen. He doesn’t need to be to too concerned about it. He had a great career here at UVa and the scouts are really high on him.”

Although the Saints already have three quarterbacks on its roster - Todd Bouman, J.T. Sullivan and Brooks - the possibility remains that New Orleans could select Schaub.

“If we draft him, I will take him under my wing,” Brooks said. “I definitely know the ins and outs of the league. I have been in the league five years, so I will keep him informed on what is happening and going on in the league.”

In 1999, Brooks had to wait until the draft’s second day when the Green Bay Packers drafted him in the fourth round.

Schaub indicated on Tuesday that he has talked in depth to Brooks to get a better feel on what it will be like as a rookie quarterback in the NFL.

“I’ve talked to him for the past few days since he has been in town,” Schaub said. “[Brooks] was sharing his experiences and thoughts on the whole draft process. He was just giving me some knowledge on the next year or so, and what I should expect out there.”

Schaub also indicated that he does not put a lot of stock into the mock drafts that have projected him being drafted anywhere from the second round to the fifth round.

“I don’t worry about any of that stuff,” Schaub said. “Teams are going to make the picks based on their needs and who they want. I just did all I could in the offseason to be prepared for wherever I go next season.”

This year in the season opener against Duke, Schaub dislocated his right shoulder, which is his throwing arm. While he was at the NFL’s scouting combine, doctors could find no residual damage.

One of the only knocks on Schaub according to the draft experts has been his ability to throw the deep ball. The UVa offense was geared for shorter passes and Schaub shined, connecting on 281 of 403 passes (69.7 percent).

Schaub indicated that he used the Senior Bowl and his workouts to answer the questions about his ability to throw downfield.

“It’s definitely something that was out there,” Schaub said. “It was something I addressed in the combine, in the Senior Bowl and at my pro day. I was able to throw the deep ball and put it out there a good distance … the way they like to see it. I definitely have quieted some of that.”

Having a handful of accolades under his belt, including being named ACC Player of the Year in 2002, Schaub knows he has the ability to compete in the NFL and is excited for the whole process to start.

“I feel really good about my situation,” Schaub said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to show everybody what I can do in that setting. I’m just going to take it day by day and see where I get drafted, and then try to make the best out of that opportunity.”
 

A memorable ending?
Johnson tries to keep Virginia's postseason hopes alive at ACC
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
April 23, 2004

When you ask Virginia men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia about senior goalkeeper Tillman Johnson, he laughs and then tells you that he’s about to use a lot of superlatives.

“Tillman is the finest goalie I’ve ever been around in all my years of coaching lacrosse. He’s certainly been the finest goalie here at Virginia that I’ve seen in my time here,” Starsia said. “I think he’s been the finest goalie in the country during the course of his career. It might have taken a year or two for everyone else to notice it. I don’t know if I’ve enjoyed watching a player develop on a daily basis more than I’ve enjoyed watching Tillman over these past few years.”

Johnson added to his large list of accomplishments Thursday when he was named to the All-ACC first team, the first goalie in history to snare that honor three years in a row. In addition, earlier this season Johnson became the school’s all-time leader in saves (650). Last season, he was named the national goalkeeper of the year and the USILA’s player of the year. Of course, Johnson’s lasting legacy will be his stunning saves and stellar performance that led the Cavaliers to the NCAA title and earned him MVP honors.

Like Starsia, Johnson finds it a little difficult to pick the most distinguishable memories of his career. There’s the obvious - last year’s Final Four - but Johnson focuses on the experience as a whole.

“There are great memories in practice and games and playing four years and being a four-year starter. There are so many good memories,” said Johnson, a native of Annapolis, Md. “The Final Four last year and winning that and winning the ACC tournament, that would be at the top of my list. I can’t think of a single year here that I haven’t had great memories.”

