U.VA. NOTES

COMING TO TOWN: When Vance Harmon played basketball at Douglas Freeman High, the Rebels had epic battles with John Marshall teams that included Jason Williford.

Both have since moved into coaching, and now Williford, who was recently hired as an assistant at U.Va., is looking at one of Harmon’s players.

Harmon is the head coach at Henrico High, where 6-4 sophomore Trey Davis averaged 19.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season. Williford and Virginia’s new coach, Tony Bennett, are scheduled to stop by Henrico today after visiting John Marshall, Harmon said yesterday.

Williford and Bennett will meet with coaches at each school. JM is where Travis McKie plays. McKie, a 6-6 junior, this week was named the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s player of the year. Davis, whose father played at the University of Richmond, was selected to the All-Metro second team.

PREMATURE ENDING: Yannick Reyering’s college football career is over. U.Va. coach Al Groh said Wednesday that Reyering, who was 6 for 11 on field goals and 16 for 17 on extra points last season, has “not been able to overcome his knee circumstances and so has been forced to end his attempts” to play football.

A former all-ACC soccer player at U.Va., Reyering joined the football team last year. He appeared in 10 games and handled kickoffs in seven of them. He had problems, though, with a knee he’d first injured playing soccer.

With Reyering gone, rising sophomores Chris Hinkebein and Robert Randolph are the Cavaliers’ kickers, with incoming freshman Drew Jarrett expected to join the competition this summer.

Hinkebein handled kickoffs in five games last year. Randolph was 3 for 4 on field goals and 6 for 6 on extra points.

Place-kicker is “a critical position for the improvement of our team,” Groh said. “We’ve had some seasons with a large number of wins around here, and in almost every case the quality of the field-goal kicker was a positive factor.”

LESSONS LEARNED? In U.Va.’s final three games last season, Marc Verica threw seven interceptions – three against Wake Forest, three against Clemson and one against Virginia Tech. Not coincidentally, perhaps, Virginia lost all three games.

“A lot of it was inexperience and losing poise at times, inaccurate throws, bad decisions,” Verica, a rising junior, said this week. “Young quarterbacks go through these kind of things all the time, and they’re certainly correctable. So my main focus this spring and for the rest of this offseason is just focusing on taking care of the football. Because what happens to the ball determines the outcome of the game, and the game is really decided on three or four plays, and turnovers can be one of those plays, and really can change a game around. Really protecting the football is my focus now.”

Late in the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech, U.Va. was in field-goal range, trailing 17-14, when Verica threw an ill-advised pass that was picked off in the end zone.

“I don’t think anyone would want to end a season like that, in that fashion,” Verica said. “But it’s behind me now, and my challenge now is to learn from that mistake and use that experience to better myself as a player and as a teammate.”

Verica, who started nine games last season, is battling Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell for the job this year.

RECRUITS CHOSEN: Oday Aboushi and Corey Lillard, who signed with U.Va. in Feburary, have been named to the USA Football junior national team. It will compete in the first International Federation of American Football junior (19-and-under) world championship in Canton, Ohio, June 27 to July 5.

National teams from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Sweden round out the field.

“Following each Olympiad, the participants often speak of what a powerful feeling it is to represent the United States,” Groh said in a statement. “Oday and Corey now have the wonderful opportunity to represent our country and our Virginia team.”

Aboushi is an offensive tackle from Xaverian High Brooklyn, N.Y. Lillard is a safety from Liberty High in Fauquier County.

TURNING POINT: The men’s lacrosse team plays its final regular-season game tomorrow at noon. Second-ranked U.Va. (12-1) hosts Dartmouth (4-8) in a game that CBS College Sports will televise.

At halftime, members of Virginia’s 1999 team will be recognized at Klockner Stadium. Those Cavaliers won the school’s second NCAA title in men’s lacrosse. The first had come in 1972.

“You talk about the element of doubt creeping in,” said Dom Starsia, who took over as Virginia’s coach before the 1993 season. “I remember back in those days, wondering what it was going to take to get it done.”

Twice under Starsia, the Wahoos had lost in the NCAA championship game, but in ’99 they broke through, beating Syracuse for the title.

“That group, especially that senior group, really kind of willed that team to that championship,” Starsia recalled yesterday. “That team just would not be denied, and I think it’s made all the difference in the world.

“The initial sense was just one of relief, but getting over that hump gave us a chance to just move forward in a positive direction and be able to eliminate some of those seeds of doubt about whether or not we could just do it, frankly.”

Virginia has won two more NCAA titles since then, in 2003 and ’06.

