A Day to Remember
Nov. 14, 2009
9:10 p.m.

TAMPA, Fla. -- On the bus ride to the Charlottesville airport, we got word that Michele Madison's field hockey team had beaten Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

After landing in the Sunshine State, we learned that the UVa men had received an at-large invitation to the NCAA cross country championships.

It was that kind of day for UVa athletics, which enjoyed a remarkable Sunday. In a span of about five hours, all of this went down:

* The men's soccer team beat N.C. State 1-0 in the ACC title game at Cary, N.C. The shutout was the eighth straight for the Wahoos, who won the conference championship for the fourth time under George Gelnovatch.

* The women's soccer team staged one of the most incredible displays of offensive firepower in NCAA tournament history. Steve Swanson's club, down 2-0 to host Penn State at the break, scored six goals in a 20-minute span of the second half to win 6-2 and advance to the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive season.

* The field hockey team, playing at University Hall Turf Field, beat Michigan State 3-2 in overtime to advance to the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 1998.

* The women's basketball team got yet another brilliant performance from all-ACC guard Monica Wright, who scored 31 points in an 86-68 rout of Manhattan at John Paul Jones Arena.

* The wrestling team went 3-0 in dual meets at the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C. The 17th-ranked Cavaliers closed the day with a 20-19 victory over No. 16 American. That was UVa's first-ever win over a ranked opponent.

And finally:

* The men's cross country team learned that it will compete at the NCAA championships for the fifth consecutive year. The 'Hoos finished 14th in 2008. (The UVa women's team earned an automatic bid to the NCAAs by finishing second Saturday at the Southeast Regional.)

Not a bad day for a school bidding for a second straight top-10 finish in the Directors' Cup competition.

-- Jeff White

Cavs’ Bennett sees much work to be done
By Michael Phillips
Published: November 16, 2009
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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It's not uncommon for fans to offer free advice to coaches from the seats behind the bench. What was unusual Friday was who was offering it.

U.Va. coach Tony Bennett's father, legendary coach Dick Bennett, was in town for the team's home opener. After the game, the younger Bennett was asked what his dad thought of the sluggish defensive showing.

"I'm not going home," he joked. "I'm staying in the locker room tonight. No, I don't think he'll be real proud of that defensive performance. But that's OK, he's just an old retired coach. We don't have to listen to him, right?"

Tonight in Tampa, against South Florida, Bennett will put the jokes aside and try to coax a more consistent performance out of a unit that let Longwood hang around a little too long in an 85-72 opening-night victory.

Turnovers made it difficult on the defense at times -- the Cavs produced more turnovers (16) than assists (14). Bennett told guard Sammy Zeglinski that he was occasionally moving the offense too fast. Zeglinski had a team-high five turnovers. The coach added that he wants the upperclassmen to set an intelligent pace.

"You really try to preach to those guys that you have to be assertive and aggressive in this game, but you can't get wild and reckless," he said. "I felt like we kind of flowed in and out of that sweet spot where you need to be to be a competitive team."

The coach asked his players after the Longwood game if they thought their second-half effort was good enough, and all said no. In addition to being the right thing to say, it was also correct -- the Cavs had the opportunity to end the game coming out of the locker room at the half.

Sustaining a complete-game effort is also hard with Jamil Tucker and Assane Sene out of the lineup.

"It'll be a totally different team," guard Mustapha Farrakhan said. "Those guys definitely bring a lot of energy. We need them back and we're looking forward to having them back."

Bennett went with four guards against Longwood, where height wasn't at a premium, but South Florida's starting forwards are 6-10 and 6-11.

It will be the first of many tests for U.Va. this season as the Cavs see if their defense can allow them to run with the Bulls.
 

South Florida vs. Virginia preview
By Staff Reports
Published: November 16, 2009
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Virginia at South Florida
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla. (10,411)
Records: South Florida 1-0, Virginia 1-0
TV: MASN (Comcast 43). Radio: WRVA (1140); WINA (1070).
Projected starting lineups:
U.Va. Ht. Ppg. Rpg. Apg. Pos. USF Ht. Ppg. Rpg. Apg.
Landesberg 6-6 23 6 4 G Howard 6-3 14 4 7
Farrakhan 6-4 17 5 4 G Jones 6-4 13 6 6
Zeglinski 6-0 14 6 4 G Mercer 6-5 8 3 0
Jones 6-4 10 1 1 G/F Famous 6-11 9 2 0
Scott 6-8 12 13 0 F/C Gilchrist 6-10 23 9 0
Notable: The Cavs will be playing without center Assane Sene, who has been suspended for the first three games, and forward Jamil Tucker, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence to focus on personal matters. Guard Calvin Baker will likely sit out as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery. Forward Mike Scott will play, though he will rotate with Jerome Meyinsse because of a foot injury. The only other meeting between these schools came last year when Virginia won 77-75 in Charlottesville. Sylven Landesberg scored 21 points in that game. Virginia has lost its past 10 games in the state of Florida, dating to 2001.