Unfortunately for Johnson, he would admit that the “great” memories this season have been limited. The Cavaliers began the season ranked No. 1 but lost two early-season games to Air Force and Denver. Since then, Virginia (4-6, 1-2 ACC) has struggled to find the quality and consistent play that defined its 2003 title season. Back-to-back losses to Maryland and North Carolina dropped the Cavaliers to 3-6 overall before a 13-4 victory over Duke last Saturday at least appeared to push the Cavaliers in the proper direction entering today’s ACC tournament.

“It’s been a roller-coaster of a season. We’ve had some pretty bad losses and some pretty great wins. The fact that we haven’t given up is to our credit, especially after some of those bad losses,” Johnson said. “We’ve kept going and it’s not over yet. I think the Duke win and the earlier win over Hopkins will give us a chance to reach the [NCAA] tournament, but we just have to focus on playing good lacrosse. If we do that, it will be a good weekend for us.”

The Cavaliers face host and second-seeded North Carolina tonight. The Tar Heels defeated Virginia 11-9 two weeks ago in a game that highlighted the Cavaliers’ season-long woes. Mental lapses and inconsistent play doomed the Cavaliers in that contest, as they were not able to put forth a complete effort.

The Cavaliers managed a better performance against Duke and it is their hope that was a turn toward the right direction. They must win two games this weekend and then beat Penn State in the season finale next Saturday to have a legitimate shot of returning to the NCAA tournament for a 12th straight season.

“I think we’ve definitely started going back in the right direction. After the North Carolina game we were a little disappointed. We played a stretch of about five minutes that we didn’t play good lacrosse and we had mistakes that cost us the game,” Johnson said. “This past weekend, we showed that we can play close to a complete game. We played hard and tough and we got the job done. … When you let up just a tad is when they pound you in the back and find the openings and stick it to you.”

As for the burden of reaching the NCAAs, Johnson claims that the focus has to be on the here and now and not the broader picture because that’s the only way to approach it right now.

“The NCAA tournament is really not what we are looking at right now. In the back of our minds; we realize that it’s there but we really have to take it one game at a time,” Johnson said. “We have our backs against the wall and we really have to win out to make that happen. It starts with the game in the ACCs [today] and that’s our focus right now. Once we accomplish that goal, we’ll worry about the NCAA tournament but right now the main focus is on the ACCs.”

The Cavaliers certainly have the talent to accomplish that immediate goal this weekend. The integral question is will they? That’s a question that is difficult for even Starsia to answer.

“This is a tough group to read sometimes. We had our best performance on Saturday against Duke. We were a little shorthanded. Now we have everybody back and we should go into the North Carolina game feeling pretty good about ourselves,” said Starsia, who suspended several players last week for unspecified violations of team rules but should have those players’ services today. “I don’t know what effect it will have on us. I don’t know the answer to that exactly. I will take the Duke performance and take my chances against North Carolina.”

Note. Johnson, defenseman Brett Hughes and attackman Matt Ward all earned first-team All-ACC honors it was announced Thursday. ACC player, rookie and coach of the year honors will be announced next Tuesday.
 

Cavs ride momentum into ACC tournament
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
April 23, 2004

Momentum is perhaps the most important ingredient in sports. It would seem the Virginia women’s lacrosse team has it right now.

The Cavaliers enter today’s ACC semifinal contest with Maryland having won four games in a row - nine of their last 10 - with a victory against then-No. 3 Loyola last Saturday included in the stretch.

“We’re are definitely playing with some momentum right row. The Loyola game and especially our performance in it, couldn’t have come at a better time. We played a good game, controlled the play down the stretch and earned the victory,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “To do that against a highly-ranked team like Loyola definitely gives us a certain confidence.”

With three of the four teams ranked in the nation’s top six, this weekend’s tournament provides the best preparation for next week’s NCAA tournament, according to Myers.

“Obviously, the ACC tournament is like a Final Four-type of format. In the ACC, we have top-caliber teams with three of us ranked in the top six and another team in North Carolina that is certainly strong. It is certainly great preparation for us,” said Myers, whose team advanced to the national championship game last season.

