By Ben Gibson Cavalier Daily Associate Editor It will be déjà vu all over again as the Virginia men's soccer team heads to St. Louis for the 2006 College Cup.
Virginia is the only school to have played all three teams currently left in the Final Four. The Cavaliers have done well, collecting a combined record of 2-1-1 against them, including a dramatic 1-0 victory over the UCLA Bruins earlier in the year.
The Cavaliers will look to improve upon that mark and reach their first NCAA Championship game since 1997 when the Cavaliers (17-3-1) and Bruins (13-5-4) meet again on the pitch tonight at 6 p.m.
The match earlier this year at Klöckner Stadium seemed destined for overtime until an 89th minute goal by sophomore forward Yannick Reyering sent the Virginia faithful into a frenzy. Junior midfielder Nico Colaluca bended in a perfect corner kick that Reyering was able to convert in to Virginia's first victory over UCLA since 1988.
"That was the first time in not only my playing career but coaching career that we won against UCLA," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "That little milestone felt pretty good."
If Virginia wishes to keep the good times rolling, they will have to continue to get solid play out of their high-powered triad. Reyering has already shown great prowess by leading the team in goals for the second straight year, making him a M.A.C. Hermann semifinalist and a second team all-ACC player. However, it is the combination of Colaluca and senior forward Adam Cristman that makes Virginia particularly dangerous in the Final Four. The three players have scored a combined 29 of the team's 40 goals and 23 of their 40 assists.
They have also been on a tear as of late, scoring seven of the team's last nine goals, providing a versatile attack.
"Just from a standpoint of goal production, it's a different dynamic for us," Gelnovatch said. "It puts less pressure on our forwards and makes us more multidimensional."
Both Virginia and UCLA won their quarterfinal matches 3-2 last weekend, but the Bruins had the far more dramatic match. After trailing 2-0 in just the first 19 minutes, the Bruins scored the next three goals, including one by sophomore forward/midfielder Sal Zizzo with 30 seconds left for the improbable victory over the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils.
Zizzo is not the only young goal scorer for the Bruins, freshman forward David Estrada leads the teams with 10 goals, his senior year of high school he scored more goals than any player in the country.
Virginia however, has an all-time great in front of the net. Senior goalie Ryan Burke is the school record holder for career shutouts, minutes and games played, as well as tied with goalie Jeff Causey for most career saves at 249.
Two more performances like that, and Virginia will be a tough team to beat.
"To break through the barrier of the quarterfinal round, in particular with this group, and the way we've done it to the Final Four is a fitting end for this group and we're looking forward to it," Gelnovatch said.
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