Weekly Men's Soccer Release
Story Links
September 12, 1998
THE GAME: No. 17 Maryland (2-1-0) at No. 7 Virginia (2-0-1) Kloeckner Stadium * Sept. 12, 1998 * 7:00 p.m.
THE SERIES WITH THE TERRAPINS: Tonight’s game will be the 54th meeting between Maryland and Virginia, with the Terrapins leading the all-time series 28-19-6. Despite Maryland’s all-time edge against UVa, the Cavaliers have been the dominant team in the series over the last 26 years. After the Terrapins won the first 20 games between the schools, Virginia has posted a 19-8-6 mark since 1971. In the last 23 meetings UVa stands 18-2-3, but all three ties and one of the losses have come in the last five meetings. In games played at Kloeckner Stadium, Virginia leads the series 3-1-1. The Cavaliers and the Terrapins first played on Oct. 8, 1941 with Maryland winning 12-0 (Virginia’s largest margin of defeat ever).
TROUT LEADS TEAM IN SCORING: Sophomore forward Ryan Trout has been a key part of the UVa offense in the first three games, scoring one of the Cavaliers’ goals and assisting on all three others. Against San Diego Trout took a pass from Sheldon Barnes and chipped a shot over the goalkeeper from 25 yards out in the center to record the game-winning goal. In the Cal State Fullerton game he took a pass from Drew O’Donnell in the right corner and sent a cross into the box which Steve Totten volleyed in for the goal. Then against Lehigh Trout had assists on both goals, with Chris Albright heading in a cross for the first goal and Rob Wright knocking in a cross for the game winner. Trout now has 22 points in his UVa career on four goals and 14 assists, with three of his goals being game winners.
WRIGHT MAKES FIRST GOAL A BIG ONE: Freshman forward Rob Wright, who joined the team as a walk-on in August, scored the first goal of his collegiate career in Wednesday’s victory over Lehigh. Wright’s goal was the game winner, as he knocked in a cross by Ryan Trout from six yards out at the far post after the ball had found its way through traffic. Wright, who has seen action in all three of the Cavaliers’ games off the bench, led his district in scoring and was named first team all-state last season at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach.
SPREADING IT AROUND: The Cavaliers have used a balanced offensive attack so far this season while posting a 2-0-1 record in their first three games. Virginia has scored four goals on the year, with each goal coming from a different player. Ryan Trout scored the game winner in the San Diego game, while Steve Totten had the Cavaliers’ lone goal against Cal State Fullerton. In the Lehigh game, Chris Albright and Rob Wright found the net for UVa.
YETSO LOOKS TO CONTINUE MASTERY AGAINST THE TERRAPINS: Senior goalkeeper Brock Yetso has turned in some of the top performances of his career against Maryland. Yetso started both of the Cavaliers’ games against the Terrapins last season, recording shutouts on both occasions. In the regular season meeting he made six saves while holding Maryland scoreless for 120 minutes, then in the ACC Tournament he had a pair of saves while once again shutting down the Terps. For his career, Yetso has played a total of 210 minutes against Maryland without allowing a goal.
ALBRIGHT NETS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON: Sophomore forward Chris Albright, the Cavaliers’ top returning scorer from 1997, scored his first goal of the season in Wednesday’s win over Lehigh. With Virginia trailing 1-0 and less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Albright headed in a cross by Ryan Trout from eight yards out at the left post. Four days earlier, Albright was named the Offensive MVP of the Fila Classic. Although he did not score in the tournament, Albright played all 210 minutes of Virginia’s two games and tied for the team lead in shot attempts with five. Last season, Albright ranked third on the team in scoring with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists. He was the first UVa freshman to reach double figures in goals in a season since A.J. Wood totaled 13 goals in 1991.
UVA ONLY NINE WINS AWAY FROM 500: With nine more victories this season, Virginia will record the 500th win in the history of its men’s soccer program. When the Cavaliers reach that milestone, they will become the first team in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer history with 500 victories (Duke currently ranks second with 480 all-time wins). The majority of UVa’s victories have come in the last 20 years, with the Cavaliers posting a 332-66-38 record since the beginning of the 1978 season. Entering the Maryland game, Virginia’s all-time record stands at 491-230-75 for a .664 winning percentage.
TOTTEN NETS FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL: Freshman midfielder Steve Totten scored the first goal of his UVa career in the tie with Cal State Fullerton. Totten gave the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead during the second half when he volleyed in a cross by Ryan Trout from eight yards out in the center. He led the team in shots attempted against the Titans with four and currently ranks second on the team lead in shots with seven. One of three freshmen to start all three games this season for the Cavaliers, Totten was an NSCAA and Parade All-American at the Peddie School in Allentown, N.J., last year.