Virginia defeated Maryland 10-8 in their regular-season contest on March 9 in Charlottesville. It was the second straight victory over the Terps dating back to last year’s NCAA semifinals. Prior to these pasts two games, Virginia had lost 17 of its previous 18 contests against the Terps.

“I think we will certainly have to play great against a team like Maryland. It’s a game that will require mental toughness and we will need to create as many extra chances and opportunities as we can,” Myers said.

Virginia’s Amy Appelt was named the ACC Player of the Year on Thursday. Appelt, UVa’s first player of the year since 1998, is currently leading the nation in scoring with 83 points and has notched a hat trick in 13 games. The junior is a nominee for the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy.

“She is averaging six points a game. She’s been exceptional. There are so many ways in which she can hurt you on the field from passing, scoring, defending, getting ground balls. She does just about everything well out there and her play has been incredible. She has just played great all year,” Myers said.

Virginia’s Nikki Lieb and Caitlin Banks joined Appelt on the All-ACC first team.
 

Hard to understand Beamer's standards
Published April 30 2004
David Teel

Questions abound as Virginia Tech's football team concludes spring drills this week. Many surround the defense, from scheme to personnel. Kicker, receiver and running back are other positions of concern as the Hokies prepare for their first season in the ACC.

But no question gnaws like this: Does a disciplinary double standard exist in coach Frank Beamer's program?

The answer is a big, fat maybe. Only Beamer can know for sure, and for now, he's not talking.

The double standard issue emerged with recent revelations that Beamer dismissed two redshirt freshmen, rover Michael Hinton and linebacker Michael Brown, from the team. Not suspended, mind you. Dismissed, as in "see ya." No football, no scholarship.

Brown's sin was the vague and ubiquitous violation of team rules. He was not charged with any crime.

Hinton was - twice. He faced misdemeanor assault and battery charges in September and was acquitted in December. Still, Beamer suspended him from December to February, and Hinton underwent on-campus anger management counseling.

A week ago Monday, Blacksburg police charged Hinton with destruction of property and felony malicious wounding after an incident at an off-campus McDonald's. Beamer announced Hinton's dismissal a day later.

Neither Hinton nor Brown figured to start this season, but coaches considered both - Hinton especially - quality prospects.

While Hinton and Brown exited, three other players facing criminal charges practiced throughout the spring. Brenden Hill, Mike Imoh and Marcus Vick are scheduled for trial May 14 on a combined 10 misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to a search warrant, the players allegedly provided liquor to three teenage girls at Vick's apartment Jan. 27. Two of the girls told police that Vick had sex with their 15-year-old friend and that one of the players photographed them as they stripped.

So why the stark contrast? Why did Beamer boot Hinton and Brown immediately while reserving judgment on Hill, Imoh and Vick?

Beamer is unlikely to offer a complete explanation, but comments made by Tech athletic director Jim Weaver, a statement issued by university president Charles Steger and interviews with other sources offer some insight.

The two-ton gorilla in this conversation is Tech's Comprehensive Action Plan, which mandates minimum penalties for athletes charged with and/or convicted of crimes. Adopted in 1997 after myriad football player arrests, the plan is designed, in part, to reduce a coach's disciplinary role - unless a coach elects to go beyond the minimum sanctions.

Such was Beamer's decision on Hinton and Brown. The CAP did not apply to Brown and dictated only an indefinite suspension (the mandated punishment for an athlete charged with a felony) for Hinton. But Brown and Hinton were problem children from the start, and their dismissals certainly were justified.

Just as, unless the entire story was fabricated, indefinite suspensions of Hill, Imoh and Vick were justified, especially since their encounter with the three teenagers came eight days after Beamer read his team the riot act regarding conduct on and off the field. But with misdemeanors, the CAP mandates suspension only upon conviction, and in this case (tailback Imoh and quarterback/receiver Vick are key players for the 2004 season) Beamer declined to be more forceful.

"I don't micromanage our programs," Weaver told the Daily Press' Norm Wood. "Coaches, if they want to take control of their programs, have the right to dismiss their players as they see fit. I support our coaches' decisions."

