The No. 7 Virginia women's soccer team entered the Nike Soccer Classic this weekend undefeated but struggled during the weekend's tournament as it finished with a scoreless draw Friday against Washington State and then suffered the season's first loss Sunday against Penn State.
To me, the greatest thing about sports is that there's always a next year. No matter how many games a team loses, or how close the players got to a championship, only to see the ultimate prize slip through their fingertips at the final moments, there will always be a next year to come out and try it again. Unfortunately, in life, it's often much more difficult to look forward to next year - a fact we were all reminded of by the events we as a nation commemorated this past Sunday.
[caption id="attachment_45184" align="alignleft" width="202" caption="Sophomore forward Brian Span scored Virginia's lone goal as the Cavaliers opened ACC play with a 1-0 win.
The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team lost its third game of the regular season this past weekend, marking its worst start since 2005.
[caption id="attachment_45144" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="Freshman cornerback Demetrious Nicholson highlighted a strong defensive performance against William & Mary, returning an interception for 31 yards.
[caption id="attachment_45142" align="alignleft" width="258" caption="Forward Chris Somerville is one of 12 freshmen on the Virginia roster and has started all four games for the team and tallied a goal against Richmond.
[caption id="attachment_45140" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Freshman forward and former Gatorade High School Player of the Year Morgan Brian has wasted no time in making her mark on the field for Virginia.
After slipping from their top-three preseason ranking, The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team heads to Oxford, Ohio this weekend for matches against Miami and Michigan State. Virginia goes into the weekend after a needed 3-0 shutout Wednesday at James Madison, during which a more cohesive Cavaliers team controlled almost all aspects of the game and held the Dukes to a 13-3 shot deficit.
[caption id="attachment_45087" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Since earning the starting nod against West Virginia in the Cavaliers' season opener, freshman goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita has collected 13 saves and shut out one opponent during his first four starts between the pipes for Virginia.
The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team defeated James Madison last night with a 3-0 road victory behind a trio of goals from three different players. The Cavaliers (3-2) dominated defensively during much of the first half, holding the Dukes (1-3) to zero shots and penalty corner.
Three years ago last month, I started my first semester as a student here at Mr. Jefferson's University.
[caption id="attachment_45083" align="alignleft" width="291" caption="Entering the Ohio Volleyball Tournament, senior outside hitter Simone Asque leads the team with 69 kills.
[caption id="attachment_44968" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sophomore forward Carissa Vittese increased her season scoring total to five points after preventing the shutout with a 64th minute goal against Old Dominion.
Flabbergasted. That's the word Tiki Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter, used to describe how he felt about his client not getting the opportunity to make an NFL roster this offseason, save for a single workout with the Dolphins in early August.
During the next 20 or so Sundays, I will fail to get any homework done. If my personal trend continues, I will watch more football this season than last year or any year before.
[caption id="attachment_44964" align="alignleft" width="202" caption="B.J. Stith's father, former Cavalier basketball great Bryant Stith, led Virginia to four consecutive 20-win seasons from 1989 to 1992.
[caption id="attachment_44921" align="alignleft" width="161" caption="During his debut as starting quarterback, sophomore Michael Rocco demonstrated poise and patience in the pocket en route to a 21-for-29 passing performance.
OK, I'll admit it. When I first heard about it, I was scared. Heck, you might even say I was petrified.
Finally. We've been through 236 days of the longest offseason in memory, but, at long last, college football is back complete with actual kickoffs, touchdowns, head-jarring hits and everything else that makes us love the sport of football.
[caption id="attachment_44917" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Junior forward Britt Knouse notched the Cavaliers' lone goal during their 4-1 loss against Old Dominion Sunday.