-- Jeff White
 

UVa’s Hall settles in on offense
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 17, 2009

In an interview earlier this week, the pace of Jameel Sewell’s voice quickened.
The topic at hand was one that Virginia’s quarterback enjoyed discussing.
In his words, former cornerback Vic Hall was back at “home” on offense.
It was a move that Sewell had longed to see for his roommate.
Hall, of course, was pushed into the secondary by depleted numbers at cornerback early in his career and stayed at the spot until making his first start last year in the season finale at Virginia Tech.
One of the most acclaimed quarterbacks in Virginia high school history did not disappoint. In fact, Hall had Virginia in position to tie or upend the Hokies until a late-game interception thrown by Marc Verica derailed those plans.
Against the Hokies, Hall rushed for 109 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns.
He was home again.
“I was excited,” said Sewell, who did not play last year. “I kind of said, ‘Finally, he is back to where he needs to be.’”
It was not necessarily where Hall wanted to be.
With a team-first mentality, the senior merely desired to help Virginia win whether that was at quarterback, cornerback or returning punts.
“The main thing that I wanted to prove coming into college is that I could work hard and I could help my team in any way,” Hall said. “It wasn’t about proving to people that I could do this or do that.
“If you could do whatever you do on the field as far as helping your team in your contribution, I feel like that’s proving yourself.”
From his first practice, Hall won over his teammates.
“Vic is a competitor,” said Virginia right tackle Will Barker. “On offense or defense, he is just a playmaker. Everybody respects what Vic has done and can do.”
For Hall, whether it is in the slot as a wide receiver — a possibility if Sewell or Verica win the starting job — this spring has been a chance to show what he can do leading an offense.
He will get his final opportunity before training camp opens in August on Saturday as the Cavaliers hold their
annual spring contest at Scott Stadium at 2 p.m.
“I do look at this as a second chance to be what I aspired to be when I came to Virginia — a quarterback,” Hall said.
So far, so good.
“He has taken control of the offense when he has been in there and he has made some good throws,” Barker said. “He has done really well. We feel good with any one of the three in there.”

 

Spring Football Q&A with Dontrelle Inman and Jared Green
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/16/2009

Virginia wide receivers Dontrelle Inman and Jared Green figure to catch many more passes this fall with the loss of Maurice Covington and Kevin Ogletree. They sat down for a few minutes to talk about Spring Football and the Cavaliers’ new offense.

Question: What are your thoughts on the new offense?
Inman: It’s a change that I believe will make the offense more explosive and more dynamic. I’m enjoying it.
Green: My birthday was April 1, so this was probably my best birthday present. It’s a fast-paced offense. It’s no huddle and it is what I like to do because we are throwing the ball a lot.

Question: What do you personally like about it from a wide receiver’s perspective?
Inman: That many different receivers can play all the positions, not like in the past where one person played just one position.
Green: We’re doing a lot of different passing plays and we are doing a lot of things coming out of the backfield. There’s a lot of weird stuff going on ... stuff we can’t talk about. As a receiver, I like it because it challenges me to stretch the field and it challenges me to make plays and to do more after the catch than I did last year.

Question: Talk about the quarterbacks. How have they performed this spring? Do you notice a difference in their styles?
Inman: I don’t see a lot of differences between them. All of them are having a good spring.
Green: They all have different styles, but their maturity level is what I admire the most. They’re all really competitive and they’ve all been there before. We could not say that last year or the year before. They are all mature, they are all leaders and they can all throw the ball pretty well.

Question: Have you ever played in a no huddle offense? How do you like it?
Inman: I’ve never played in a no huddle offense. At first, I thought it might be a little confusing for everyone to comprehend. Once you get the vibe and keep doing it over and over, it starts to get easier.
Green: The only time I’ve played no huddle was in middle school and that’s because we didn’t know what a huddle was. I really like it a lot. Because it is fast-paced, I think it will keep the defense on their heels. I think it is something we’ll benefit by because don’t think anyone in the ACC has seen it before.

Question: What are the things you personally worked on the most this spring?
Inman: I just want to get better. I want to get better as an all-around player. I don’t want to be an average receiver. I want to be more than average. I’ve worked a lot on my route running and blocking. Most of our runs are about getting guys down field or if we break a big run, you want to be the receiver down field who can make that touchdown block.
Green: I’ve concentrated on speed and quickness and aggressiveness. I’ve made sure my level of play is higher than the guy across the line from me.

Question: Who are the unknown players who will surprise fans the most next season?
Inman: I think Isaac Cain and Javaris Brown. Last year he was the scout team player of the year. He’s dedicated to this program. I see him having a great career here.
Green: Definitely Torrey Mack. I’m a big T-Mack fan and I think people will really excited to see what he does out on the field. He’s shifty and has a lot of moves. I’m glad I’m not on defense because I feel my ankles would collapse trying to tackle him.
 