THE LAST MEETING WITH THE TERRAPINS — VIRGINIA 2, MARYLAND 0: The Cavaliers captured the 1997 ACC Tournament title by posting a 2-0 victory over Maryland in the championship game, played in Kissimmee, Fla. Ben Olsen scored both goals for the Cavaliers, the first coming with assists to Sam Franklin and Michael Green and the second coming off a feed from Andriy Shapowal. Brock Yetso recorded a shutout in goal for Virginia, making four saves. The Cavaliers outshot the Terrapins 12-8 in the game, while holding a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks.
THE HOMETOWN CONNECTION: A number of players in tonight’s game played either with or against each other in high school. UVa goalkeeper Brock Yetso, Maryland goalkeeper Christian Lewis and Maryland defender Brian Otten all attended Centennial High School in Columbia, Md., with the younger Lewis serving as Yetso’s backup in goal. The Cavaliers’ Drew O’Donnell (Newtown Square, Pa.) and Ryan Trout (Media, Pa.) both went up against the Terrapins’ Beckett Hollenbach (Havertown, Pa.) in high school. In addition, Virginia’s Matt Chulis (Central Islip, N.Y.) was a high school opponent of Maryland’s Rob Birch (West Islip, N.Y.) and Keith Beach (Northport, N.Y.).
CHULIS AND MOORE NAMED HERMANN TROPHY FINALISTS: Senior defender Matt Chulis and sophomore midfielder Jason Moore are among the 15 finalists who have been named for the 32nd annual Hermann Trophy. Chulis and Moore make Virginia one of only four schools to have more than one finalist, along with Duke, Indiana and UCLA. The winner of the Hermann Trophy will be announced on Dec. 12 in Richmond, Va. If either Chulis or Moore wins the award he would be the fourth player in school history to receive the honor, along with Tony Meola (1989), Claudio Reyna (1993) and Mike Fisher (1995 and 1996).
ALBRIGHT STARS FOR UNDER-20 NATIONAL TEAM: Sophomore forward Chris Albright scored four goals and one assist in three games as the United States under-20 team finished in first place in CONCACAF qualifying, held in Trinidad in early August. Albright scored two goals in a 5-1 victory over Canada, then added two goals and an assist in a 6-1 win against Trinidad & Tobago. In both contests, Albright scored the first goal of the game. The U.S. played Costa Rica to a 1-1 tie in its other game. By finishing with their 2-0-1 record, the Americans earn a spot in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, to be played in Nigeria next April.
TWO CAVALIERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Senior defender Matt Chulis and sophomore forward Chris Albright have both been named to the Soccer America preseason All-America teams. Chulis, a first team selection, has earned second team All-America and first team All-ACC honors each of the last two seasons. Albright, a second team selection, was named to the Soccer America National All-Freshman team and the All-ACC Tournament team last season. Virginia was one of only four schools to have more than one player named to the squads.
CLEANING HOUSE AT KLOECKNER: The Cavaliers are now in their seventh season of play at Kloeckner Stadium and have an all-time record of 81-7-4 (.902) at the facility. Virginia has won its last six games at Kloeckner and stands 13-0-2 in its last 15 contests. The Cavaliers had a school record home unbeaten streak of 34 games, which were all played at Kloeckner, from Oct. 29, 1994 to Nov. 15, 1996. The $3.4-million facility offers seating for approximately 3,600 fans in the grandstand, while hillside seating is available for another 3,000. Prior to the 1995 season lights were installed, allowing the Cavaliers to play night games. UVa has a perfect 22-0-0 record under the lights.
THE FILA CLASSIC: The Cavaliers posted an overall record of 1-0-1 to finish in second place in last weekend’s Fila Classic, held at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif. Virginia posted a 1-0 victory over San Diego in its opening game, with sophomore forward Ryan Trout knocking home a pass from freshman forward Sheldon Barnes for the only goal of the game. Senior Brock Yetso made two saves while recording a shutout in goal for the Cavaliers. UVa then played to a 1-1 tie against Cal State Fullerton, with freshman midfielder Steve Totten scoring the Cavaliers’ lone goal. Virginia and Cal State Fullerton both posted records of 1-0-1 in the tournament, but the Titans claimed the title based on a +2 goal differential.
GELNOVATCH LOOKS TO REACH 50 WINS IN 1998: UVa third year head coach George Gelnovatch has the Cavaliers off to another strong start in 1998. With a 2-0-1 mark so far this season, Gelnovatch has improved his career record to 37-7-7 for a .794 winning percentage. With 13 more wins this season, Gelnovatch can become the first men’s soccer coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history to record 50 victories in his first three seasons. He also has a chance to become the first ACC coach to reach 50 wins before he has 10 losses. Gelnovatch already ranks third all-time at UVa in career wins, behind only Bruce Arena (295) and Eugene Corrigan (39).