The sexual nature of the charges, Beamer's inaction and reaction from students, faculty and state politicians prompted a flurry of administrative involvement. Steger met with Weaver, faculty members and other university officials. He released a statement saying he was "deeply disturbed" by the charges but cautioning against a rush to judgment.

Appearing on Tech's weekly radio show, Weaver said university counsel advised him to let the courts rule before meting out any punishment. Weaver also avoided questioning the accused players, lest defense attorneys summon him as a witness.

Indeed, this is all about lawyers. Tech's attorneys, based on these cases, apparently do not mind a coach overriding due-process concerns to sanction an athlete. But they discourage administrators (Weaver and Steger) from stepping in.

A wise distinction? Legal mumbo jumbo? Depends on your interpretation and level of cynicism.

Cynics also wonder if Vick's brother, former Tech All-American Michael Vick, is pressuring the school on Marcus' behalf. The answer, sources said, is an emphatic "no," and in fact, during a March 22 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Michael said he told Marcus, "You're responsible for your own actions, and the only thing you can do now is try to make up for the wrongs you've done."

Let's hope Marcus listened. Let's hope he relayed the sage advice to Imoh and Hill.

And let's hope that, after the court rules, Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer make decisions that are quick, resolute and fair.

U.Va. lacrosse in danger zone
Cavs must capture ACC championship to earn berth in NCAAs
Richmond Times-Dispatch Apr 23, 2004

Only once in the history of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament has a team failed to reach the tourney the year after winning the title. In 1972, that was the fate of Cornell, which had won the inaugural NCAA tourney in'71.

Virginia is in danger of joining Cornell on that list. The Cavaliers, who beat Johns Hopkins in last year's NCAA title game, must repeat as ACC champions this weekend and then win their May 8 regular-season finale at Penn State to qualify for the NCAAs.

No. 3 seed U.Va. (4-6) faces second-seeded North Carolina (7-3) at 8:30 in tonight's second ACC tournament semifinal at Chapel Hill. Fourth-seeded Duke and top-seeded Maryland meet at 6. The championship game is Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

To be eligible for the NCAA tourney, a team must be at least .500.

"We have no margin for error here," said Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia, who starts only two seniors. "If one ball bounces the wrong way, we could be out."

Maryland humbled U.Va. 11-2 in College Park on April 3. A week later, UNC beat Virginia 11-9 in Chapel Hill. Last weekend, in a breakout performance, Virginia destroyed Duke 13-4 in Charlottesville.

"I think this team is coming together in a lot of different ways," Starsia said, "but we really got our work cut out for us playing two games this weekend - if we're fortunate enough to win [tonight]."

In the latest U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll, Maryland is No. 3, UNC is No. 4, Virginia is No. 14 and Duke is No. 16.

Starsia said midfielders Nathan Kenney and Kyle Dixon, who were suspended for last weekend's game after violating team rules, will play in the ACC tourney. - Jeff White
 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Apr 23, 2004

BANNER YEAR: University of Virginia teams have won five Atlantic Coast Conference titles in 2003-04, a school record.

U.Va. moved into uncharted territory last weekend, capturing ACC championships in women's rowing and men's tennis. Virginia also has won league titles this school year in men's soccer, men's swimming and diving and women's swimming and diving.

Virginia has won four ACC titles three times: in 1986-87, 1989-90 and 2002-03.

The ACC championship was the fifth straight for the women's rowing team. It was the school's first in men's tennis.

The Cavaliers may not be finished. ACC champions have yet to be crowned in men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, baseball and softball. The lacrosse tournaments start tonight at Chapel Hill, N.C.

AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT: Football coach Al Groh has picked up another commitment from an 11th-grader. The eighth junior to commit to U.Va. for 2005 is Matt Lowry, a 6-6, 315-pound offensive lineman from Cardinal O'Hara in Springfield, Pa., near Philadelphia.