Q&A with Tony Bennett: Part 2
Paul Montana
Published: Friday, April 17 2009

“If you’re trying to be phony or selling them something that’s not there, it doesn’t work.”

New Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett used these words to describe the conversations he had with 2009 recruits Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans, both of whom recently told Bennett that they would honor their commitments to attend Virginia.

Bennett may as well have been talking about the interview I conducted with him Wednesday morning. In the sports writing business, you get plenty of interviews that can be described as “phony.” Bennett’s, though, was not one of them.

But his personality is not all I like about him. In the two weeks since he arrived at Virginia, there is nothing to complain about regarding his progress. First, he successfully convinced both Spurlock and Evans to come here, after they had reportedly signed last fall because of their relationships with former coach Dave Leitao and former assistant coach Bill Courtney. The Daily Progress, however, reported March 17 that it was “a virtual certainty” that Spurlock would decommit.

And now, it appears that Bennett has hit the nail on the head after filling up his own staff of assistants with the recruiting ties that he lacks. Head assistant coach Ritchie McKay left Liberty to come here. Regardless of whether this had anything to do with the transfer of Seth Curry, Stephen Curry’s younger brother, from Liberty to Duke, McKay is a winning hire. He’s got head coaching experience and goes back with Bennett nearly to his college days. Most importantly, he has recruiting ties to Virginia.

The same recruiting aspect goes for assistant coach Jason Williford, a Virginia basketball alum who was previously an assistant coach at American University. Even assistant coach Ron Sanchez, who was on Bennett’s staff at Washington State, offers recruiting help. He played four years and coached one at the State University of New York College at Oneonta in addition to coaching two years at Delhi College (N.Y.), and Bennett is hopeful that he can network in the recruiting hotbed that is New York.

In sum, so far, so good. Here is part two of the exclusive interview with Bennett, a continuation of part one, published in yesterday’s issue of The Cavalier Daily:

Q: If a student came up to you and said, “What are you about as a coach?” what would be your response?

“I’ve been a part of rebuilding programs, which I think is very valuable. We’ve had to start and develop a system, we had to find a way to become successful over time in the program in the Big 10 conference [at Wisconsin], also in the Pac-10 Conference [at Washington State]. That’s what I’m about: trying to build programs that’ll reach success, be a part of touching something very special.

“I’m real competitive — that’s something that I guess at an early age has been in me. When there’s a challenge to compete against the best and be among the best and trying to be in there, that really motivates me. Also, I want to be a part of a program that not only does things right but that also stands for the right things. That’s so important. The image that your team projects, the relationship as a coach you have with your players, making an impact on young men, so that hopefully with basketball, after basketball there’s a difference from the time spent in your program.”

Q: Have you had a chance to walk around Grounds and meet some of the students?

“I walked around a little bit. Right now I’m buried in work and all that — players recruiting, returning phone calls, getting caught up that way — but the little bit I’ve driven around campus and been around, it just gets better and better. It’s absolutely beautiful, and there’s such good vibe and a good feel to it, and as the weather starts to turn nice, it’s a great time to be here. I definitely want to do that.

“When I got here, I met with the Student Council. I met with them and talked, really enjoyed that.”

Q: How have you gone about building relationships with the players currently on the team?

“You just have to say, ‘This is who I am,’ and over time they’ll get to know you. I’ve really appreciated how hard they’ve worked in the limited workouts [we’ve had], and I think that they’re coming in with an open mind, and they seem like good young men, but I think it’s important for them to get to know the staff as well. You’re going to be together. I know they use it a lot, calling it ‘family,’ but you are, it’s your second family, because you’re together so much, and you go through so many emotions together — the elation in victory, the dejection when you lose, the highs and lows. You’d better have good relationships and a strong bond that way, and hopefully that will continue to grow.

“They’ve for the [previous] two or three weeks been without a coach, and there’s been so much uncertainty: Who’s coming in? What are we going to do? They were sort of in a state of limbo, but right now there’s sort of a finality to that, and now we can move on.”

Q: How do you like your new staff of assistant coaches?

“That speaks volumes about the University of Virginia for Ritchie McKay, who’s been a head coach at a number of different places — New Mexico, Colorado State, Portland State, and Liberty. Having been a head coach for that many years, to want to come and be a part of something here, to leave Liberty and a good situation they had, because he’s excited about this team. I have a relationship that goes way back. He’s developed some ties in this area, and I think a guy with head coaching experience is always valuable. Ron Sanchez, who’s been with me six years with Washington State, has some New York ties, but one of the most loyal, servant-minded guys I’ve been around in terms of, [he] just wants to do what’s best for the program and serve the program. He’s been part of a turnaround, and has a great way with kids. I’ve had guys that are very relational, and he’s real good, real passionate about it. And, he knows me, and that’s important. He knows the kind of players I want, he knows what I’m about, there’s some familiarity there, so having him is a tremendous asset, and he’s a young go-getter — I say young, to you he’s old [laughs].