Cavaliers hoping for complete game
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 16, 2009
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TAMPA — Today’s forecast for the Tampa/St. Petersburg area is sunny, with temperatures reaching the low 80s, and a light breeze coming out of the northeast at 6 miles per hour.
Sound good?
Not for the Virginia men’s basketball team.
During the last four seasons, for whatever reasons, there’s just been something about nice weather that hasn’t agreed with the Wahoos.
During the Dave Leitao era, Virginia went 1-9 in games played in Florida, California and Puerto Rico. The lone victory was a squeaker over Division III Puerto Rico-Mayaguez at the San Juan Invitational in 2006.
Tonight, the Cavaliers, with first-year coach Tony Bennett, hope to put the trend behind them when they play at the University of South Florida. UVa has a 10-game losing streak in the Sunshine State. The Cavaliers’ last win came in the 2000-01 season under former coach Pete Gillen.
If Virginia can play like it did in the first half of its season opener against Longwood on Friday night, you’d have to like its chances of getting off the schneid. UVa shot 59 percent from the field and held the Lancers to 40-percent shooting in building a 22-point lead at the half.
The second half, however, was a different story. Virginia allowed Longwood to shoot 54 percent. Luckily, the Cavs shot 62 percent themselves.
Bennett said the opening game was somewhat of a microcosm of what he’s witnessed behind closed doors.
“We’re good in stretches and then we lose it,” he said. “Whether it’s the focus or the concentration, I think we have to keep fighting that tendency. If there’s a bad stretch, or shots aren’t going down or whatever the case — [they] have to really come together.
“I saw some long looks in their faces [against Longwood]. We’ve just got to keep coming together and get them believing that, ‘We’ve got to get stops.’ We’ve got to have our defense hold us in there. We’re not there yet.”
South Florida, meanwhile, is coming off a season-opening win on Friday night at SMU. The Bulls, behind Augustus Gilchrist’s career-high 23 points and nine rebounds, won by six.
USF, which finished 14th in the 16-school Big East last season, will be an entirely different kind of challenge for Virginia than Longwood. The Bulls have legitimate size, including the 6-foot-10 Gilchrist.
Against undersized Longwood, Bennett went with a four-guard allignment to start the game. That will likely change tonight. Bennett could insert big man Jerome Meyinsse for guard Jeff Jones or Mustapha Farrakhan.
After Friday’s win, Virginia players seemed aware that their level of competition was about to increase.
“They’re definitely a better team — a good team,” said guard Sylven Landesberg, who had the game-winning layup against USF last season. “They’re in the Big East and have big players.”
“It’s definitely going to be a test to see where we’re at,” added guard Sammy Zeglinski.
Zeglinski remembered last year’s victory over USF at John Paul Jones Arena.
“They’re physical,” he said. “It was a physical game, and they have some good guards. We’re going to have to strap up and play some defense.”
When asked after the Longwood win what his team needed to work on moving forward, Bennett had a succinct answer.
“Everything,” he said. “We have to being sounder, develop a tougher mindset, sustain more on the defensive end and the offensive end…
“If they could only go hard for 20 minutes, well then we’ve got to get up to 25 and 30 by the time we get into conference play.”
Landesberg summed things up. “We were all happy that we got a win, but it wasn’t a great win,” he said. “We got a little lazy in the second half.”
Clearly, that can’t happen again if Virginia wants to stop its slide in the Sunshine State.
Dunks
Virginia was 1-1 against Big East teams last year, defeating USF and losing to Syracuse. UVa is 54-57 all-time against the Big East. ... UVa shot 60 percent from the field against Longwood. The last time the Cavs had shot 60 percent or better came against Long Island in 2000. ... Sammy Zeglinski had a career-high six rebounds against Longwood.

Step one
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Sports
November 16, 2009 0

There’s only so much you can take away from Friday’s season opener against Longwood, but game one of the Tony Bennett era certainly presented some of the new coach’s principles that will be put to the test against better competition in the near future.

I’ve heard concerns that Bennett’s defense-first approach will translate into dull, low-scoring games, with the offense primarily operating in half-court sets. Though I think it’s safe to say Virginia will not put up 85 points on a consistent basis this season, the Cavaliers demonstrated their ability to play a fast-paced game Friday. Though the offense seemed stagnant early in the first half, scoring only 29 points in the first 16 minutes, it got rolling late with eight straight buckets starting with sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski’s layup with 4:08 remaining. Behind plenty of fast breaks and sharp shooting, Virginia quickly seized a 47-25 lead.

Bennett’s “offense is not really slow-down like everybody’s saying,” sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg said. “He gives us a lot of freedom on the offensive end — just he’s real strict on the defensive end.”