Lowry, who attended U.Va.'s spring game last weekend, also had a scholarship offer from Syracuse. Penn State, Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State were among the other schools recruiting him.

Cardinal O'Hara is the school that produced tailback Kevin Jones, an All-American last year for Virginia Tech. Lowry has a 3.1 grade-point average and scored 1,190 on the SAT.

Of the players who have committed to Virginia for 2005, only 5-11 quarterback Vicqual Hall of Gretna High is shorter than 6-5.

BACKUP PLAN: Inside linebacker Kai Parham, an all-ACC candidate, sat out spring drills with a back injury. Asked if the coaches expected to have Parham back for summer practice, Groh said last Saturday, "Right now we do, yes."

If Parham isn't ready, the starter alongside Ahmad Brooks in U.Va.'s 3-4 defense will be Rich Bedesem or Bryan White. Bedesem, who's recovering from knee surgery, didn't practice this spring. With Parham and Bedesem sidelined, White, a rising senior from Knoxville, Tenn., made the most of the extra playing time he received.

"This has been a very good spring for him," Groh said.

White, who played outside linebacker in 2002, moved to an inside spot last season, and he's more comfortable there. The 6-2 240-pounder made a game-high nine tackles in the spring game.

"This is one player who's really bought into a tremendous amount of ownership of the team," Groh said. "You can count on him every day for the same effort, same toughness. He's been that way all spring, and it's really brought his game along significantly."

PANTHER POWER: Groh has one player from Hermitage High in his program - wideout Fontel Mines - and would like to add two more for 2005. The Cavaliers have offered scholarships to Hermitage juniors Jameel Sewell and Jeffrey Fitzgerald.

Sewell, who received his offer Tuesday, is a 6-3, 200-pound quarterback who'll also play safety for the Panthers next season. Virginia is recruiting him as a quarterback, Hermitage coach Patrick Kane said.

The 6-4, 250-pound Fitzgerald plays defensive end and tight end. He has offers from numerous schools, including Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Syracuse and Boston College.

INSIDE PRESENCE: U.Va. basketball recruit Tunji Soroye played in the regional all-star game that preceded the Jordan Capital Classic in College Park, Md., last weekend.

Soroye, a 6-10, 225-pound senior from Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md., is not a polished offensive player, but he had six rebounds and four blocks to go with his four points in a 12-minute stint. Soroye, a native of Nigeria, helped Montrose Christian earn the No.19 spot in USA Today's final national rankings.

SIDELINED: Sophomore midfielder Newton Gentry had knee surgery this week and may have to redshirt in 2005, men's lacrosse coach Dom Starsia said.

Gentry dislocated his kneecap and suffered additional damage to his knee March 27 in Virginia's overtime victory over Johns Hopkins at Klockner Stadium. Gentry scored a goal against Hopkins before getting hurt. - Jeff White
 

Hoos revealed
University girls turn out to pose for Playboy, vie for chance to be featured in October issue
Matt Galati And Defne Gunay
Cavalier Daily Associate Editors

Playboy Magazine held an open call at the University earlier this week for female students to participate in next October's special Atlantic Coast Conference issue.

The infamous gentleman's journal conducted a photo shoot for about 25 interested students at the Holiday Inn Monticello Monday and Tuesday.

Playboy puts out conference-themed issues annually -- last year Playboy published a "Girls of the Big Ten" issue, following a similar "Girls of the Big Twelve" campaign in 2002.

Playboy will travel to Virginia Tech next week towrap up its tour of ACC schools.

Cavalier centerfolds

First-year College student Brittany Timmons was one of the University students who decided to try out for the magazine.

"I never thought that I'd be in Playboy," Timmons said. "But when I saw the ad I said that I'd go with it."

Playboy producer Eden Orfanos said the magazine is looking to feature models who typify the "girl next door" image as opposed to the conventional Playmate persona.

"We want to find women that epitomize a college student," Orfanos said. "We look for women that are fit, healthy, and not as produced."

Still, for potential Playboy models, the process can be a nerve-racking experience, Orfanos added.