“And then to have Jason Williford, who’s from Richmond, played [at Virginia] as part of three NCAA Tournament teams, the Elite Eight, and won an NIT Championship in his time here. An assistant coach at Boston University, an assistant coach at American University — two excellent academic institutions — so understanding the right guys to recruit, great relationships with the people of U.Va., the alumni, and also the ties with the AAU coaches, the high school coaches, the D.C. area, so we can hit the ground running and really tap into those contacts.

“Having Brad Soucie [as the director of] basketball operations, who also played the game, was in the business world, coaching — there are so many facets of the daily operations that go on, that you need people who are so well-organized, have a mind for the game, and who are generally willing to do whatever it takes.”

Q: What is your background with Ritchie McKay?

“His brother played for the Green Bay Packers. He was a receiver — his brother actually played for the national championship with the Washington Huskie football team, and I had just come back from my first year in the NBA, and we just met each other and got to know each other. Ritchie — he followed my dad’s career — and my father was kind of a mentor to him in terms of the basketball. So we just developed a relationship way back then — this is the early ‘90s. And then I followed his career, he followed mine. It’s funny, we both went overseas; he went and played in New Zealand professionally after his college days, and I was over there after my NBA days as a player and coach, so we had some common ground. I coached in the Pac-10, and we had a good relationship over the years.”

Q: How’s your family settling in?

“Because they’re not here. I won’t get to see them — they don’t get here until late May. They’re back in Washington State, in Pullman. We just sold our house, which is good news.

“I have an 8 year-old daughter and a 6 year-old son, so they’re in kindergarten and second grade, so they’ll probably finish up. My wife will come up here at the end of April, soon, and look for a house, and hopefully we’ll find one and bring the kids out here.

“Right now, you’re so busy, it’s a lot of late nights that you’ve gotta get some things established. But it’ll be great to see them. That’s another reason why Virginia — it’s a good place for family, and that matters to me so much, to be able to raise your kids in a good place and enjoy that part of it. This is the complete package in terms of the things you’re looking for.”

 

Bethel's Jontel Evans says he's still headed to U.Va.
By Dave Johnson | 247-4649
April 17, 2009

Jontel Evans, who signed with the University of Virginia's basketball team last fall before facing the uncertainty of a coaching change, still is headed to Charlottesville.

Though the Cavaliers promised to release him from his scholarship if he chose, Evans elected to stay with U.Va. after meeting with new coach Tony Bennett on April 2.

"That's really all I wanted to do, was to meet him and see what type of guy he is," Evans said. "And once I met him, that sealed the deal. He's a really nice guy, and I'm so excited about going there."

Evans, the co-Peninsula District player of the year, committed to Virginia last summer and signed in November. At the time, he was expecting Dave Leitao to be his coach. Instead, Leitao resigned under pressure March 16 — after only his fourth season at U.Va.

The coaching search took only two weeks, considerably shorter than the previous one conducted by U.Va. in 2005. But those were two weeks of uncertainty for Evans.

Even when the Cavaliers announced Bennett, Evans wasn't sure where he stood. Bennett is known for preferring a half-court offense that consistently produced one of the lowest-scoring teams in Division I during his three years at Washington State.

Evans, a point guard, is partial to the up-tempo style he played at Bethel and in AAU. But after meeting with Bennett, Evans is comfortable with his original decision.

"He said that was the way they ran their offense in that conference," the 5-foot-11 Evans said about the Pacific 10. "But he said he was open to change coming into the ACC. He said he might be willing to run the ball with a fast-tempo offense, but he'll also might want to slow it down."

In addition to Evans, Tristan Spurlock, a 6-7 forward from Springfield who signed with Virginia last fall, said he is not changing his mind.

 

Perfect Northwestern presents tall task
Wildcats spoiled team’s title hopes in 2005, 2007; seniors seek to end career with upset
Ben Gomez, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Friday, April 17 2009

Junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein recently tallied her 100th career assist in the Cavaliers’ 21-8 win against George Mason. The No. 10 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will take on four-time national champion No. 1 Northwestern Sunday in its final regular season home game. The match marks the first time the two teams have met in the regular season since 1991.

The Cavaliers (10-5, 2-3 ACC) own the all-time series record 5-3; though they were able to beat the Wildcats in the second round of the 2004 NCAA tournament, Virginia fell to Northwestern (13-0, 2-0 ALC) in both the 2005 and 2007 title games.

“This is a big game for the seniors,” senior defender Katie Shannon said. “Not only is it senior day, but we’re facing a team that we lost to in the NCAA championship by two goals in 2007. That is enough to light a fire under us and get us ready for Sunday.”