Bennett’s emphasis on the interchangeability of the guards in his system was evident against Longwood, with Zeglinski, Landesberg, junior Mustapha Farrakhan and freshman Jontel Evans all assuming ball-handling duties at one point or another. The guard-heavy lineup allowed Virginia to push the ball and find the open man, resulting in a balanced offensive attack with five players scoring in double figures.

Granted, Bennett’s use of a small starting five to match Longwood’s personnel probably accounted for much of the up-tempo style of play.

“Some of those looks we might not get as the season progresses,” Bennett said. “But you have to take advantage of opportunities and play to your strengths when you can — when a guard gets a rebound, when you try to push and transition.”

It’s a lineup Bennett said in all likelihood will change throughout the season, especially when the 7-foot sophomore center Assane Sene returns to the court from his three-game suspension. Still, I was encouraged by the players who did see action Friday. Landesberg, of course, penetrated the Lancer defense with ease, found his way to the free-throw line and knocked down jumpers. He totaled 23 points, six boards and four assists. No big deal.

It’s no surprise that the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year shined in the season opener. What’s more intriguing was the play of Farrakhan, who scored 17 points in 31 minutes. He took the ball coast-to-coast twice and exhibited much-improved ball-handling skills to add to his already polished jump shot. But after playing only 10.4 minutes per game last season as a sophomore, Farrakhan said he has focused on becoming a better on-the-ball defender to earn more playing time under Bennett. He’s the type of player Bennett said must take on a more significant role for Virginia to be successful.
“We need some guys to break out,” Bennett said. “The upperclassmen, for us to be competitive this year, have to try and give us some leadership and soundness.”

But Virginia’s 60 percent shooting from the field was compromised in the second half by turnover-riddled play — the Achilles heel of last year’s squad. Zeglinski delivered a strong shooting performance, connecting on four of seven three-point attempts, but hurried down the court at times and had four turnovers in the half, contributing to Virginia’s disappointing 14 to 16 assist-to-turnover ratio. Moreover, Virginia stopped feeding junior forward Mike Scott in the post, something the team can’t afford to do against bigger and more athletic teams that will be able to handle the Cavaliers at a full-throttle up-tempo pace.

“I think we got away from getting the ball in the post in the second half — that’s where we struggled a little bit,” Zeglinski said. “So we gotta make a conscious effort of that.”

In the process, Virginia began to exchange baskets with Longwood, which eventually closed a 22-point halftime deficit to 10 in the final 10 minutes of the game. Senior Billy Robinson, Jr. and sophomore Antwan Carter — neither of whom are even 6 feet 8 inches tall — went 14-18 for 31 points, accounting for the majority of the Lancers’ 34 points in the paint. It wasn’t an acceptable defensive performance for a coach who places an emphasis on clogging the lane.

“I told the guys, I asked them in the locker room, ‘What do you think happened in the second half?’” Bennett said. “‘Do you think that was a good enough effort on the defensive end and the offensive end?’ To a man they said, ‘No, it wasn’t.’”

While the return of Sene to the lineup should make it much more difficult for opponents to score points in the paint, Virginia’s inability to contain Longwood’s penetration is cause for concern. It even elicited audible frustration from Bennett’s mentor, his father.

“He was sitting behind the bench, and I heard a couple shouts about something,” Bennett said, adding a little chuckle. “I’m not going home, I’m staying in the locker room tonight. I don’t think he’ll be real proud of that defensive performance, but that’s alright — he’s an old retired coach. We don’t have to listen to him, right?”

Seems like the Bennett family is in this thing for the long haul. I think it’s safe to say most Virginia fans are, too.
 

Playing for pride
By Jay Jenkins
Published: November 16, 2009
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Their appearance required a double take.
Representatives from the Champs Sports Bowl sat in motionless fashion to listen on as Virginia coach Al Groh met with reporters following the Cavaliers’ 14-10 loss to Boston College.
Perhaps the reps were there to try the pre-game chili.
It could have been the Rice Krispy treats served at halftime that warranted a visit.
Better yet, stimulating the economy in the Commonwealth could have been a priority.
Regardless, it was an odd, ill-timed scenario as Virginia dropped to 3-7 overall and into last place in the ACC’s Coastal Division at 2-4.
The Cavaliers are left to play for pride with the third losing season in four years already secured, and a young roster of players will miss another chance to have additional practice sessions leading up to a postseason affair.
How will Virginia, a program expected to be looking for a coach in a matter of weeks,
rally with meaningless games coming at Clemson and at home against rival Virginia Tech?
“It’s going to be extremely difficult to do,” said Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell. “Right now, we just have to play with some pride, and not give in.
“Our hopes for getting bowl-eligible, they’re gone.”
It was not the storybook
finish Sewell wanted after sitting out the hapless 2008 campaign due to a school-issued suspension.
While Virginia played better than it had in recent weeks offensively, the Cavaliers have not managed to gain 300 yards of total offense in a league game this year.
They were close against the Eagles, previously winless in road games, as the Wahoos managed 298 yards. But once again they were kept out of the end zone on offense.
Virginia coach Al Groh still clung to the positives, which included a defensive touchdown on an interception return.
“We made a lot of progress with our team,” the coach said. “I’m proud of the effort the players put into it and the fight they showed.
“We’ve been working for 10 weeks to have a performance like that.”
Yet it comes as Virginia’s losing season secures another month of vacation for its ticket office employees.
“Really, my thoughts [on a losing season] aren’t all that important,” Groh said. “What’s
important is what happened during the course of game.”
The players that long to play in bowl games might disagree.
“We’re going out there for pride right now,” Virginia linebacker Bill Schautz said. “ We will play as hard as we can, finish 5-7 and give the fans something to cheer about.”
 

