Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, December 12, 1994 TAG: 9412140024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAVIDSON, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
""This one's unique,'' coach Bruce Arena said Sunday after UVa defeated No. 1-ranked Indiana 1-0 before a sellout crowd of 12,033 at Richardson Field.
It was the fourth consecutive title for the UVa seniors, but the first without former classmate Claudio Reyna, a two-time national player of the year who had given them an air of invincibility.
""I remember reading in one of the preseason publications that `now Virginia is on an even field with everybody,' '' Arena said. ""I think we've answered our critics.''
The Cavaliers entered Sunday's game without assist leader Mike Fisher, who was unavailable after receiving his third caution of the postseason, but handed Indiana (23-3) its first shutout of the season.
""You don't get a goal, you don't deserve to be the champion,'' Hoosiers' coach Jerry Yeagley said. ""You get the highest of highs in this profession and you get the lowest of lows, and it doesn't get much lower than this.''
Virginia (22-3-1) got the only score it needed when senior A.J. Wood trapped a centering pass from Brandon Pollard with his chest and booted it past Indiana goalie Scott Coufal with 24:54 remaining before halftime.
""Both goals they scored (Friday) came on balls served in the box by Pollard and we said, "We've got to watch him,' '' Yeagley said
""Wood bringing that ball down and keeping such tight control ... that's big-time stuff. The goal they scored was a tremendous piece of work.''
It was a record 13th goal in NCAA Tournament for Wood, who also added to a school record with his 23rd goal of the season. However, he had not previously scored in a championship game.
""That was something that had played on my mind,'' Wood said. ""I scored in the semifinals my first two years, but nothing as big as this.''
Numerous restarts kept either team from establishing momentum, but Indiana had a great opportunity to tie the score on a shot by All-America midfielder Brian Maissoneuve with 4:07 remaining before halftime.
Maissoneuve's blasted the ball past Virginia goalie Mark Peters, but found the forehead of Cavaliers' midfielder Billy Walsh, a freshman who had jumped into an open spot in front of the goal.
""That was basically the only place I could have gone,'' Walsh said. ""Really, I don't know how I got there. Just luck, I guess.''
Walsh had scored the winning goal Friday afternoon in the Cavaliers' 2-1 victory over Rutgers in the semifinals, although UVa's performance in that game left Arena stewing.
""We were disappointed with our play Friday to the point where we were embarrassed,'' Arena said. ""I watched Indiana (in a 4-1 win over UCLA) and that was like a stroll in the park.''
Arena felt the key was to contain the Hoosiers' high-scoring midfield, which wasn't going to be easy without Fisher, whose suspension followed a delay-of- game with 1:38 left against Rutgers.
""When players go down, you've got to replace them,'' Arena said. ""We weren't going to make an issue of it. If we lost, we weren't going to make any excuses.''
Junior David Fitzmaurice started in Fisher's place and the Cavaliers substituted liberally. At one point late in the game, they had three freshmen on the field, two of them non-starters.
""I consider Virginia a great attacking team it surprised me the way they played,'' Indiana midfielder Brandon Ward said. ""If they can adjust their game like that, more power to them.''
Arena stressed that Virginia has been pressuring the ball for the last six weeks, but explained that some loss of punch was natural with the switch from Fisher to Fitzmaurice. UVa was outshot, 11-9, for the first time since 1992.
""I felt we were a big underdog today,'' Walsh said. ""It was the first time that I felt the other team probably had more talent than we did, but I'm sure the older guys felt it was just like every other game.''
With the victory, Virginia's senior class of Wood, Clint Peay, Nate Friends and Tain Nix became the first to play on fourth consecutive NCAA championship teams in any sport. UCLA's string of men's basketball titles came when freshmen were ineligible.
""Somebody mentioned to me, "Is this going to mean more because you're playing a really good team?' '' Arena, who has five championships since 1989, related. "I said, "I thought the last four were pretty good teams, too.'
""This was a dream match-up because Indiana was ranked No. 1, but everytime we win one, it's special because we're doing something nobody else has accomplished. It's something that may never be accomplished again in Division I athletics.''
by CNB