Before her audition, Timmons said she felt anxious about the experience.

"I had doubts about myself, about how maybe I am not good enough," she said."But I'm also confident enough, so I decided to come here and do it."

Despite the cold feet felt by many potential models, Orfanos said the actual process can be welcoming.

"The idea of coming to a room to interview with Playboy magazine and seeing the other girls in the room is very intimidating," she said. "Once they get here, the girls are more comfortable, relaxed, and having a good time."

Bunny under fire

Student reaction to Playboy's visit have not all been rosy, however.

The magazine's arrival at the University comes on the heels of feminist protests two weeks ago at the University of North Carolina. There, 10 female students who had signed up for casting sessions sent letters to Playboy's corporate headquarters stating their intention not to show up for interviews. Students also protested outside the North Carolina hotel where auditions were being held.

At the University, fourth-year College student Cerissa Cafasso authored a petition against the endorsement of Playboy's tryouts, citing her objection to "the sexual objectification of the human body" in general.

Fourth-year College student Jess Belue said she shared Cafasso's feelings but questioned the impact of such a petition.

"We hope to send it to Playboy," Belue said. "But we know that they are probably not going to do anything with it."

Fourth-Year College student Kurt Mitman said he received Cafasso's petition via e-mail.

After reading the appeal, Mitman said he replied to those on Belue's e-mail list with a petition of his own, titled "I Support Individual Expression."

While Mitman said his petition was designed to take a lighthearted spin on the controversy, he has since received many e-mails from people opposed to his stance.

"If Playboy wants to come here and girls want to pose, I'm fine with that," Mitman said. "If people want to make money by posing, there shouldn't be added pressure on them."

From hotel room to newsstand

Upon arriving at the casting call, prospective models were greeted with a hefty stack of legal paperwork, in addition to personal surveys.

From there, they proceeded individually to reserved rooms at the hotel where they posed for photographers.

"We started off with bikini photos, then did a few with a thong," Timmons said. "The last few were nude ones."

Orfanos said she now will meet with the magazine's photographer to choose which students will be featured in the magazine's spreads and determine the ways in which they will be depicted.

Based on the models' preferences, the women could pose for photos in a variety of locations, Playboy spokesperson Theresa Hennessey said.

"It could be a local bar, it could be a local bed and breakfast, an outdoor area somewhere -- they are going to scout for locations," she said.

Back in the office, Hugh Hefner, Playboy founder and editor-in-chief, will select the final spreads from each school to be featured in the special conference issue.

While there is no set limit on the number of models to be featured in the upcoming pictorial, Hennessey said the University will have at least one student representative.

Orfanos declined to disclose the compensation awarded to each model, mentioning only that the amount varies based on the amount of nudity.

"It's a good chunk of change for a couple hours work," she said. "It's like a regular modeling fee."

For Timmons, however, money is not a primary concern.

"If I actually do the shoot, I get paid, but I am not here for the money," she said.

Future prospects

Timmons said she would like to use this opportunity as a launching pad for future related careers.

"I would like to pursue my modeling career afterwards, I put it on hold when I got here," she said. "I'd also like to try acting -- my ex-boyfriend always told me to be in a soap opera."

While some college women who audition for the special issues do so with the intention of pursuing eventual modeling careers, Orfanos said many only wish to be a part of the magazine's legacy.

"They just want to be 'iconolized' in this magazine that has for years shown women in a very beautiful, desirable way," she said.

While 30 to 35 women were slated to attend the open casting call, Orfanos said the turnout was no match for many schools on the west coast, which often attract hundreds of perspective models.

Timmons agreed with Orfanos' assessment.

"There are definitely less girls than I expected," she said.
 

Cavs need wins at ACC tourney
Currently two games under .500, Virginia will need to win conference tournament for defending champs to remain eligible for NCAA tournament, Cavs take on Heels in semis
S.R. Sidarth
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

The men's lacrosse team looks to resurrect its chances of an NCAA bid at this weekend's ACC tournament by revenging previous losses against conference foes.