HooYa! Blog
by HooYa
Virginia and Boston College Football : Inside the Numbers.
by Trent Thurston, November 15th 04:11pm

Virginia 10 and BC 14 : Virginia is now 3-7 on the season!
VA-Jameel Sewell (QB) 21/41 221 Yards, 1 int, long pass 28, sacked 1 time.
BC-Dave Shinskie (QB) 12/26 147 Yards, 2 int, long pass 34, sacked 1 time.
VA-Rashawn Jackson (RB) 15 carries for 76 yards, long run 19, avg. 4.1 yards, 0 td's, 5 catches for 37 Yards, 0 TD's.
BC-Montel Harris (RB) 38 carries for 158 yards, long run 21, avg. 4.0 yards, 0 td's, 0 catches.
VA-Robert Randolph 47 yard miss in 1st quarter, 38 yard made in 3rd quarter.
BC- No field goal attempts.
VA-Leading tackler on defense Steve Greer 10 tackles. Rodney McCloud had 7 tackles.
BC-Leading tackler on defense Luke Kuechly 13 tackles. Roderick Rollins 8 tackles.
Virginia: average starting field position own 27
Boston College: average starting field position own 19
Virginia third down conversions 5-14 Fourth down conversions 0-1
Boston College third down conversions 4-15 Fourth down conversions 2-2

Virginia did not lose this game because of the officiating. No, we stayed in the game much longer than most of us thought we would. We actually had a chance to win the game if Sewell had been able to get a few more inches on that final fourth down play. Virginia lost the game because BC got two first downs on fourth down, and the UVA receivers dropped too many catchable passes. If Robert Randolph had been able to make that 48 yard field goal, then the Sewell carry that was too short would never have happened. This was not a pretty game to watch for the casual football fan, but I was proud of the effort from both sides. Sloppy, yes! But, BC kept their ACC Championship hopes alive.
Virginia plays Clemson on Saturday in Death Valley at 3:30 p.m. Clemson will be favored by at least two touchdowns. Al Groh is getting ready to coach his very last on the road college football game. Go Hoos!



 

