White: College Cup Awaits 'Hoos
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/04/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The students who help make Klöckner Stadium so raucous during men's soccer games -- you may know them as the Wahooligans -- surged forward at one end when the final second ticked off the clock Friday night.
UVa players joined the supporters' celebration. The party was on.
The 'Hoos are headed to the College Cup.
In a dominating performance, second-seeded Virginia eliminated defending national champion Maryland from the NCAA tournament. With Bruce Arena looking on in approval from the press box, the Cavaliers whipped the Terrapins 3-0 before a jubilant crowd of 4,900.
"It's a quarterfinal, it's the right to go to the College Cup," George Gelnovatch said. "I don't know how many fans were there, but the place was unbelievable, this atmosphere. And it was against our most heated rival.
"You couldn't put a better recipe together for us to come out with a win like this, for the players, the program, the school, everything about it."
This is Gelnovatch's 14th season as head coach at his alma mater, where he succeeded the legendary Arena, who guided UVa to five NCAA titles. The Cavaliers are making their third trip to the final four under Gelnovatch and second in four seasons.
In 2006, UVa lost 4-0 to UCLA in the semifinals. First-year players on that Virginia team included Neil Barlow, who had a goal and an assist Friday night.
"It feels awesome," Barlow said. "I still have a sour taste in my mouth from that semifinal against UCLA my freshman year. I remember walking off that field just feeling terrible. I'd love to see UCLA again and maybe get revenge on them."
Wake Forest hosts UCLA on Saturday night. UVa (17-3-3) will meet the winner in a Dec. 11 semifinal at Cary, N.C.
As the No. 2 seed, Virginia was awarded a first-round bye in the NCAAs. Three games at Klöckner followed -- against Bucknell, Portland and Maryland, respectively -- and the Cavaliers swept them by a combined score of 9-0.
The shutout Friday night surprised no one. The Cavaliers haven't allowed a goal since Oct. 17, when they beat Virginia Tech 3-1 in Blacksburg, and their string of shutouts has reached 13 games.
"We peaked at the right moment," goalkeeper Diego Restrepo said.
The Streak, Gelnovatch said, is the result of a superior keeper and a stellar defense, "but it's also our team mentality. Guys are blocking shots, guys are throwing their bodies in front of plays, guys are heading balls out, guys are getting behind the ball."
Restrepo, a redshirt junior, has not allowed a goal in 1,107 minutes and 34 seconds.
"It's been a remarkable feat," Maryland coach Sasha Cirovski said.
The Terrapins (15-6-2) had several opportunities to end Restrepo's streak. The most dramatic came in the 66th minute, when he dived to his right to save a penalty kick by Jason Herrick.
In an exhibition game last year, when Restrepo played for the University of South Florida, Herrick had gone the same way -- and scored -- against him on a penalty kick. Restrepo's save Friday night came with UVa leading 2-0.
"It was a crucial time," he said. "It's a completely different game if it's 2-1 with 25 minutes left."
Barlow was credited with the Cavaliers' first goal, but his shot, from 20 yards out, actually deflected off a Maryland defender and got past goalkeeper Zac MacMath in the sixth minute.
"It gave us some confidence," Gelnovatch said. "But to be honest with you, we scored that goal in the first five minutes, and the next 20 minutes or so we had a hard time kind of getting a hold of the ball and getting out.
"We had to make some adjustments. But the second half we made a couple of adjustments, and then it was lights out. Then we had control of the game."
In the 59th minute, Barlow, from the left corner, set up freshman forward Will Bates, who headed in his team-leading 12th goal.
"Bates is great in the air," Barlow said. "You put the ball near him, he'll go up and get it, and he'll finish it. So I just knew that if I put a decent ball in there, Bates would go and get it."
With 12:38 left, Bates departed to a warm ovation from the crowd. About 30 seconds later, his replacement, Jordan Evans, one-timed a through ball from Tony Tchani, and the Wahoos' College Cup dream became reality.
"Obviously, as the leader of the program, it's pretty satisfying," Gelnovatch said. He's especially proud that some of his seniors are headed to the final four for the second time.
"That's fantastic," Gelnovatch said.
 

Cavaliers cruise to College Cup
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Published: December 5, 2009
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A sense of magic, whether real or perceived, is a mandatory ingredient for any team hoping to make a deep postseason run.