Although initially ranked No. 4 at the beginning of the season, the Cavaliers have had an up-and-down season. Virginia has posted a worse record at home than on the road this season, going 4-3 at home while notching a 6-2 record away from Klöckner Stadium.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, have dominated their opponents this season. Northwestern possesses the nation’s best offense and second-best defense. During the past four years, they have only lost three games and have won four consecutive national championships. In the Wildcats’ eight games against top-20 teams this season, they have outscored opponents 143-53; overall, the Wildcats have outscored opponents 250-75.

Among the teams thrashed this season by the Wildcats are Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke and Penn State, all of whom Virginia also played this season. The Cavaliers were able to escape with a one-goal victories against Penn State and Syracuse, but lost against the Blue Devils and Tar Heels.

Not only have the Wildcats beaten their opponents, they have embarrassed them with an average margin of victory of 13 goals. Their offense leads the nation, averaging over 19 goals per game and having cracked the 20-goal mark eight times this season. In comparison, the Cavalier offense notched 20 goals for the first time in four years Tuesday night against George Mason, topping the Patriots 21-8.

Virginia and Northwestern will both feature nominees for the Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top player. The Wildcats’ offense is led by three players in particular, each of whom has scored 40 or more goals and dished out 10 or more assists this season. The most decorated of the three is arguably 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy winner senior midfielder Hannah Nielsen, who leads the nation in points and assists per game. The Aussie is the NCAA’s all-time leader in assists and has recorded the two best offensive seasons in Northwestern’s history; she is also well on her way to her third consecutive 100-point season with 89 points on the year.

Joining Nielsen in the Northwestern offensive attack is senior Hilary Bowen, who ranks second in the country in goals per game and sixth in points. The attacker has been named the MVP of the NCAA Championships twice, scoring an NCAA Tournament record 17 goals in 2008.

Danielle Spencer rounds out the three-headed scoring attack; the 6-foot-2 junior midfielder is Northwestern’s third-leading scorer with 42 goals on the season, two fewer than the Cavaliers’ leading scorer, senior midfielder Blair Weymouth.

“They have great players on their team, but our defense practices against great attackers every day in practice,” Shannon said.

Though the Cavaliers do not possess as much offensive depth as the Wildcats, they can hold their own when it comes to scoring goals. A Tewaaraton nominee, Weymouth leads Virginia with 44 goals on the season; she is the only Cavalier this season to eclipse 40 in the category. Weymouth will finish her career in the top-five all-time at Virginia in goals, assists and points and could become the program’s second four-time All-American. Her cohort — senior midfielder Ashley McCulloch — also has been an intricate part of the offense this season, dishing out a team-high 28 assists on the season to go along with her 29 goals. McCulloch recently reached the 100-assist mark for her career, making her only the fourth Cavalier ever to reach the century mark.

The Cavaliers will need offensive production from more than Weymouth and McCulloch, however, if they wish to defeat the Wildcats. Senior attack Jenny Hauser is second on the team in goals with 31 and has shown the ability to step up in big games, scoring six goals against Duke earlier this season.

“They play an aggressive, double-teaming defense so our attack will move the ball quickly to avoid the pressure,” Shannon said.

While both teams boast high-power offenses, defense is equally important to win championships, and Northwestern is no slouch when it comes to shutting down opponents. The Wildcats are only allowing a meager six goals per game, good for second in the country behind Pennsylvania. Their stingy defense is anchored between the pipes by senior goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop. Lathrop has only allowed five goals per contest, while stopping 57 percent of opponents’ shots — both good for second in the country.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have flip-flopped their goalkeepers during the last couple of games. Senior Sara Hairfield received considerable minutes against Harvard and George Mason. Hairfield is 2-0 on the season, allowing nine goals per game. Usual sophomore starter, Lauren Benner, has struggled recently, and as of now, coach Julie Myers has not named a starter.

“We need to play tough and execute for the entire game,” Myers said. “Possessions and possession time will be huge. They are dangerous in every spot but the less they have the ball, the less they can score so we’re going to work hard to win every possession possible.”

The one area the Cavaliers may have the advantage in is draw controls, where junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein is third in the country, averaging close to four a game. Although Northwestern as a team leads the country in draw controls, Kalkstein has the ability to step up and give the Cavaliers a chance to win. A win against Northwestern would secure the Cavaliers a spot in the NCAA Tournament and help solidify a somewhat disappointing season for Virginia. If Virginia loses, however, it will be the first time since 1995 that the Cavaliers have lost six games in the regular season.

Virginia will have to come ready to play to knock off the goliath that is Northwestern.