No. 17 Wrestling Sweeps Three Bouts at ACC Challenge
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/15/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 17 Virginia wrestling team swept three matches Sunday at the ACC Challenge at Eddie Smith Field House in Chapel Hill, N.C. UVa capped the day with a 20-19 victory over No. 16 American, marking the Cavaliers' first-ever win over a ranked team.
Virginia (5-0) earned a 20-15 win over Bucknell in the opening match of the day, then piled up the points in a 50-0 triumph over Gardner-Webb.
In the opener against Bucknell (1-2), UVa rallied from 13-9 deficit by winning the final three weight classes. With the match hanging in the balance and UVa leading 15-13 going into the final bout, heavyweight Calvin Cardillo (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) scored a 16-1 technical fall over the Bison's Conor Sweeney to propel UVa to a 20-15 win.
UVa then dominated Gardner-Webb (0-4), winning all 10 weight classes in a 50-0 romp. The 50 points is the fifth-highest point total in school history, and the 50-point margin of victory also ranks fifth in school annals. The Cavaliers racked up five falls, while eight matches resulted in bonus points for UVa.
In the finale against American (0-3), the Cavaliers lost the first five classes to drop into a 16-0 hole, then won big at the next four matches to rally. No. 16 Michael Chaires (R-So., Scotia, N.Y.) won by major decision at 165 and No. 3 Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) followed with a pin. Mike Salopek (R-Fr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) won by forfeit at 184 and No. 9 Brent Jones (R-Sr., Burke, Va.) then recorded a major decision at 197. Cardillo lost by decision in the finale as UVa squeaked out a 20-19 win.
At 197 pounds, Jones added to his school pins record, recording his 36th career fall against Gardner-Webb's Travis Porter. Jones posted three wins on the day and now has 85 for his career as he moved into an 11th-place tie with Derek Capanna (1985, 1987-89) on the all-time UVa wins ledger.
Salopek also swept his three matches Sunday to run his season record to 5-0. Henrich suffered his first loss of the year and just his fourth defeat in two seasons, dropping a 10-9 overtime decision to No. 13 Shane Riccio of Bucknell. Henrich rebounded with a vengeance, pinning American's Thomas Barreiro in just 37 seconds - the fastest fall of Henrich's career.
Sunday also marked the return of Ross Gitomer (R-Sr., Flemington, N.J.), who made his first appearance after his 2008-09 season ended prematurely because of a knee injury. Gitomer scored a major decision over Gardner-Webb's Marc Rocha at 125, then moved up to 133 and dropped a 6-1 decision to American's Thomas Williams.
Freshman Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) made his college debut at 174 pounds against Gardner-Webb and responded with a pin of Dave Sweeney in 2:28.
UVa is off from team competition next week, although several Cavaliers will compete unattached in the Wolfpack Open on Nov. 21 in Raleigh, N.C., while Chris Henrich will wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22 in Fullerton, Calif. Henrich is slated to take on No. 7 Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska. The Cavaliers return to team competition Nov. 28 at the Northeast Duals.
No. 17 Virginia 20, Bucknell 13
125: Matt Snyder (UVa) dec. Derrik Russell (BU) 8-2; UVa 3-0
133: No. 13 David Marble (BU) major dec. Matt Cubillos (UVa) 9-1; BU 4-3
141: Derek Valenti (UVa) dec. Zac Hancock (BU) 8-5; UVa 6-4
149: Kevin LeValley (BU) dec. Shawn Harris (UVa) 1-0; BU 7-6
157: Dan Gonsor (UVa) dec. Brantley Hooks (BU) 8-3; UVa 9-7
165: No. 6 Andy Rendos (BU) dec. Michael Chaires (UVa) 10-4; BU 10-9
174: No. 13 Shane Riccio (BU) dec. No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) 10-9 OT; BU 13-9
184: Mike Salopek (UVa) dec. Rob Waltko (BU) 4-2; BU 13-12
197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) dec. Joe McMullan (BU) 9-7; UVa 15-13
HWT: Calvin Cardillo (UVa) tech. fall Conor Sweeney (BU) 16-1; UVaz 20-13
No. 17 Virginia 50, Gardner-Webb 0
125: Ross Gitomer (UVa) major dec. Marc Rocha (GWU) 18-6; UVa 4-0
133: Matt Cubillos (UVa) dec. Brett Kostern (GWU) 10-5; UVa 7-0
141: Derek Valenti (UVa) pins Kurt Wentick (GWU) 2:40; UVa 13-0
149: Kellon Balum (UVa) dec. Ryan Medved (GWU) 8-1; UVa 16-0
157: Pat Riley (UVa) major dec. Alex Medved (GWU) 8-0; UVa 20-0
165: No. 16 Michael Chaires (UVa) pins David Pelsang (GWU) 3:38; UVa 26-0
174: Stephen Doty (UVa) pins Dave Sweeney (GWU) 2:28; UVa 32-0
184: Mike Salopek (UVa) pins Jonathon Velazquez (GWU) 2:38; UVa 38-0
197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) pins Travis Porter (GWU) 6:56; UVa 44-0
HWT: Calvin Cardillo (UVa) wins via forfeit; UVa 50-0
No. 17 Virginia 20, No. 16 American 19
125: Jasen Borshoff (AU) dec. Matt Snyder (UVa) 2-1; AU 3-0
133: Thomas Williams (AU) dec. Ross Gitomer (UVa) 6-1; AU 6-0
141: Jordan Lipp (AU) dec. Derek Valenti (UVa) 6-2; AU 9-0
149: No. 4 Kyle Borshoff (AU) dec. Kellon Balum (UVa) 3-2; AU 12-0
157: Steve Fittery (AU) major dec. Dan Gonsor (UVa) 17-4; AU 16-0
165: No. 16 Michael Chaires (UVa) major dec. Tanner Shaffer (AU) 13-2; AU 16-4
174: No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) pins Thomas Barreiro (AU) 0:37; AU 16-10
184: Mike Salopek (UVa) wins via forfeit; tied 16-16
197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) major dec. Kenneth Clessas (AU) 12-2; UVa 20-16
HWT: Mingo Grant (AU) dec. Calvin Cardillo (UVa) 6-4; UVa 20-19
 

