Unless you have some combination of the powers of teleportation and time travel, chances are you missed at least some parts of the monumental games and competitions this past weekend.\nAnd that's a shame - Friday, Saturday and Sunday were one of the most remarkable weekends in recent Virginia sports history.
Here's an hour-by-crazy-hour account of those incredible three days for those of us who don't drive DeLoreans.
Friday, 5 p.m.: At University Park, Pa., the unranked women's soccer team takes on St. John's in the first round of nationals. In 110 minutes, through two overtimes, the teams remain scoreless as the Virginia defense shuts down St. John's so that goalie Chantel Jones needs only two saves to shut out the Red Storm.
Keep in mind that the Cavaliers faced a similar situation in the opening round of the ACC Tournament against Boston College. But while Virginia lost in penalty kicks against the Eagles, it tops St. Johns 3-1 to survive and advance to the second round.
Friday, 5:30 p.m.: The No. 6 men's soccer team kicks off against No. 3 Wake Forest in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Not unlike the women's game which started a half hour before, the men's struggle goes through two halves and two overtimes without a score.
In penalty kicks, both the Cavaliers and the Deacons net four of their first five goals, but Neil Barlow scores and Diego Restrepo makes a game-winning save to move Virginia into the ACC Championship.
Friday, 7 p.m.: Virginia coach Debbie Ryan and the women's basketball team overcome an error-riddled performance and win in Baltimore against UMBC 68-57.
The game itself is pretty unremarkable, but the win gives Ryan 700 career wins, a historic mark that puts the Hall of Famer in a class of only 12 total coaches.
Friday, 7 p.m.: Meanwhile, the men's basketball team kicks off a new era with Tony Bennett's first home game. The game is an unexciting win against Longwood but is certainly a landmark moment for the team, and one that will become particularly meaningful if Bennett becomes the long-term solution here.
Saturday, 11:30 a.m.: Ranked No. 2 in the nation, the field hockey team opens the NCAA Tournament at Turf Field against Richmond. The Spiders put the Cavaliers on upset alert by not allowing a goal in the first half, but Tara Puffenberger's goal at 38:09 puts Virginia up for good and the Cavaliers advance to the quarterfinals, winning 3-0.
Saturday, 11:15 p.m.: Virginia's hilltoppers head to Louisville for the Southeast Regional - the women, as reigning champs. Though neither team wins its race, junior Catherine White takes the individual gold, the first time a Cavalier has won a regional title. Both No. 19 teams ultimately secure a bid at nationals - the women with an automatic berth after finishing regional runner-up and the men through an at-large bid.
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.: The football team suffers a loss by literally inches as Boston College stops the Cavaliers from gaining a first down on fourth and one with Virginia 12 yards shy of a game-winning touchdown. The Eagles win 14-10. On the bright side, warm weather helps spike the attendance to 44,324, stopping the streak of decreasing attendance at home games this season.
Saturday, 7 p.m.: Seniors Brittani Rendina, Lauren Dickson, and Tara Hester bid adieu to the volleyball team with a dramatic and heartbreaking 3-1 loss to Duke.
The Cavaliers won the first set 26-24 against the Blue Devils, who are second in the ACC while Virginia sits tied for eighth. Duke reclaims control of the game with a 25-27 second set win, then takes the third. Although Virginia comes storming back in the fourth set, Duke manages to clinch a narrow victory.
Sunday, 9 a.m.: The Rivanna Romp in Charlottesville hosts a trifecta of Cavalier women's rowing victories as the Virginia varsity eight, novice eight and double each top various opponents from up and down the East Coast.
Sunday, noon: The No. 17 wrestling team competes in a triple-header at the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C. and wins all three bouts - two of them in historic fashion. A 20-19 win against No. 16 American marks the first program's first-ever victory against a ranked team, while a 50-0 victory against Gardner-Webb goes in the books as the fifth largest margin of victory in program history.
Sunday, 1 p.m.: This is when things really started getting good. The women's soccer team falls behind Penn State 0-2 before going on a jaw-dropping six-goal run in 20 minutes during the second half. The 6-2 victory by unranked Virginia against the No. 9 Nittany Lions advances the Cavaliers to the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth time in as many years.
Sunday, 1 p.m.: Not to be outdone by the women, the men's soccer team holds on to a 1-0 lead from the 16th minute onward against No. 20 N.C. State to win the conference title for the first time in a half-decade. Restrepo is named the tournament MVP as he shuts out the Cavaliers' opponent for the eighth straight game. Of all the big moments this weekend, the men's soccer team's ACC Championship might be the biggest.
Sunday, 2 p.m.: In only its second game of the season, the Virginia women's basketball team gets a snapshot of just how dominant Monica Wright could be this year. Wright shuts down the upset-hungry Lady Jaspers of Manhattan by going 10-for-10 in the second half for a cool 25 points in the closing period.
Sunday, 2:00 p.m.: Eyeing a potential third battle with No. 1 Maryland in the NCAA Championship game, the field hockey team tops No. 6 Michigan State 3-2 in overtime and advances to the national semifinals for the first time in more than a decade. The team's 20th victory marks the most wins in a single season in program history. Virginia will next take on North Carolina yet again in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Phew. Hope you soaked all of that in. No matter how you spin it, this past weekend was one to remember. Just don't blink; with every fall team - other than football - still alive for a national title and most of them playing next weekend - not to mention the looming women's basketball team's bout with Tennessee at JPJ Sunday at 2 p.m. - there's a chance next week could be even better.
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