After nine seasons at the helm of the men's soccer program, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch has molded his program into a perennial powerhouse. The 2006 campaign is only one month old, but the Cavaliers have already risen to number two in the national polls after posting shutouts in four of their first five games.
"As a coach, you want to of course win," Gelnovatch said. "But you also want to talk about tactical changes on the fly, so as a staff we make a change and the guys do it. It takes leadership and experience. That stuff has been developing from [the beginning] and it keeps getting a little better."
Competition in the Atlantic Coast Conference has been particularly fierce this season as seven league teams have been voted to the top 10.
"We don't take any team lightly nowadays," senior forward Ian Holder said. "We know last year what teams surprised us on. Every team has good players, all we can do is go out there and play our game and take it one game at a time."
So far, the Cavaliers have been remarkably proficient at doing just that.
Junior midfielder Nico Colaluca attributed much of the team's success to solid depth in the lineup.
"We have a lot of depth in the midfield," Colaluca said. "We play with four starting midfielders and we have four or five guys who can get subbed in."
This improved depth and team leadership has produced a swarming defense which has been all but impenetrable for the first four games.
That shutout streak ended following Virginia's 2-1 victory over N.C. State.
"I'm not happy, especially since it was something we spent a lot of time" preparing for, Gelnovatch said. "But anytime you can get a win on the road in the ACC it's very satisfying."
Despite the impressive road win, Gelnovatch still believes that his team has room for improvement.
"I told our guys we haven't played our best but that's fine -- knowing that there are better things to come," Gelnovatch said.
Virginia ended the game with a 17-11 advantage in shot attempts. Goalkeeper Ryan Burke also notched two saves while only allowing one goal. Additionally, Reyering's excellent offensive performance earned him ACC Men's Soccer Player of the Week Honors.
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