Virginia advances to NCAA semifinals
By Ben Gomez Daily Progress correspondent
Published: November 16, 2009
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The No. 2 seeded Virginia women’s field hockey team defeated Michigan State 3-2 in overtime Sunday afternoon to advance to the NCAA semifinals next weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C.
It will be the Cavaliers (20-3, 3-2 ACC) third appearance in the Final Four in school history and third appearance for Virginia head coach Michele Madison, who coached Michigan State for 13 seasons before coming to Virginia.
With the win, the Cavaliers set the single season wins record for the program with 20.
“It is a big step,” Madison said. “If we didn’t advance it would have felt like a failure. It was a goal we had since the beginning of the season.”
Michigan State and Virginia had already played each other this season with the Cavaliers winning a decisive game 3-0 in Charlottesville. After that, the Spartans reeled off 13 consecutive wins. Their streak was snapped as the Cavaliers scored the game-winner just two minutes into overtime.
The Cavaliers took advantage of having an extra player on the field due to a yellow card that Michigan State was dealt late in regulation. Sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski drove into the middle of the circle and tapped a ball into the cage to end the game for her team-leading 26th goal of the season.
“It was the worst hit ever,” Selenski said. “Michelle (Vittese) did a great job of screening out the goalie and blocking her vision so it was able to go in.”
The Cavaliers began the game in control on offense, putting Michigan State back on its heels. The Cavaliers earned two early corners, but were unsuccessful on both attempts.
Virginia’s first goal came just ten minutes into the game when Vittese found way into the circle evading defenders before passing the ball to the middle where Selenski was waiting to stick the ball into the goal.
For most of the first half the Cavaliers were consistently on the attack, not allowing Michigan State many opportunities. The Spartans, however, got on the board in the 21st minute as Vernij Manouk crossed the ball in front of the goal from the left corner, allowing Chantae Miller to tip the ball in.
Michigan State settled in and the game became fast-paced with both running up and down the field. The Cavaliers answered five minutes later when Traci Ragukas tipped the ball in off a cross from Selenski. Ragukas’ ninth goal of the season gave the Cavaliers a 2-1 halftime lead.
The Spartans came out of halftime with more energy than they had at the beginning of the game. Four minutes into play Jantine Steinmitz was able to knot the score as she hit a long drive at a inside the circle. The goal allowed the Spartans to gain some much-needed momentum. For the rest of the second half the teams were locked in a defensive stalemate with neither giving up any ground. Both teams finished with eight corners apiece, but the Cavaliers outshot the Spartans 22-15.
“It has been great to watch the program grow and be a part of it,” Ragukas said.
The Cavaliers will take on the Tar Heels Friday at 4:30 p.m. Maryland will face Princeton in the opening game at 2 p.m.
 

No. 2 Virginia punches ticket to national semis
Selenski’s overtime goal lifts Cavaliers above Michigan State; program’s turnaround under Madison reaches new heights
Aaron Bernstein, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Field Hockey / Sports
November 16, 2009 0

The Virginia field hockey team climbed to new heights this weekend at Turf Field. After shutting out Richmond 3-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday, the Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA national semifinals for the third time in school history by edging Michigan State 3-2 in overtime yesterday.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my team, how they stuck it out,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said.

The Cavaliers patiently endured a scoreless final 30 minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime with the score tied at two. Michigan State entered the overtime period down one player because of a yellow card given at the end of regulation, and the Cavaliers quickly capitalized. Two minutes into the period, sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski got the ball at the top of the circle and hit a slow roller that crept untouched into the goal for the winning score.

“It was like the worst hit ever,” Selenski said. “But [sophomore midfielder] Michelle [Vittese] did a great job of screening out the goalie and blocking her vision so it was able to go in.”

Though the goal was Virginia’s first in more than 45 minutes, the Cavaliers controlled the game’s early offensive tempo, outshooting the Spartans 14-7 in the first period. They were able to penetrate the circle several times and converted on one of those opportunities 10 minutes into the game, when Vittese fed Selenski the ball at the front of the goal. With 15 minutes to go in the period, Michigan State evened the score, but senior forward Traci Ragukas put the Cavaliers back on top five minutes later, bringing the score to 2-1 after tipping in a pass from Selenski.

The second half, however, saw an entirely different pace and character. Michigan State managed to get off to a quick start, scoring an unassisted goal off a breakaway from the right side of the circle to tie the game.

“In the first half, we played fabulous hockey,” Madison said. “I think we got a little nervous in the second half and changed what we were doing a little bit. It wasn’t working, and the pressure built, and I have to give a lot of credit to Michigan State.”

Tenacious defense from both teams characterized the rest of the period, with few scoring opportunities for either squad. It seemed that the momentum had shifted toward the Spartans.

But the struggle of the second period gave way to a swift and painless overtime for the Cavaliers, as the squad emerged victorious to set a new school record for wins in a season while punching its ticket to the national semifinals.

A big reason for the Cavaliers’ turnaround can be attributed to Madison. Virginia has been gradually improving ever since she took the team’s reins, and the Cavaliers entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed behind only Maryland, to which it lost the ACC title game.

“Once you figure out what to do with [your team’s talent], you just realize how good you are,” Vittese said. “It would have been so upsetting if we didn’t win today. If we didn’t go on, we would have felt like a failure.”

Instead, the Cavaliers will advance to face ACC rival North Carolina in a semifinal match Friday in Winston Salem, N.C. Though the program reached a new peak this weekend, the climb may not be over yet.

