Virginia jumped to No. 1 in a recently released Soccer America poll.Virginia has not been this high up in the poll since 2002. However, while its 7-0 start has been exhilarating, the Cavaliers know they cannot overlook their next 10 gamesif they wish to maintain their place.
"We learned our lesson last year," senior captain Ryan Burke said. "We started well and started hearing national championship whispers. All of the sudden you're 5-3 and [you've] given up nine goals in three games. What happened in the past, happened in the past. I'm just trying to take each game as a new game and anything can happen."
After a week of close calls, Virginia is remaining on guard for their upcoming schedule -- one that boasts eight ranked teams. With surprise last-minute goals in both the St. Francis and Boston College games Tuesday and Friday, the Cavaliers found themselves in overtime situations where the team had to pull out all the stops and focus on working together to secure a win. In both games, Virginia was able to work under pressure to win by a one-point margin.
"You can't really explain something like that," junior midfielder Jeremy Barlow said. "It's good to get close games like that; it prepares you for games later on in the season. Tournament games will always be close no matter who you're playing."
While the last-minutes of the games have so far played out in their favor, the Cavaliers have to learn from these victories and incorporate them in the rest of their season in order to maintain their top-ranked position. An upcoming match against No. 12 West Virginia will be followed by an away game against No. 8 North Carolina, and Virginia will have to begin capitalizing on scoring opportunities earlier on to continue their winning streak.
The Cavaliers have not been matched up against the Mountaineers since 2003, when Virginia defeated West Virginia 2-1. Virginia has held a 13-4 all-time record against the Mountaineers, who have steadily climbed in the polls over the past couple of years and just recently defeated Big East rival DePaul 3-0.
West Virginia is "very good," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said "They come from a great conference in the Big East. We've done our homework, I just have to get my voice back and get my wits about me and start preparing. It's going to be a hard-fought game."
Despite the boost of moving up to the top spot in the nation, the Cavaliers will have to remain focused to maintain their status as the biggest contenders in the country. Virginia hosts West Virginia tonight at 7 p.m.
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