It was over almost as quickly as it began.
Needing to win by five goals to clinch the 2000 Virginia Soccer Classic tournament, the No. 10 Cavalier men's soccer team built on an early goal by sophomore midfielder Kenny Arena to down the Jacksonville Dolphins 7-1 and win the tournament yesterday at Klöckner Stadium.
"We felt that we could win by a couple of goals, to be honest with you" Cav coach George Gelnovatch said. "I didn't think we could win by six goals. [Winning the tournament] is a nice little bonus."
Friday night, the Cavaliers (2-0) opened the regular season by squeaking out a 3-2 victory against the South Florida Bulls. Leading 3-1 at the half, the Cavs rested on their laurels, allowing the Bulls to pull within one.
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"I think that Friday night we really didn't click how we wanted to although we were scoring goals," sophomore midfielder Kyle Martino said. "Shifts just didn't feel good and we weren't flowing."
Yesterday, the Cavs were once again leading at halftime, but Gelnovatch said he was not too concerned this time around.
"After we got that early goal, there was a stretch of 10 minutes where it was still pretty lethargic, pretty slow," Gelnovatch said. "You're so unaccustomed to that, to a team being so slow, to a team being so dropped off, that you become slow. There's less urgency playing the ball sideways and backwards all the time. When we got the second and third goal, I thought things would open up a little bit."
In the second minute, Arena headed home a cross from senior forward Ryan Trout to give Virginia an early 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of Arena's collegiate career, but he downplayed the significance of his accomplishment, choosing instead to celebrate the job done yesterday by his father, Bruce Arena, who coached the U.S. national team to a 1-0 win against Guatemala.
"I was probably more happy for my dad," Arena said. "I know with our team, me scoring a goal is not going to make a huge difference. That's not really my job. We got [my goal] so early that if we just kept playing we'd get more."
By the half, freshman forward Alecko Eskandarian had already notched two goals and an assist after coming off the bench in the 27th minute.
"Whenever we put him in, something good happens," Gelnovatch said.
Although Martino's stat line of one goal and two assists this weekend may not have been the most impressive, his direction of a Cav attack that scored 10 goals in two games was enough to make him the tournament MVP. Eskandarian, Trout and Virginia senior defender Chad Prince joined Martino on the All-Tournament team.
"Kyle is one of the more skillful players that has come through Virginia, which is saying a lot," Gelnovatch said. "He provides us an element of skill and an ability to run at defenses that not too many players have."
Martino deferred most of the credit for his accomplishment to his teammates.
"I think the main reason that I got the MVP trophy was the players around me," Martino said. "I think the forwards made me look good because they were making it so easy to find the lanes and they were finishing off my chances. They did everything I hoped they would do, and I helped them out too. I think they should get as much recognition as I did"
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