Midway though the second half of last night's Virginia-Maryland NCAA men's soccer quarterfinal, U.Va. got a large dose.

Cavaliers goalie Diego Restrepo, who hadn't allowed a goal in more than 10 games, made a diving stop of a penalty shot by Maryland's Jason Herrick to preserve a two-goal, second-half lead.

"When you miss a penalty kick in the playoffs, usually good things don't happen to you," Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski lamented afterward.

Virginia, behind goals from Neil Barlow, Will Bates (Thomas Dale) and Jordan Evans -- and continued stellar play in the nets from Restrepo -- defeated Maryland 3-0 in front of a rambunctious crowd of 4,900 at Klockner Stadium.

With the victory, Virginia (17-3-3) advanced to its first College Cup since 2006 (U.Va. lost to UCLA in the semifinals that year). Virginia will play the winner of today's UCLA-Wake Forest game in the semifinals next Friday in Cary, N.C.

"It's great," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said about getting back to the College Cup. "Obviously, as leader of the program, it's a pretty satisfying feeling."

In the first half, it looked as if there were going to be major offensive fireworks by both teams.

Just five minutes in, Virginia got on the board when Jeremy Barlow was credited with a goal after he sent a crossing pass toward the Maryland goal that a Terrapins' defender accidentally knocked in.

"Coach was telling us before the game that since it was slick, maybe drop the ball in and maybe take a chance from 30 yards out because the ball's going to skip," Barlow said. "I just saw the cross open and just drove the ball in there, and luckily it skipped off one of the Maryland players and went in."

After the goal, Maryland (15-6-2) seemed to wake up. The Terrapins, suddenly the aggressor, had several excellent opportunities to tie things. Their best chances came within a 30-second span in the 11th minute when forward Casey Townsend was robbed by Restrepo, then, from well inside the box, fired a shot wide right.

After a lull by both sides, the action picked up in the final 10 minutes of the half. In the 26th minute, Barlow had a good chance on a header. In the 35th minute, Ari Dimas played a ball to Tony Tchani, but his shot was stopped by Maryland goalie Zac MacMath.

In the 59th minute, Bates gave Virginia a comfortable two-goal lead when he headed in a cross from Barlow that had been first deflected by a Maryland defender in front of the net.

With about 25 minutes to play in the game, Restrepo, for all intents and purposes, booked Virginia's reservations in Cary when he stopped the PK by Herrick.

Restrepo said that Herrick had scored on a penalty kick against him earlier this season. This time around, he had an idea of what Herrick might do.

"It was a crucial time because if they scored there was still something like 20-something minutes left, and it would be a completely different game," Restrepo said.

"I just went the right way and got it."

Two Pool Records Fall on Second Day of UVa Invitational
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/04/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Junior Claire Crippen broke her own pool record in the 400 IM and the women's 800 free relay team smashed a five-year old pool record as the second day of the UVa Invitational continued Friday from the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
To cap the second day, Cavaliers Lauren Perdue, Jen Narum, Jenna Harris and Kristen Moores teamed up to win the 800 free relay in 7:12.80, an NCAA 'B' time that broke rival North Carolina's mark of 7:13.33, set in 2004.
"That was a great last relay," Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. "They were really excited to try and go after the pool record. It was a superb swim by Kristen Moores on the end and Lauren Perdue on the front. Jenna Harris really hung tough and put Kristen in a position to make a run at the record."
The two-time ACC champion in the 400 IM, Crippen led a group of Cavaliers in the event, finishing in 4:11.20. That mark broke her own time of 4:11.91 set at the 2008 UVa Invitational. Classmate Liz Shaw placed second (4:16.72) while Katya Bachrouche was third (4:19.43); all three times were NCAA 'B' cuts.
"I was really happy with the swim," Crippen said. "I was even more excited about how everyone else swam in our heat. I got really excited during the breaststroke because that is the point of the race where you can hear everyone cheering."
The top four finishers for the Cavalier women in the 200 free all had 'B' cuts. Perdue led the field with a mark of 1:46.56, followed by Harris (1:48.20), Narum (1:48.67) and Moores (1:49.10).
Lauren Smart won the 100 fly in 53.92 and Christensen took first-place honors in the 100 back (53.09). Both were NCAA 'B' cuts.
The women's 200 medley relay team of Christensen, Katherine McDonnell, Smart and Perdue also claimed an NCAA 'B' standard with a first-place finish in 1:40.36.
"The women continue to swim at an exceptionally high level," Bernardino said.
Junior Scot Robison led the Cavalier men to a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 fly, clocking an NCAA 'B' mark of 48.61. Dan McMahon (49.80) and Peter Geissinger (50.12) placed second and third, respectively.
Matt McLean posted a winning NCAA 'B' time of 1:36.62 to take top honors in the 200 free. Taylor Smith was second (1:40.31) and Tommy Inwood was third (1:40.99).
Rookie Tom Casey won the 100 breast in 56.40, while teammates Simon Norstedt (56.74) finished second and John Azar (56.88) placed third.
"We all swam well and I think that really shows where our training is," Casey said. "We were all focused on having good swims tonight."
Dan McMahon also took first-place honors in the 100 back with a mark of 49.73.
The 800 free relay team of Robison, Smith, John Snawerdt and Thibaud Pierre placed first with an NCAA 'B' time of 6:40.35.
Virginia's men were also victorious in the 200 medley relay. Eric Olesen, John Azar, Peter Geissinger and Scot Robison finished in a winning time of 1:31.65.
The Virginia women lead with 1013 points after day two, followed by Kansas (548), West Chester (348), Washington and Lee (166) and American (154). The Virginia men, with 1037 points, are in front of West Chester (474), Washington and Lee (409) and American (175).
The third and final day of the UVa Invitational continues Saturday with the 1650 freestyle, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 400 free relay. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. and finals begin at 5 p.m. from the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
 

