Virginia plays Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament semifinal today in SAS Stadium in Cary, N.C. This comes two days after the team hung on through overtime to edge out sixth seeded Clemson 3-1 on penalties Wednesday.
The match is of dual importance for the Cavaliers (8-9-1) as they try to advance to the finals on Sunday and also notch up that all-important win to bring them to .500 for the season. A victory would enhance the Cavaliers' chances of an NCAA tournament berth. The task at hand though is not that simple. They play a Demon Deacon (15-3) squad having one of the best seasons in the program's history and riding high on an 11-game winning streak, a school record. Second-seeded Wake Forest overcame Duke in the quarterfinals, rallying from a goal down to eventually win 3-1, a score line which emphasizes the team's attacking potential and defensive resilience.
"They're a very good team, they're record shows that," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "I have a feeling its going to be a very difficult game."
What may ultimately decide this match up will be how Virginia's defense deals with Wake Forest's rampaging offense led by Jeremiah White, who was recently named the ACC Player of the Year. White is in second place on the all-time Wake Forest goal scorers list and will probably represent the single greatest threat to the Cavaliers' NCAA ambitions. Wake Forest's defense is also ranked third in the country allowing only 0.71 goals per game.
Cavalier goalkeeper Ryan Burke had a huge game on Wednesday, saving two penalty kicks. Burke recived some assitance with the return of senior defender Matt Oliver, who came back from injury against Clemson.
The freshmen core also has a huge role to play in tonight's contest.
"We have a lot of young guys on the team, half my roster is freshmen, and they're starting to turn the corner," Glenovatch said. "We're still missing a goal scorer and I think that's going to come, particularly with Adam Christman and Mike Littlefield."
The team understands the importance of the game and how it could make or break what has been a bumpy season.
"We're 8-9 right now and we have our back against the wall, we're fighting for our lives," freshman forward Ian Holder said. "We're the underdogs, but I like that, I like being able to go out and give it our all. We already see the magnitude of this game."
History may be on the side of the Cavaliers. They were one of only three teams to dent Wake Forest's record when the two teams met at Klockner earlier in the season. Oliver and freshman Adam Christman came up big in that game, both scoring in a match Virginia largely controlled and won 2-1. The Cavaliers defense held the Demon Deacons to only two shots on goal and kept the dangerous forward White out of the game. White ended up with a broken cheek bone, an injury he has played almost the entire season with.
Virginia has also beaten Wake Forest two consecutive times and leads the all-time head-to-head contests (25-3-4). The young team can also be confident in the knowledge that their tough quarter-final encounter with the Tigers means that the team will be mentally prepared should the game go down to the wire.
If Virginia surmounts the Wake Forest challenge, they get to play the winner of the other semifinal, N.C. State versus top seeded Maryland in the championship.
Read More
You cannot say money is the problem for Virginia football
By Peter Kriebel | 2 hours agoMoney, after all, is just one aspect of a winning program.
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 13 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 22 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