“Sunday is a huge opportunity for us to not only pick up a quality win, but it would also get us off the bubble for postseason bids,” Myers said. “To end our home season with a huge win would be a perfect reward for a lot of hard work and a great momentum builder going into the ACC tournament starting next week.”

 

No. 2 Virginia looks to gang up on Big Green
Team looks to rebound from loss against Duke last Saturday, sends seniors out in style with win in last regular season game at Klöckner
Meryem Karad
Published: Friday, April 17 2009

Senior attackmen Garrett Billings (19) and Danny Glading (9) were both named Tewaaraton Trophy finalists. Billings leads Virginia with 29 goals on the year, while Glading netted four scores against Duke. Before heading south to begin postseason play, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team will wrap up its regular season at home Saturday against unranked Dartmouth.

The Cavaliers (12-1, 2-1), currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, saw their hopes of an undefeated regular season come to an end last Saturday as the squad fell to Duke 15-10.

“It’s never good to lose, but if there was a better time to lose, it would be right now,” senior captain Danny Glading. “It gives us a chance to regroup right before the playoffs. It refocuses us and makes us work a little bit harder at practice every day because we know that you can’t take for granted our success in the past and all the work that we’ve put into it.”

This week presents an opportunity for the team to seize both redemption and momentum. Virginia held the No. 1 ranking in the country for eight weeks before its loss in Durham. Though Virginia’s three wins prior to the defeat were by narrow margins, it still entered the matchup dominating the ACC in goals, assists and shots.

“We really haven’t been on top of our game the last few weeks of play,” sophomore goalkeeper Adam Ghitelman said. “Duke was a good reality check for us. You can’t win every one.”

With the exception of a close four-goal win last year, Virginia has had little trouble handling Dartmouth in the past. The Big Green, however, enter Saturday’s game riding the momentum of their first Ivy League win of the season against Yale last night in overtime.

Senior captain and attackman Brian Koch, who has tallied 21 goals thus far — one of which was the game-winner against Yale — leads the Dartmouth attack. Dartmouth, which is 4-8 on the season, has only averaged eight points per game. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, average 13 points per contest.

The Cavaliers will need to focus on transition play, ball control and overall time of possession if they wish to reel in a win against the Big Green. Although Virginia is 12-1 this year, the team squeaked by in several of those wins, including a seven-overtime thriller against Maryland.

“We know that when we get into close games, we’re willing to adjust to defensive styles we need and we have guys that can make the big time goals,” Glading said. “I think that helps our confidence going into the playoffs.”

Should the game come down to the wire, Virginia will look to use its highly touted deep roster to its advantage. The Cavaliers not only boast a deep bench, but also a handful of explosive players in the starting line.

Virginia attack Glading, sophomore midfielder Shamel Bratton, senior attackman Garrett Billings and senior midfielder Mike Timms were among 21 players announced this week as nominees for the 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded annually to the top collegiate player in Division I.

Bratton has proved to be an offensive weapon in his second year, scoring 21 goals — already seven more than last season — to rank sixth nationally in scoring among midfielders. With 29 points, Bratton has twice been named ACC Player of the Week this spring.

Billings currently ranks eighth in the nation with 44 points and has contributed 29 goals this season. He has led the team in goals on three occasions this season.

Glading, meanwhile, leads the team in total points (45) and assists (23), while ranking third in goals (22). He is sixth in the country in assists and seventh in total points. Timms, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the most dominant longstick midfielders in the country.

If Virginia combines its strong roster with a full 60 minutes of focus, Dartmouth could be hard-pressed to beat the No. 2 team in the nation.

“Usually we’ll get going for a quarter or two, but we need to start gelling and putting full games together,” Bratton said. “Playing well against Dartmouth will definitely be a right step in the way.”

Following the Dartmouth matchup, Virginia will return to Durham to face Duke in the first round of the ACC playoffs next week.

 

Proscia’s toughness forged on the gridiron
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 17, 2009