Calhoun says he hasn't had contact with Virginia
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December 04, 2009 7:10 PM
JAKE SCHALLER
THE GAZETTE

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said Friday that he has not had any contact with Virginia about the school’s vacant coaching position.

Virginia fired Al Groh on Sunday, and Calhoun has been mentioned by multiple news outlets as a candidate for the job. But he said speculation is just that.

“The only thing I’m thinking about is here,” Calhoun said. “That’s when we recruit, that’s in all of our game prep, that’s in raising our kids. Everything we do. That’s the only thing we’ve even given consideration to, and that’s the only way we’re going to operate.”

Asked if that meant he’d be back at the academy next year, Calhoun said, “I hope so. Absolutely we hope so.”

Air Force gave Calhoun a five-year contract after last season with a base salary of $725,000 annually. The contract represented a significant raise and made him the highest-paid athletic department employee in academy history. It includes a benefits package worth about $110,000 annually and is structured as a “rolling” deal, meaning it will be reviewed annually and another year will be added automatically each Dec. 31.

If Calhoun leaves before the end of his contract, he or the team for which he leaves would have to pay 25 percent of his remaining total base salary.

Back to work

Friday’s practice was the Falcons’ first since it lost its season finale Nov. 21 at BYU.

Calhoun said his players were “very rusty.”

“And yet it’s good to work, just to practice and to go after it,” Calhoun said. “For two weeks we haven’t done football stuff. Our guys got a good break, which I think they needed, to be able to go home for Thanksgiving. Looks like some of them ate really, really well. And we’ve got to get part of that off.”

Sophomore quarterback Tim Jefferson, who left the game against BYU early in the second quarter with bruised ribs, practiced on Friday and said his ribs are “feeling good.”

“The time at home gave me a chance to get rested up,” he said.

Jefferson made throws down the field, ran the option and didn’t appear at all hindered.

“I feel fine,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of time off before the (bowl) game, so I should be 100 percent healthy.”

Dietz, who broke his right hand in the Oct. 24 game at Utah, practiced – albeit with a cast. Dietz lined up some at tailback, but Calhoun said “that’s a very short-term position for him,” and that he was lined up there to get some work while his hand is in the cast.

“Get him out here, get him involved and maybe see if he could do a little something at that spot,” Calhoun said. “But he’s a quarterback all the way.”

Calhoun said Dietz needs to regain strength and coordination in the hand.

“We may have a little bit better idea in 10 days, seeing where he is with his hand if he can play quarterback in the bowl game,” Calhoun said.
 

Trust your judgment
That’s the lesson in Tech’s recruiting of Danny Coale
By Doug Doughty
Doug Doughty

Al Groh had it right when he said that Virginia’s one-time involvement with Virginia Tech wide receiver Danny Coale made for an “interesting story.”