Second Half Explosion Sends Cavaliers to Round of 16
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 11/15/2009

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Virginia women’s soccer team had one of the biggest comeback victories in school history, scoring six unanswered goals in a 20 minute span of the second half to post a 6-2 win over No. 9 Penn State in a second round NCAA Tournament game Sunday at Jeffrey Field. The win sends the Cavaliers into the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive season.

“To come in here and get this result, especially how we did it, I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “What a performance in the second half. ”

In the first half, the Cavaliers had the better of play throughout the first 20 minutes, outshooting Penn State 6-1, but the Nittany Lions struck first in the 21st minute against the run of play. Katie Schoepfer found Jess Rosenbluth open on the wing and she fired in her first goal of the season. The goal ended Virginia’s shutout streak at 602:42, the fourth longest streak in school history. Penn State struck again in the 37th minute when Ali Schaefer tapped in Christine Nairn’s corner kick at the back post, to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

“In the first half, we were feeling pretty good about how we were playing,” said Swanson. “Penn State did well and finished their chances. But I thought we were doing well enough with our ball movement and creating chances to feel good about where we were. We talked at halftime that the next goal was the important one and when we got the first one, things really started to change and the momentum shifted in our direction.”

The Cavaliers opened the second half strong, pressuring the Penn State defense before breaking through in the 60th minute of play. Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) collected the ball on the wing, made a move and curled a left-footed shot off the far post and in for her seventh goal of the season. The Cavaliers drew even five minutes later. Kate Norbo's (Roanoke, Va.) throw-in found Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) in the box, who turned a fired in her eighth goal of the season. In the 73rd minute, the Cavaliers took the lead when Kika Toulouse (Arlington, Va.) sent a ball to Caroline Miller (Rockville, Md.), who curled a ball into the far upper corner for her fifth goal of the season. Two minutes after that, Farrelly placed a ball inside the 6-yard box for Erica Hollenberg (Fairfax Station, Va.), who cut a shot inside the far post for her first career goal. Miller tallied her second goal of the game less than two minutes after that and Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.) capped the scoring with her seventh goal of the season in the 80th minute.

“We have all the respect in the world for (Penn State goalkeeper) Alyssa Naeher,” said Swanson. “She is a great keeper and we knew if we were going to get goals past her we needed to be precise. Those were some great shots, I am not sure if anyone could have stopped those. They were hit hard and they were hit in the corners. As well as our offense played, scoring six goals, that shouldn’t overshadow the great work by our defense. They had a great game and made some big plays when we needed it to keep us in a position to come back and win this game.”

The victory was the first for Virginia when trailing by two goals since a 4-3 win over Duke in 2000. The six goals ties the Cavalier record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game and is the most ever given up in a game by the Nittany Lions in their program’s history.

Overall, Virginia outshot Penn State 22-16 in the game and had a 6-5 corner kick advantage. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va,) made four saves for the Cavaliers, while Naeher made four for the Nittany Lions.

Virginia will meet either UCLA or San Diego State in the round of 16 next weekend. Date, time and location to be announced later.

VIRGINIA 6, PENN STATE 2

Virginia (10-5-6) 0 6 - 6
Penn State (13-6-2) 2 0 - 2

Scoring Summary
PSU. Jess Rosenbluth 1 (Katie Schoepfer 9) 21’
PSU. Ali Schaefer 1 (Christine Nairn 10) 37’
UVa. Lauren Alwine 7 (unassisted) 60’
UVa. Sinead Farrelly 8 (Caitlin Miskel 6) 65’
UVa. Caroline Miller 5 (Erica Hollenberg 1) 73’
UVa. Erica Hollenberg 1 (Sinead Farrelly 7) 75’
UVa. Caroline Miller 6 (Lauren Alwine 9) 76’
UVa. Meghan Lenczyk 7 (Sinead Farrelly 8) 80’

Shots: UVa 22, PSU 16
Corners: UVa 6, PSU 5
Saves: UVa 4 (Jones 4), PSU 4 (Naeher 4)
Fouls: UVa 10, PSU 4

