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Aug. 14, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Last season, a NCAA record 43,183 fans packed Klöckner Stadium to see the Virginia men’s soccer team play. And the Cavaliers didn’t disappoint the home fans, posting a 14-1-0 home record en route to a 17-4-1 season and the program’s first College Cup appearance since 1997. Nineteen players from that squad, including six starters, return this season looking to build upon last year’s national semifinal run.
FORWARDS
Headlining the veterans is junior forward Yannick Reyering, who last season led the Cavaliers in scoring with 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points. Named to the 2007 Hermann Trophy Watch List, Reyering has led the team in goals in both of his seasons in Charlottesville.
“Yannick is our leading goal scorer. He’s obviously a presence,” head coach George Gelnovatch said. “He’s coming off of an injury from the spring, but he’s fully healthy and ready to go. He’s very eager, too, as this is his last year of eligibility. I’ve never seen him more focused in training as hard as he has. He’s also a National Player of the Year candidate as well. Obviously we’re looking for him to do big thing for us and for this to be his best year.”
Joining Reyering up front are senior Matt Ayotte, junior Nino DiMaggio, sophomores Matt Mitchell and Ross LaBeaux, and redshirt freshman Chase Neinken.
“There are two or three guys that are going to step up this year, and one is Matt Mitchell who played a little last year,” Gelnovatch said. “Early in the year, he showed flashes of brilliance. He’d been playing with a couple of injuries. He really wasn’t playing even close to his potential. He didn’t play a whole lot, mostly injury-related. He’s had two surgeries, and he’s been healthy since May and working his tail off all summer. He looks absolutely fit. He looks terrific. He will produce what he was recruited to do and that’s to score and to be one of the best passing players in the country. I really feel this could be a break-out year for him.”
“Ross LaBeaux didn’t play a lot, but we recognized very early that he has a lot of potential,” Gelnovatch said. “He played in some national team camps during the winter. He can attack, and he can play a lot of different positions. I feel he will really help us this year.”
“Matt Ayotte’s been plagued with injuries for more than half of his career. It appears that he’s out of the woods and as fit as I’ve ever seen him this fall. He’s going to be in the mix, competing for a spot, at the very least, helping us coming off the bench and giving us depth.”
MIDFIELDERS
Also returning offensively for Virginia is midfielder Jonathan Villanueva. As a freshman in 2006, Villanueva led the team with 10 assists. Senior midfielders Jeremy Barlow, Dane Murphy, and Chris Tierney also bring a wealth of experience to this year’s squad.
“Chris was our leading goal scorer in the spring,” Gelnovatch said. “The formation that we’re planning to play this fall is more beneficial for him, and we used it in the spring. He’s in the mix.”
Rounding out the midfield are senior Will Hall, sophomore Neil Barlow, and redshirt freshman Karter Smith.
“Will Hall, who redshirted last year, has been a leader a for us,” Gelnovatch said. “Jonathan Villanueva and Jeremy Barlow will be in the mix. I feel the midfield will be our strength.”
DEFENDERS
In the defense, three of the four starters from last year’s squad that allowed just 21 goals and posted nine shutouts return. Matt Poole, Zola Short, and Matt Williams will once again be counted upon the lead the Cavalier backline.
“We lost Bakary Soumare, and that caught us off guard,” Gelnovatch said. “But we did recruit two defenders- Colin Givens and T.J. Cyrus- who are both U18 National Team players. Now that Bakary’s gone, one of those two guys is going to have to step up and play in that position. We’ll have to see who that is. Both could end up on the field.”
GOALKEEPERS
Perhaps the biggest spot to fill this season is goalkeeper. With the graduation of all-time record holder Ryan Burke, the Cavaliers will have very big shoes to fill. Sophomore Michael Giallombardo saw action in two games last fall as Burke’s back-up, helping UVa to two wins including a shutout.
“We lost Ryan Burke; that’s a big loss obviously,” Gelnovatch said. “I really feel like Mike Giallombardo, who was his back-up, had a great spring for us. He developed leadership, gained confidence, and got a number of games under his belt. I feel really good about Mike. Right now, he’s our starting goalkeeper.”
Also tending the goal are senior Kyle Rudzinski and freshman Dan Louisignau.
“We did bring in Dan Louisignau who is talented. He’s got the whole package- size, athleticism, and ability. He’s still a freshman, so we’ll have to see where he fits in. We’ll try to get him minutes early and see how he develops. He will be challenging Mike for sure.”
THE FRESHMEN
Joining the group of veterans are eight newcomers- midfielders Jason Kim, David Newman, Jimmy Simpson, and Henry Tembon; defenders T.J. Cyrus, Colin Givens, and Greg Monaco; and goalkeeper Dan Louisignau- that form one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the nation. Four of those players have experience with the United States U18 National Team. All could come in and make an immediate impact for the team this season.
THE CONFERENCE
Virginia was picked to finished third in the 2007 ACC preseason poll by the conference coaches. Duke was selected to capture the crown, followed by Wake Forest, a 2006 College Cup participant along with UVa.
“It appears that we’ve been picked third, and that’s probably fair,” Gelnovatch said. “We don’t pay too much attention to that. I feel our conference is as good as it’s ever been. I say that not just this year, but the past several years. Last year there were seven ACC teams in the nation’s top 10 at one point. And that’s unbelievable. It’s a great conference. I thoroughly enjoy the weekly battles, and I feel that it will be another year of great attendance here at Klöckner.”
The 2007 Cavaliers play some of the nation’s elite at Klöckner Stadium. ACC rivals North Carolina, Duke, Virginia Tech, and Boston College visit Charlottesville, as do traditional power St. John’s and intrastate foes Richmond and Liberty. Columbia, Campbell, Mount St. Mary’s, Florida Atlantic, and Mercer also visit, as the Cavaliers play 12 games this season at home.
“There are nine teams in the conference, so we’re guaranteed eight big-time games. When you play an ACC opponent, you’re playing a nationally ranked opponent. That’s about half of our schedule. We’re also playing at SMU, who is generally a top 5 opponent. That will be a good challenge for us. Then we host St. John’s who is also in the top 5. Those are our marquee non-conference games.”