The eighth-ranked Virginia women's soccer team kicks off the ACC tournament tonight at 8 p.m. at SAS Soccer Complex in Cary, N.C., but not in the position they expected.
In the preseason, the Cavaliers (12-4-2) were picked to finish second in the conference, only behind national powerhouse North Carolina. But following three straight conference losses to Duke, the Tar Heels and Clemson in the final contest of the regular season, Virginia finished 3-3-1 in the ACC, claiming the five seed for this week's tournament.
"We've been kind of shooting ourselves in the foot," coach Steve Swanson said. "We're losing the ball as we move forward, which makes it hard to get something going. We need to work harder for each other off the ball."
The Cavaliers will first battle the fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils (12-5-1, 4-3 ACC). This season's contest between the two teams, which took place less than a month ago, saw Duke come away with a 1-0 victory at home. With the win, Duke closed the gap in the overall series to 11-8-5, with Virginia wining six out of the last 10 meetings.
The Blue Devils play a 4-5-1 defensive based system, while Virginia plans to modify its system from the usual 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 to adjust.
"They pack it in the center," junior forward Lindsay Gusick said. "In the midfield, we have to play quick because they have so many people. Plus, they have a goalie that can boot the ball 70 yards, and she likes to, so we're going to put pressure on them to stop them this time around."
This is the fourth straight year the teams will face each other in the first round of the tournament. Virginia lost 0-0 (4-3) on penalty kicks in 2000, won 2-1 in overtime in 2001 and lost last year, 1-0.
The Cavaliers completed the regular season Saturday with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Clemson.
"It was not one of our best performances," Swanson said. "We were fortunate not to lose by a lot more. We were beaten in every facet of the game."
Virginia struggled with ball movement, resulting in few offensive opportunities. The Tigers outshot the Cavaliers, 16-3.
"We did not move the ball nearly as well as we have been," Swanson said. "It was very hard for us on this particular night to put together more than two or three passes, and that's our bread and butter."
Virginia will continue to play without sophomore midfielder Noelle Keselica, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 11 against Wake Forest.
"It's difficult for us," Swanson said. "She was really a catalyst for us this season. There's no question that it's difficult losing her."
Despite Virginia's recent ACC woes, the team remains positive heading into the tournament.
"We're in a tough place, but we're pretty confident coming in," Gusick said. "We know we can play better."
With a win this evening, the Cavaliers would likely face top-ranked North Carolina in the second round Friday. The Tar Heels are 27-0 all-time against the Cavaliers and have not lost an ACC tournament game since 1988.
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