The Virginia women's soccer team will begin the quest for its first ACC championship since 2004 today as the No. 4-seeded Cavaliers face No. 5 Miami in an opening round quarterfinal match. The Cavaliers are in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. for the 2007 ACC Tournament, held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Virginia heads into the tournament with an 11-3-4 (5-2-3 ACC) regular season record, having lost two consecutive games after a 13-game unbeaten streak.
Today's contest against Miami will not be a cakewalk for the Cavaliers. The two teams previously met at Klöckner Stadium Oct. 7, and Virginia prevailed 1-0 in a back-and-forth game that went into double overtime. The Hurricanes come into the game with a 9-6-4 (4-4-2 ACC) record, and will look to upset the Cavaliers in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Miami has the capability of beating Virginia, as the Hurricanes have defeated two top-10 programs during the regular season, most notably when handing top-seeded North Carolina its only ACC loss of the year. Still, the Cavaliers are determined to avenge their first-round exit from last year's tournament, and are by no means taking the Hurricanes lightly.
"They're going to be tough for us," freshman forward Meghan Lenczyk said. "Miami is a strong team. We're just going to be doing what we've been doing. Hopefully it'll work out for us."
Miami is led by seniors Lauren McAdam and Sheuneen Ta, as well as freshman sensation Brittney Steinbruch, who has scored a team high of 16 goals and ranks eighth in the NCAA with 0.842 goals per game. Virginia, however, boasts the nation's best defense -- a unit that has allowed a paltry 0.31 goals per game in the regular season.
Key to a Cavalier victory will be Virginia's offensive play, which needs to be more consistent in the ACC Tournament than it was during the regular season. Over the course of the season, the defense has carried the team, but the offense must contribute if the Cavaliers want to come out with a win against the feisty Hurricanes. Virginia coach Steve Swanson is well aware of the team's need to put forth a solid offensive effort.
"I think we've done a good job on the defensive side," Swanson said. "But it's really a team effort on both sides."
Another challenge facing Virginia is that the Cavaliers are playing away from Charlottesville, facing Miami in Florida. The Cavaliers boast an undefeated record at home this season, but were less successful on the road. Virginia must step up its performance without the advantage of the boisterous home crowd that comes with playing at Klöckner Stadium.
"It's tough being on the road," Swanson said. "It's more difficult ... [but] if you want a good run in the post season, you have to win on the road."
The Cavaliers enter the tournament with five players named to the All-ACC team, the most in the conference. The team is led by ACC Defensive Player of the Year Becky Sauerbrunn, a St. Louis, Mo. native who has been vital to the defensive group that has recorded 13 shutouts throughout the season.
With a strong group of athletes, the Cavaliers hope to make a splash in the ACC Tournament -- gaining momentum on their way to the NCAA Tournament that is just a few short weeks away.
Read More
Volleyball holds off Boston College in tight five-set win
By Lauren Halak | 47 minutes agoSenior outside hitter Elayna Duprey led the team throughout the match with 22 points and 18 kills.
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | YesterdayThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