BARNES LOOKS TO BOLSTER OFFENSE: With three of last year’s top four scorers gone, the Cavaliers knew they would need to find some offensive fire power this season. In the first three games of the season, freshman forward Sheldon Barnes showed he is ready to shoulder some of the scoring responsibilities. Barnes recorded an assist on the game-winning goal against San Diego, winning the ball at midfield and sending it to Ryan Trout in the center, before Trout found the net for the only goal of the game. Last year, Barnes was the Florida state Player of the Year, while earning high school All-America honors from both Parade and the NSCAA.
MOORE RECORDS FIRST ASSIST OF SEASON: Sophomore midfielder Jason Moore has continued to show his value to the Cavaliers as one of the top passers and ball handlers on the squad. In the win over Lehigh Moore recorded his first assist of the season, with it coming on the game-winning goal. Moore took a free kick from 25 yards out in the center and played the ball to Ryan Trout in the right side of the box, before Trout crossed the ball to Rob Wright for the goal. Over the course of his UVa career Moore now has a total of 10 assists, with five of them coming on game-winning goals.
O’DONNELL SHOWS VERSATILITY IN CALIFORNIA: Junior Drew O’Donnell, who played as a flank midfielder during the Cavaliers’ two exhibition games, has made the move to right back for all three regular season contests. O’Donnell has played a big role for the UVa defense, with the Cavaliers surrendered only two goal in 310 minutes. He also made an offensive contribution in the Cal State Fullerton contest, sending a pass to Ryan Trout in the right corner before Trout crossed the ball to Steve Totten for the score. Last season O’Donnell played in 19 games, starting four times, and totaled two goals and three assists.
NINE CAVALIERS NAMED TO 1997-98 ACC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL: The UVa men’s soccer team placed nine players on the 1997-98 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll. The list is comprised of all athletes in the conference who achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the full academic year. Current players Matt Chulis, Mike Feller, Sam Franklin and Billy Petersen were all named to the Honor Roll, along with departed seniors Matt Laughlin, Matt Leonard, Yuri Sagatov, Andriy Shapowal and Joaquin Targhetta. Overall, Virginia had 240 student athletes named to the Honor Roll.
THE DYNASTY: Since 1989, UVa has won five NCAA titles (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994), advanced to at least the NCAA semifinals seven times, and compiled an overall record of 175-25-21 (.839). From the beginning of the 1991 season until now, Virginia has lost just 17 games, going 142-17-13 (.863), including 96-8-6 (.900) against teams from outside the ACC. In the last eight years, UVa has won six ACC Championships and had five National Players of the Year.
THE HONOR ROLL: Since 1978, 19 UVa players have been named All-Americans, including 11 first-team selections. Five have left UVa as two-time All-Americans, three as three-time All-Americans and one (Jeff Agoos, 1986-90) as a four-time All-American. In addition, over the past 12 seasons UVa has produced 38 first-team all-ACC selections, 18 more than any other ACC school.
VIRGINIA CLAIMS ACC TOURNAMENT AND REGULAR SEASON TITLES: The Cavaliers claimed the championship of last season’s ACC Tournament, marking the seventh time they have won the tournament. In the 11 year history of the ACC Tournament, which began in 1987, Virginia remains the only school to win the title more than once. Overall, the Cavaliers have an all-time record of 17-4-3 in ACC Tournament games, winning titles in 1988, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’95 and ’97. Virginia also tied for the 1997 ACC regular season title with Duke and North Carolina State, posting a 3-1-2 (.667) mark in conference games. That marked the 13th time the Cavaliers won the ACC regular season title, but the first time UVa has finished in a tie for first. The only school with more regular season ACC championships than Virginia is Maryland with 17, while Clemson has also won 13 titles. The Cavaliers previous ACC regular season titles came in 1969, ’70, ’83, ’84, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’91, ’92, ’95 and ’96.
THE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM: Once again last season, a number of Cavaliers were selected as All-Americans by the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA). Three UVa players were selected to the teams, tying Virginia with Indiana for the most selections last year. Ben Olsen earned first team All-America honors, Matt Chulis was a second team selection for the second year in a row, and Scott Vermillion earned third team honors. Virginia has now had at least two NSCAA All-America selections each of the last seven years, while having at least one first team choice for the 13 straight season.
CAVALIERS PLACE FOUR ON ALL-ACC TEAMS: Four Virginia players were named to the 1997 All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams, with all four being first team selections. Matt Chulis, Ben Olsen and Scott Vermillion were all named to the first team for the second consecutive season, while Brian West earned All-ACC honors for the first time. Other than Virginia, the only other schools to place more than one player on the first team were Duke and Maryland with two each. Virginia has now had at least four players earn All-ACC honors for seven consecutive seasons.
SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS: Maryland enters tonight’s game with an overall record of 2-1-0. The Terrapins fell to Seton Hall 2-1 in their season opener, before defeating American 2-0 and UMBC 6-1 in their last two contest. Taylor Twellman and Jason Cropley are tied for the team lead in scoring with two goals and one assist each. Christian Lewis has started all three games in goal for Maryland, posting an 0.99 GAA with 11 saves and one shutout.