After awkwardly sliding foot first into first base against Radford in late March, Steven Proscia picked up a pair of crutches, an ice pack and what appeared to be a grim prognosis.
But three days later, Proscia trotted out to third base to start for Virginia’s baseball team.
Oddly enough, you can credit a former Hokie.
Greg Toal, the nationally-
acclaimed football coach at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, barked words of wisdom at Proscia during his time as a football standout in high school.
One thing preached by Toal, who was a tailback and team captain at Virginia Tech in 1975, stays with Virginia’s third baseman to this day.
“He said, ‘Never let anyone know that you are hurt,’” Proscia recounted. “He always told us to keep your foot on the throttle.
“He definitely taught me a lot of lessons that have transcended onto the baseball field. More than half the stuff that I do out on the baseball field is through the teaching of coach Toal — his mentality, his toughness.”
In odd fashion, it was Proscia’s time on the football field as a defensive back (six interceptions in ‘07) and four receiving scores at wideout at Don Bosco, that sold Virginia coach Brian O’Connor on the youngster.
O’Connor has never made it a secret that a difference-maker in the recruitment of players, those
in the mold of former left fielder Brandon Guyer, often settles on a 100-yard field and not solely on the diamond.
In the skipper’s eyes, the grit and toughness needed to play high school football cannot be undervalued.
“He comes from a tough background where he was a successful high school football player and I love that about him,” said O’Connor, whose Cavaliers open a three-game set with Boston College tonight. “He definitely has a toughness about him and a winner attitude. He got hurt at Radford on a Tuesday and he was ready to play again on Friday against Maryland.
“I think the fact that he was a real successful high school football player at one of the top football programs in the country year in and year out really says a lot.”
Proscia, listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, has made a rather easy transition into college baseball.
The rookie, manning the spot once occupied by Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, owns the best batting average for a freshman in the league at .375. That is tied for the 14th-best in the ACC.
In just 16 league games, Proscia’s .369 mark trails only Virginia catcher John Hicks (.403).
“The biggest thing about Steven has been his adjustment so quickly to this level of baseball,” O’Connor said. “He’s having great plate appearances and performing great against some of the best pitchers in our league.
“If there was anything that you thought he would struggle with coming in it would be facing the great pitching in this league every weekend. He has stood up and held right in there.”
Solid with the glove, Proscia faced what would have been a tough decision for most: chase a full scholarship to play football or take less money to become a college baseball player.
It was not as hard as one might imagine.
“I love football and I love baseball, but growing up I would always play baseball with my dad outside,” Proscia said. “It was something that I loved to watch and I loved to play. Football I played because I loved to fly around and I loved the action and the hitting.
“Baseball, to me, is a more relaxed sport and it is more interesting to me because I like to watch it as well as play it, and I’m a student of the game and that’s really what baseball is all about.”
Virginia fans are happy with the decision, too.
With a star-studded recruiting class expected to arrive for the 2010 season, the Cavaliers should remain one of the powerhouses in the league.
That means a lot for Proscia, a competitor that developed the desire to win every time out while playing and winning the state football title as a junior and senior.
In fact, as a senior, Proscia and his teammates went 12-0 and outscored their opponents by 381 points and were ranked among the “Super 25” by USA Today.
“All my life, I have done nothing but want to win,” Proscia said. “Being part of a winning team is great. It is great to be a place where you are winning a lot, but you also have to deal with the losses.
“So far this year, we have done a great job and we just want to keep it up.”

 

Squad aims to shake off rustiness, topple Eagles
Following cancellation of midweek matchups against non-conference foes, Virginia looks to capture three-game series
Mattew Diton, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Published: Friday, April 17 2009

Sophomore righthander Tyler Wilson has given up 26 hits in 31.2 innings of work this year. Pitching out of the bullpen for the majority of the season, Wilson has notched a 3.13 ERA in 13 appearances for No. 13 Virginia. After a pair of midweek rainouts, the No. 13 Virginia baseball team heads north this weekend to take on Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Despite falling to Massachusetts on the road Wednesday, Boston College (23-13, 9-7) enters this weekend’s series on a roll, having won three of its past five games.

Much of the team’s strong play of late can be attributed to the bat of junior catcher Tony Sanchez. In the five-game stretch, Sanchez has batted .421 and has scored nine runs. The Miami native leads the Eagles in nearly every offensive category: batting average (.387), runs (45), home runs (12), total bases (100) and slugging percentage (.730). Sanchez, however, is just one key cog in a potent Boston College offensive attack of which Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor is well-aware.

“I tell you, Boston College has a really good ballclub,” O’Connor said. “I’ve been saying it all year — in this league, you can’t take any weekends off. They’re leading the [Atlantic] Division right now — ahead of perennial powers in Clemson and Florida State — with four weekends to go.”

The Eagles also possess solid pitching. Starter JB MacDonald has established himself as one of the team’s leaders; the senior is tied for the team lead in wins with four this season and also leads the team’s starting pitchers with a 2.70 ERA.

“They’ve got a good veteran team, they’ve got good pitching and a good lineup, and we’re going to have to play as good baseball as we did at Georgia Tech to have a chance to win,” O’Connor said.

MacDonald, though, has struggled to find the strike zone at times this spring. MacDonald leads the Eagles with 20 walks and four hit batsmen this season and is tied for second with three wild pitches.

If the young Cavaliers (28-7-1, 9-6-1) wish to exploit Boston College’s pitchers, the team must show patience at the plate during the three-game series. Should the Eagles’ starters continue to throw erratically, their pitch counts will be raised, forcing them out of games early and allowing Virginia to take advantage of an Eagle bullpen that has struggled thus far.

