Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 16, 1990 TAG: 9005160028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The runner-up, football and basketball player Matt Blundin, should be familiar. The winner probably is not, although he has begun to assert himself on the college level.
In fact, one of the big reasons behind UVa's resurgence in lacrosse this season is the emergence of faceoff specialist and midfielder George "Gabby" Roe.
Roe, a junior, has taken over for injured All-American Andy Kraus, helping the Cavaliers to an 8-4 record and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. UVa will meet Rutgers (8-4) tonight at 7:30 at Scott Stadium.
Roe was a three-sport All-American at Episcopal Academy in Merion Station, Pa., but he was not as distinguished in lacrosse as wrestling, in which he won the national private-school championship at 170 pounds.
"I didn't play lacrosse until the eighth grade, which is one of the reasons I decided to play lacrosse in college," Roe said. "I figure that was the sport in which there was the greatest room for improvement."
Although he had scored 72 goals Roe and 106 points as a senior in high school, Roe played in only five games as a freshman at Virginia and did not have a goal or an assist.
"I can honestly say I was the worst player on the team," Roe said. "If they had cut one more player, it would have been me. I never won a faceoff. I never got off a shot. It was a reality check."
That Roe didn't win any faceoffs was no surprise. His rival in practice was Kraus, who in 1988 was selected Division I Midfielder of the Year and won 64 percent of his faceoffs against outside opposition.
However, a hamstring injury caused Kraus to miss two games in 1989, and Roe took 80 faceoffs. Then, when Kraus suffered a knee injury in preseason workouts this year, Roe became UVa's primary faceoff man.
"You never want a guy to get hurt," Roe said, "but my reaction was, `Wow, now that he's gone, it's up to me.' I looked upon it as a challenge, a chance to show what I could do. We didn't want to fold because Andy was out."
Roe not only has won 63.4 percent of his 175 faceoffs, but he has scored 21 goals, tops among UVa's midfielders. Another junior middie, Garth Appelt, has won 50 of 80 faceoffs (61.5 percent) and scored a career-high 15 goals.
Appelt was rated as perhaps the best midfielder in the country when he came out of Baltimore's Loyola High in 1987. Roe, on the other hand, was considered less of a sure shot because suburban Philadelphia is not on lacrosse's Main Line.
"There may be 10 players from Pennsylvania playing Division I lacrosse," Roe said, "and three or four are on our team. It's gotten to be a little joke with some of the other guys."
There was little mistaking Roe's athletic skills. He not only was an All-American in soccer, wrestling and lacrosse, but he also had a high of 12 feet, 3 inches in the pole vault while moonlighting for the track team.
"We knew he was a very good athlete," said Jim Adams, UVa's coach. "Whether he could hone his stick skills and gain finesse was his biggest challenge. He was a little rough around the edges, but he's developed a very hard shot with a lot of velocity from 15 feet."
Duke offered Roe a little more scholarship aid, but he decided to join two older brothers, Chris and Rich, at Virginia.
"I never faced off until my senior year [in high school] because my brother [Chris] was doing it," Gabby said. "Whenever we faced off against each other, we got in a fight. That's where I think my wrestling background has helped. I think of each faceoff as a match."
Kraus has elected to take a redshirt year and will return for a final season of eligibility in 1991, but Roe does not foresee a reduction in his duties. In fact, he looks forward to the possibility of playing with Kraus and Appelt.
"Andy said he might not face off at all next year," Roe said. "He thinks that's one of the reasons he hurt his knee. I'll face off every time if Coach lets me."
Roe, who clearly does not lack for confidence, has been known as Gabby since he was a baby.
"Even before I could talk, I was Gabby," he said. "My grandfather, George, was named Gabby because he never shut up. Since my name was George, too, I became `Little Gabby.' "
Still, the name applies.
"Am I talkative?" he asked. "Yes, I've been told that."
\ NOTES: Rutgers is making its first NCAA appearance since 1986 and fourth in 16 seasons under coach Tom Hayes. The Scarlet Knights are led by attackman Steve Luciano with 28 goals and 32 assists and midfielder Greg Rinaldi with 46 goals and 13 assists. Rutgers was 3-0 on the road during the regular season.
by CNB