After a confidence-shaking 1-0 loss to Seton Hall Sunday, the No. 21 Virginia women's soccer team looks to regain momentum Friday night versus a University of Vermont Catamounts squad boasting only one win thus far this season. Focusing on this match-up could prove difficult, however, as the Cavaliers must travel to Morgantown, W.Va. Sunday to face the undefeated West Virginia Mountaineers (6-0).
Both coaches and players insist, nonetheless, that the upset-minded Catamounts have their undivided attention.
"We haven't really talked about West Virginia yet because we have Vermont on Friday," junior defender Becky Sauerbrunn said.
Against the Catamounts, the Cavaliers will try to exploit a young defense consisting mainly of sophomore starters. Missed opportunities were abundant in the Seton Hall loss, in which the Cavaliers out-shot the Pirates 18-2.
"I thought we had enough quality chances to win the game --- I think if we had that many another time we may end up with three or four goals," Swanson said.
Practice this week included working on one-timing the ball into the net off of the cross, as Virginia hopes to capitalize on chances in the box this weekend, especially against an inexperienced defense.
The Cavaliers can also look forward to the play of last year's ACC Freshman of the Year Jess Rostedt and ACC All-Freshman Team member Nikki Krzysik. Both played with the U.S. U-20 National Team in Russia earlier this fall and Swanson is still working on incorporating the talented young players back into the lineup.
Rostedt paced Virginia with 12 goals and 29 points last year, both team highs, while Kryzsik adds versatility and durability, starting all 25 games last year and playing defense and midfield.
On Sunday, the Cavaliers face perhaps their toughest opponent to date in No. 17 West Virginia. The Mountaineers are off to the best start in school history at 6-0 and are coming off of a record-setting eight-goal performance against St. Bonaventure. In six games this season, West Virginia is averaging over four goals per game.
If Virginia is to have success against the explosive West Virginia offense, senior goalkeeper Christina de Vries, Virginia's all-time leader in career shutouts with 27, will be counted on to stifle the Mountaineers' attack. De Vries has anchored an impressive Virginia defense this year, adding four shutout victories to her resume while allowing only two goals.
The Mountaineers, however, will also have to face a Cavalier offense primed to explode. Against Syracuse, Virginia found the back of the net a season-high six times, led by senior Kara Frederick (two goals) and freshman Caitlin Miskel (two goals, one assist). Miskel, a two-time high school Florida Player of the Year, has delivered on preseason expectations with a team-high eight points already this season. The six-goal Syracuse blowout was followed five days later by a 4-0 shellacking of VCU.
The last time Virginia faced West Virginia, the Cavaliers snuck away with a 1-0 victory, just as they did in 2004 and 2003. Virginia's last lost to West Virginia was a 2-1 defeat in 2002, but the Cavaliers exacted revenge with a 1-0 decision in the NCAA tournament.
"It's always been a tough game for us," Swanson said. "All these games away from home are not easy. We are just going to have to be prepared and hopefully we can go in there with some momentum."
That momentum, of course, can only result from a win Friday against Vermont.
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