Patience, however, might prove to be a difficult virtue for Virginia, as the Cavaliers yearn to get back on the field following rainouts of two scheduled mid-week contests. Although the players are anxious to play again, sophomore Dan Grovatt said he believes the little break was a needed respite from the grind and struggle of ACC play.

It was “kind of nice with the back-to-back flying trips that we have — Boston College coming up and still recuperating from [Georgia] Tech,” Grovatt said.

Continuing his strong offensive season, Grovatt hit .500 while driving in six runs in the series against the Yellow Jackets and will be a key factor in Virginia’s offense against the Eagles.

If the Cavaliers wish to return Sunday to Charlottesville victorious, they will need solid performances from their starting pitching. Starting this weekend for Virginia are freshman Danny Hultzen, senior Andrew Carraway and sophomore Robert Morey. Morey’s ERA of 3.63 on the season is the highest of the group. Meanwhile both Hultzen and Carraway have compiled sub-3.00 ERAs.

With a crucial ACC series approaching and with eyes beginning to turn toward Durham and the ACC championships, Grovatt said he believes the team should be pleased with where it stands as it heads into the last month of its regular season.

“We’ve been in every game that we’ve played,” Grovatt said. “We’ve had opportunities to win every single game, and that’s all you can ask for.”

 

Women’s Tennis Tops BC 4-1 in ACC First Round
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/16/2009

CARY, N.C. – The No. 27 Virginia women’s tennis team opened play at the 2009 ACC Tennis Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Boston College Thursday at the Cary Tennis Park. The Cavaliers improve to 13-8 overall with the win and will meet third-ranked Duke in the quarterfinals Friday.

“This is the type of start you are looking for in a tournament like this,” said Virginia head coach Mark Guilbeau. “Give Boston College a lot of credit, as both teams played at a much higher level than when we played in the regular season. That is particularly impressive for teams that haven’t had a chance to play a lot outdoors. Our team had great focus today and it took our best to get the job done.”

Virginia took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point. Emily Fraser (Rye, N.Y.) and Jennifer Stevens (Miami, Fla.) got the Cavaliers started with an 8-2 win at No. 1 over Lauren Cash and Dasha Cherkasov. Amanda Rales (Bethesda, Md.) and Maggie Yahner (Las Vegas, Nev.) clinched the opening point with an 8-3 win over Alina Sullivan and Katarina Gajic at No. 2 doubles.

In singles, the Cavaliers extended their lead to 2-0 as Stevens scored a 6-1, 6-3 win over Cash at the No. 2 position. Seconds later, the score became 3-0 when Rales completed a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 3 over Gajic. After the Eagles got on the board with Brittany Delaney’s win over Neela Vaez (Perrysburg, Ohio) at No. 6, Yahner clinched the match with her 6-1, 7-5 win over Katharine Attwell at No. 5. Fraser and Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) were both leading in their singles matches when they were abandoned.

“I want to give a lot of credit to the top half of our lineup,” said Guilbeau. “That was the best I have seen Jenny and Amanda play all season. Emily had a tough match at No. 1, but was battling and I know would have pulled it out. At the bottom, I was so happy that Maggie was the one who clinched it. She deserved that opportunity. I was also proud of Lindsey for fighting off a tough start and turning her match around.”

The Cavaliers will play Duke in the quarterfinals on Friday. That match is slated for noon at the Cary Tennis Park.

“Duke will be a tough matchup for us,” said Guilbeau. “Any time you are in the ACC quarterfinals, you are going to play a quality opponent. When we played them in the regular season, the match was a lot closer than the 7-0 final score. We had some opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on. We just need to take it one match at a time and see what happens.”

No. 27 Virginia 4, Boston College 1

Doubles
1. #44 Fraser/Stevens (UVa) def. Cash/Cherkasov (BC) 8-2
2. Rales/Yahner (UVa) def. Sullivan/Gajic (BC) 8-3
3. Hardenbergh/Vaez (UVa) vs. Attwell/Krasnopolsky (BC) 4-4 DNF

Singles
1. #87 Emily Fraser (UVa) led Lana Krasnopolsky (BC) 7-6(3), 2-2 DNF
2. #97 Jennifer Stevens (UVa) def. Lauren Cash (BC) 6-1, 6-3
3. Amanda Rales (UVa) def. Katarina Gajic (BC) 6-0, 6-4
4. Lindsey Hardenbergh (UVa) led Alina Sullivan (BC) 2-6, 6-0, 2-0 DNF
5. Maggie Yahner (UVa) def. Katharine Attwell (BC) 6-1, 7-5
6. Brittany Delaney (BC) def. Neela Vaez (UVa) 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish:
Doubles: 1,2
Singles: 2,3,6,5