In Virginia's glory moment of 2003, the ACC Championship, goalkeeper Ryan Burke was the star.
The then-freshman made five saves in the final against Maryland and endured nine rounds of penalty kicks, making three saves. Despite Burke's being named tournament Most Valuable Player, he remains humble about the moment.
The final "was definitely a great time for me in my sports career but I got more lucky than anything else," Burke said. "There's more luck involved than you think."
Whether or not it was luck, Burke burst onto the scene for the Cavaliers in their eighth game of the 2003 season and has remained in the limelight ever since. In his first career appearance, Burke made three saves in one half and secured the starting position even after original starter Ryan Best recovered from an injury.
"I expected to play at most three or four games until he recovered but I continued to play well and was able to beat him out for the spot," Burke said. "I was just like, wow, I'm getting really lucky and I'll try my best not to screw up."
Burke's freshman year ended with success and many accolades. The keeper was named to College Soccer News' All-Freshman Second Team, Soccer America's Freshman All-American Team and the ACC All-Tournament Team. Despite his accomplishments in his first year, Burke said he believes there is still room for improvement.
"I'm a relatively young goalkeeper," Burke said. "It's sort of like the young adolescent stage of child development. It's a very crucial time in my development as a goalkeeper."
The difference a year has made for Burke is the difference between making knowledgeable decisions and acting on instinct.
"Last year I hadn't been in certain situations and I really feel like it was luck more than anything else because I didn't know what to do," he said. "Now I know when to come off my line, when to go for the through ball, when to go for the cross."
Burke was not as challenged by this weekend's opponents as he has been in the past, but he still made an impression, posting three and two saves respectively on Friday and Sunday.
"The difference between this year and last year is just experience and confidence," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "If the way he played this weekend is an indicator of where he's going, he's going to be a very good goalkeeper for us."
Time is not the only factor pushing Burke to improve. This year's Virginia squad is four goalies deep, guaranteeing that competition will always be on Burke's heels. While his position does not seem in danger, Burke knows from experience how quickly a goalie can be replaced.
"You equate the position of a goalkeeper to a pitcher in baseball --they come and go all the time," Burke said. "You can be great one day and terrible the next and once you're terrible they'll replace you as soon as possible."
Whether it is just pure dedication to the game or concern about his position, something drives Burke toward constant improvement.
"Ryan is a real student of the game," Gelnovatch said. "He watches more game film than anybody. He works hard at practice regardless of if anyone is pushing him or not pushing him."
As the Cavaliers looks to defend their ACC title and make a run for the NCAA Championship, Burke will be the last line of defense. And if last year's success is any indication of how he will perform this season, Virginia is in very good hands.
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