Beneath bright orange and blue flags advertising past successes of Virginia soccer teams, the 2003 men's squad began filling in the blank banner that will be their legacy Saturday night. The Cavaliers played the University of South Carolina to a scoreless tie in their second and final preseason exhibition. Virginia, a team that lost its top four scorers from last season, also tied its first exhibition, a 1-1 deadlock with Old Dominion.
The Cavaliers relied on defense and a steady, controlled pace in the South Carolina exhibition. Virgina attempted only four shots on goal, but limited the Gamecocks to two.
"We tried to treat this one as a dress rehearsal for a real game," coach George Gelnovatch said. "Our goal was to get the young guys on the field, to get them some minutes and experience."
The field was full of new faces for the Cavaliers, with six freshmen seeing playing time and true freshmen Will Hall, Ryan Best and Adam Cristman starting at midfield, goalkeeper and forward, respectively. Junior Mike Littlefield, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, worked with Cristman as the other half of the starting duo charged with replacing last season's scoring leaders Alecko Eskandarian and Ryan Gibbs up front. Although the pair has big shoes to fill, Littlefield was purely positive when discussing his role at Virginia.
"The bottom line is I'm thrilled to be here," Littlefield said. "This place is phenomenal in the environment and the way we're treated. Not to put down Coastal, but it's like going from being a peasant to being a king."
Gelnovatch was quick to praise Littlefield after the South Carolina game, calling him a "proven goal-scorer," and also had warm words for his many freshman contributors. Yet the players new to the Virginia soccer program will certainly be taking their cues from upperclassmen like senior defender and 2003 team captain Matt Oliver.
"Everyone that's come is acting really mature," Oliver said. "No one is acting like first years. Everyone carries their own weight and you can see that on the field."
Virginia coaches and players were pleased with the level of play exhibited on the field Saturday night, noting that fewer mistakes were made against South Carolina than in the first exhibition against ODU.
"We don't want to be at our peak now," Oliver said. "We want to be there in December."
The Cavaliers will look to begin their upward climb this weekend when they host a talent-packed field of competitors in the Virginia Soccer Classic.
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