Weather: 64 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 876
 

UVa rolls in home opener
By Liz Keller
Published: November 16, 2009
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China Crosby was lost.
Playing in her first home game, Virginia’s prized point guard raced out of the locker room and looked for directions.
They never came for the rookie.
It was the last time, however, that the McDonald’s All-American looked clueless on the court as 14th-ranked Virginia whipped Manhattan 86-68 at John Paul Jones Arena.
“I was kind of a little shaky in the beginning because you run out through the smoke, and I really didn’t know where to go and they didn’t tell me where to go,” Crosby joked. “I was just running out there and didn’t know what to do.”
Crosby was one of five freshmen to play for the Cavaliers (2-0), a group that combined to score 25 points, grab 16 rebounds and block four shots.
The storyline to watch for the season entailing the deep first-year class was overshadowed in the second half.
After making just two shots from the field in the first half, senior guard Monica Wright exploded after intermission for 25 of her game-high 31 points.
“She is capable of that,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “It was a quiet 25.”
The scoring spree from Wright came in perfect fashion — the preseason All-American made all 10 attempts from the field after halftime.
“Did she really?” Ryan asked. “I just remember she went 0-for in the first half [at UMBC on Friday]. She must have been in here shooting.”
Wright, who added five steals and four assists, has been a slow starter this season. She scored all 15 of her points in Friday’s win at UMBC in the second half.
“Offensively, it’s just being able to warm up a little bit. I don’t know,” Wright said. “Defensively, it is kind of the opposite. I don’t know what is going on.”
One key stretch in the game, however, came with Wright on the bench.
With the Cavaliers leading 15-10, Wright was subbed out of the game for the first time with 12:21 left.
When she returned with 7:08 remaining in the opening half Virginia led 24-14.
“That had to happen,” Ryan said. “We have to be able to take her out and either stay even or be able to push the lead.
“That’s good to see that we were able to do that.”
Once Wright returned, Virginia continued to pull away. In fact, the Cavaliers closed the first half on a 30-13 run to take a commanding 40-23 lead.
Manhattan, which went 10-20 last year, managed to trim its deficit to 12, at 61-49, on a free throw by Abby Wentworth, but Virginia answered with another half-ending run.
“I felt like we took a step forward today,” Ryan said, “but I feel like we have a long way to go in terms of figuring it all out.”
Virginia, which emptied its bench as Ryan looked at numerous lineups throughout, got a 13-point, nine-rebound performance rookie center Simone Egwu.
Alyssa Herrington paced the Jaspers with 22 points as she nailed six
3-pointers.
Virginia hosts USC Upstate on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in its final tune-up before hosting No. 8 Tennessee on Sunday.
Layups
With her 31-point effort, Wright passed former guard Tammi Reiss and moved into fifth place in program history in scoring. She has now scored 1,852 points. ... Freshman center Erinn Thompson made her Cavalier debut, scoring two points and blocking two shots in five minutes. ... The Cavaliers starting lineup consisted of Whitny Edwards, Chelsea Shine, Crosby, Egwu and Wright, but changes could be on the horizon. “I don’t know if the starting five is the starting five yet,” Ryan said. “I am not really sure about that.”
 

ACC CHAMPIONS: Virginia Defeats NC State, 1-0
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/15/2009

CARY, N.C. - The sixth-ranked and fifth-seeded Virginia men's soccer team won the ACC Championship Sunday afternoon, defeating 20th-ranked and seventh-seeded NC State, 1-0. Will Bates (Chester, Va.) scored the game-winning goal in the 16th minute, while goalkeeper and ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) posted his eighth-consecutive shutout.

Virginia (14-3-3) was crowned conference champion for the first time since 2004, for the fourth time during head coach George Gelnovatch's tenure and for the 10th overall time.

“This is a tough, tough tournament, this ACC Tournament,” Gelnovatch said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys, the way they carried themselves, the way we started the year, where we came from. Winning an ACC Championship is fantastic.”

Defense was again the storyline of the match, as Virginia has now played 837 minutes of soccer without allowing a goal. The Cavaliers shut out their eighth-straight opponent and 13th overall in 2009.

Restrepo finished with two saves and was named MVP after not allowing a goal in the tournament.

“Everybody just worked hard every day,” Restrepo said. “It’s a great group of people that work hard, and stay focused.”

Bates' game-winning goal was his team-high eighth of the season. Hunter Jumper (Plano, Texas) started the play with a cross across the penalty area from the left side of the field. Midfielder Jordan Evans (Chester, Va.) flicked the cross on with his head, and Bates settled the ball and fired a shot into the back of the net from six yards out.

Jumper, also named to the all-tournament team, was credited with one assist (his third of the year), while Evans also earned an assist.

Bates has scored four game-winning goals in his first season as a Cavalier, and was named to the all-tournament team as well. He adds the accolade to a list that already includes All-ACC second team and ACC All-Freshmen honors.

Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) was also named to the all-tournament team for Virginia. The sophomore had the Cavaliers' game-winning goal in the quarterfinals to lift UVa to a 1-0 victory over fifth-ranked Maryland. Virginia followed up that performance with a 0-0 tie against Wake Forest and advanced 5-4 on penalty kicks in the semifinals.

In their last 11 games, the Cavaliers are unbeaten with an 8-0-3 record.

NC State goalkeeper Christopher Widman finished with four saves. The Cavaliers out-shot the Wolfpack, 15-8, and held a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Virginia earns the ACC's automatic berth to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The field of 48 teams will be announced at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16.

2009 ACC All-Tournament Team
Diego Restrepo, Virginia (MVP)
Tony Tchani, Virginia
Will Bates, Virginia
Hunter Jumper, Virginia
Christopher Widman, NC State
Alan Sanchez, NC State
Ronnie Bouemboue, NC State
Edvin Worley, Boston College
Zack Schilawski, Wake Forest
Andy Lubahn, Wake Forest
Nathan Thornton, Clemson