The quest begins with a semifinal matchup against the host, No. 6 North Carolina (7-3, 2-1 ACC), in tonight's late game. If the No. 14 Cavaliers (4-6, 1-2) win, they will face the victor of No. 3 Maryland (8-2, 3-0), the tournament's top seed, and No. 16 Duke (4-6, 0-3) in the final Sunday afternoon. Even if the Cavaliers win the ACC tournament, they must defeat Penn State (5-5) May 8 to be NCAA-eligible.

Virginia earned the No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament by virtue of prior losses to the Tar Heels and Terrapins and a 13-4 victory over the Blue Devils in the Cavaliers' last contest.

In the Duke game, Virginia received a hat trick each from midfielders Matt Poskay and Foster Gilbert and attackman Joe Yevoli. Goaltender Tillman Johnson, playing in his last game at Klöckner Stadium, made 13 saves on 16 shots on goal.

Attackman Matt Ward, who leads the team with 22 goals and 33 points in 10 games, added two goals in the Duke contest. Ward's best performance of the season came against North Carolina, when he netted five goals and dished out two assists in Virginia's close 11-9 loss at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.

Ward likens the situation with North Carolina to last year, when regular-season defeats against Johns Hopkins and Maryland were avenged in the NCAA tournament.

"It's a rematch, but I am up and willing for the challenge because those are the games that we love to play," Ward said. "Last year we lost two games during the season, and we went back and revenged those. Hopefully that serves as some motivation for this weekend, because we have to play two teams that we have lost to, and maybe we'll have a chance to get back at them."

In the North Carolina game, Johnson had a solid performance, with 16 saves on 27 shots on goal. Attackman John Christmas, the team's third-leading scorer, added two goals. Hunter Kass and Jared Little had the other tallies, their second and third goals of the year, respectively.

North Carolina was led in the previous meeting with the Cavaliers by goaltender Paul Spellman, who had 13 saves on 22 shots on goal, many of which came during a 5-0 UNC run late in the second half that erased a 7-6 Virginia lead. The Tar Heels' leading scorer, attackman Jed Prossner, who is tied for the conference lead with 27 goals on the season, was held to only one assist in the contest.

Prossner's lack of production was compensated for by a balanced attack, as nine different Carolina players scored in the Virginia game. Attackmen Ryan Blair and Andrew Lucas each tallied twice, while Lucas and the team's second-leading scorer, Scott Falatach, added two assists each.

North Carolina has played an extremely challenging schedule, with four of their seven wins coming against teams in the top 20. Additionally, the Tar Heels' three losses have been to No. 1 Johns Hopkins, No. 2 Navy in overtime, and No. 3 Maryland, all by one goal.

Coach Dom Starsia acknowledges Carolina's talent but hopes that his young team can rise to the challenge.

"We'll have our hands full playing UNC on their home field -- they are a very good lacrosse team," Starsia said. "But [the ACC tournament] is what it is. I think the kids enjoy it, but it's a nightmare really to think that we have to go back down there and play them again. But we've just got to go down there and get it done -- there are no easy opponents."

In the other semifinal, Duke enters the ACC tournament on a five-game losing streak after starting the season 4-1. The Blue Devils are led up front by freshman attackman Matt Danowski, who has team-highs with 17 goals and 28 points. Attackmen Dan Flannery and Chris Haunss add scoring balance with 26 and 24 points, respectively.

Maryland comes into the ACC tournament with many conference high-water marks, including the top offense, at 11.80 goals per game, and the top defense, allowing only 7.20 goals per game. Sophomore attackman Joe Walters leads the ACC with 41 points and is tied with Carolina's Prossner at 27 goals. Goaltender Tim McGinnis has a 7.20 GAA and a save percentage of 63.8, both tops in the conference. The Terrapins' two losses on the season have come to No. 1 Johns Hopkins and No. 2 Navy.

Fighting for their NCAA tournament lives, the Cavaliers will look to feed off the Duke victory and win a bid, three victories away.