For someone starting in his first college lacrosse game, sophomore Kip Turner, who along with Michael Petit was filling in for departed Virginia goalie Tillman Johnson, seemed surprisingly level-headed.
"There's pressure on both of us, to uphold his standards, the way he played," Turner said.
Virginia's goaltending, which was expected to be a cause for concern this season, proved to be a strength Saturday when the Cavaliers unofficially defeated the Naval Academy 13-8 in a preseason scrimmage.
And although it was only a scrimmage, for Virginia it was hesitantly deemed a success by head coach Dom Starsia.
"There were good things going on, although I'm glad it's only February," Starsia said. "We want to be playing our best down the line."
There's plenty of time for the Cavaliers to reach their peak, with two scrimmages and 11 games remaining in the 2005 season, but in the meantime the team will focus on finalizing the starting line-up.
Saturday, nearly everyone on the roster played in the game, with both teams continuously subbing players in and out of the lineup, a scene reminiscent of a game of musical chairs.
For Navy, the speed of the game was nothing new, as the Midshipmen often like to pressure the ball up the field at a hectic pace, a fact that didn't get past Starsia.
"We let them carry the play in the 2nd half," Starsia said. "They hurt us end to end and with their subbing on the fly."
Despite the constant pressure, the Virginia defense held strong, constantly thwarting the Midshipmen's assault.
While Turner started and played the first half, red shirt-freshman Michael Petit played the entire second half. Both played superbly -- they each brought their own distinct flavor of play to the goal.
Turner is only 5 feet 10 inches but possesses quick reflexes and breaks fast on shots. Petit, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, is the yin to Turner's yang. With his tall and long frame, Petit presents a more imposing figure in goal and is an outstanding passer.
Turner gave the company line of any true team player when discussing the game.
"We're battling for the spot, but it's friendly," Turner said. "The team comes first before everything."
While attackman Ian Dingman was listed as a preseason All-American for the Midshipmen, the Naval Academy's leading scorer from a year ago recently was dismissed from the Academy for academic reasons and will not be playing for Navy this season.
At the end of the game, an enormous American flag posted near the Navy bench helped to symbolize the camaraderie between the two programs.
"We have a good relationship with Navy," Starsia said.
While that might be the case now, come May, with much more on the line, that relationship might be strained.
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