Somehow, I felt there might be two parts to that story.

“We were familiar with Danny,” Groh said Saturday after Virginia’s 42-13 loss to Virginia Tech on an afternoon when Coale had six receptions for 135 yards. “It’s an interesting story. I guess it’s one of those things where events play into things.

“We were planning on Danny coming to our camp and working out for us one day and, the day Danny was supposed to be here, it rained. So, we couldn’t go outside and do anything. At that time, camp was over. Before we could get him back here the next time, he had committed [to Tech].”

Groh was right about one thing: the rain.

Hundreds of prospects come through a school with a Division I-A football program during a year’s time, between camps and one-day camps and visits official and unofficial, so it might be unfair to expect Groh to remember all the details.

Jimmy Coale, longtime strength and conditioning coach at VMI, is the father of Danny Coale and has two other sons, including ex-UVa lacrosse player Kevin Coale. Here’s how he remembers the story:

Coale said that Danny was at Virginia twice during the summer of 2006, prior to his July commitment to Virginia Tech.

“He went down there from Episcopal High School [in Alexandria] to a 7-on-7 camp,” Jimmy Coale said. “There were a lot of schools and [the Cavaliers] actually got to watch Danny quite a bit at that camp."

Assistant Anthony Poindexter was the lead recruiter for Coale.

“He was watching Danny’s team and Danny felt pretty good after that camp. He got invited back to another camp and it was a rainy day. But, to say it was raining and they didn’t go outside, that’s not correct. They did go outside. They went on the turf field," Jimmy Coale continued.

“Danny timed, did the shuttle, did the 40, did some other things. I don’t remember if they actually did some one-on-one competition. I do remember that he had an opportunity to time and they got numbers on him.

“I didn’t come out of there with the feeling that they were unable to complete whatever evaluation they were looking at for Danny. Coach Poindexter told Danny, and I think I got this straight, that they thought he was the top performer at the 7-on-7 thing.

“I don’t remember if that was the exact wording, but it was pretty close. I do remember thinking, ‘They must have been pretty impressed with Danny,’ because, for them to say that, they must have gotten a pretty good look at him.”

“The day he came back and timed, I don’t know what Danny’s times were, but all the camps he went to, he timed pretty well relative to everybody he ran against. They kept telling him, 'We’re really close, we’re really close,’ and this went on for several weeks.”

Jimmy Coale isn’t knocking Virginia. At the time, Danny had been to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt and not gotten a Division I-A offer.

“They were like, ‘We really like him, but we need more time, we need more time,’ " he said. “Then he goes to Tech. At this time, I’m wondering, ‘Maybe he needs to be in a lower division.’ I didn’t know. So we went to Tech for the one-day thing and coach [Bud Foster] was recruiting him and I told him, ‘We’ll come, but I just want to know at the end of the day what you think, whether Danny can play at this level or he can’t, or whether you’re interested or you’re not.’

“I said, ‘If you can give us an honest evaluation, that’s all I want and that’s all Danny wants at the end of the day.’ Danny went down and basically did what he had at every other camp and that was it. They offered him at the end of the day.“

Coale took a couple of days to think about it and then committed to the Hokies. In the interim, Coale had received a text message from Poindexter, who indicated that the Cavaliers were at the point of making an offer.

“It was just kind of coincidental how it all worked out,” Jimmy Coale said. “Danny’s not looking to throw stones. I’m not looking to throw stones. He grew up as more of a UVa fan and had more of an interest there; I think a lot of that was his brother being there.”

It was a credit to the Hokies that they trusted their judgment and made an offer to Coale when no other Division I-A program had an offer on the table. That’s been characteristic of Tech’s program and speaks to the continuity on head coach Frank Beamer’s staff. The Hokies know what they want and they know how to spot it.

“When Danny got back from Virginia Tech, he and coach Poindexter were constantly texting,” Jimmy Coale said. “When Danny did commit to Tech, [Poindexter] texted him back and said, ‘If only you had waited a few days. All we needed was a couple more days.’

“The other thing in the whole process was, Virginia always wanted to know, ‘Who else is recruiting you? Do you have any other offers?’ Tech wasn’t worried about who else was recruiting him. In Tech’s eyes, either he could play or he couldn’t. “