The chase is about to begin, and this year the Cavaliers are the ones to beat.
When the Virginia women's lacrosse team steps onto the field in Syracuse, N.Y. to start the regular season Friday, it will face the unique challenge of having the entire NCAA nipping at its heels.
Although the Cavaliers are used to being in elite company, the team is sitting in an unusual position as the 2005 season kicks off. Ranked first in the national preseason polls and the defending national champs, Virginia will have to constantly beat back schools trying to reach the top.
The job begins this Friday when the Cavaliers face the No. 12 Orange in the first of many tough games this season. After losing to Syracuse by one goal early in 2004, Virginia will be motivated by more than just early season excitement.
"Syracuse has been a problem for us the past few years, so everyone is really looking forward to going up there and playing them," senior Elizabeth Pinney said. "But we need to be on our game."
One group receiving rave reviews from both coaches and players alike going in to the matchup is the heralded Cavalier defense, a line that features the extremely talented foursome of Pinney, All-American Nikki Leib, Molly Urlack and Ashley Dodson.
All four women return after starting in both the ACC and NCAA title games last year.
"We play so many different defensive combinations that I think it's hard to prepare for us," Virginia coach Julie Myers said. "Our defense is rock solid. We hope that all-in-all we're going to be really tough to get through."
Although there has been praise for the four starters, the whole team has shared the load.
"You could put any combination of the defenders back there and it would be just as successful," Pinney said in an attempt to deflect some of the praise.
Thanks to their veteran defenders, the Cavaliers got off to a good start in preseason games two weeks ago, defeating Johns Hopkins, Loyola and Ohio in the Charles Street Challenge exhibition tournament. Nevertheless, Myers still has some points she would like to work out before the regular season opener.
"I think our offensive flow needs to be a lot smoother," she said. "We need to create more opportunities and better looks at the goal."
Although the Cavaliers have been looking strong, Syracuse will not go quietly. The Orange dispatched Albany 17-4 in its season opener Feb. 27, led by junior Melody Agnew's four goals and two assists.
Shouldering a sizable chunk of the offensive load for the Cavaliers will be senior Amy Appelt, last year's Tewaaraton Trophy winner as the best player in NCAA women's lacrosse. Appelt is on the trophy watch list for the second time this year, along with teammates Cary Chasney and Lieb.
The Cavaliers will look to Appelt to continue her 63-game scoring streak while she tries to add more awards to her already-crowded trophy case.
Aside from all the national focus on the Cavaliers this season, the team is just excited to get back on the field against a quality team.
"We can't wait to play Syracuse," Appelt said. "We're really excited and optimistic to play them and start our season."
Apparently no matter how lofty the expectations, Lieb, Appelt and the rest of the Cavaliers are still hungry to get the year started.
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