So Long to the Sports Year

UVa's Ben Rubeor makes the behind-the-head pass.

The year in University of Virginia sports came to a close last weekend when the baseball team's season ended in the Charlottesville Regional. It was a disappointing end to a successful season for Brian O'Connor's club - the Cavaliers set a school record for wins and hosted their second NCAA Regional in the past three seasons.

Of course, the Cavaliers' season-long success in baseball was part of what was a pretty good year for the Hoos in athletics. Among the programs finding great success in 2005-06 with NCAA Tournament apperances: men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, baseball, women's golf, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's swimming. The men's and women's basketball teams both earned postseason berths in the NIT and WNIT, respectively, while the football team won the Music City Bowl.

The best of the best was the men's lacrosse team, which rolled to a 17-0 record and the NCAA Championship. The team won on average by more than 8 goals as the Hoos dominated nearly everyone they faced. In fact, just one game - a one-goal win against Princeton - was decided by less than four goals. In short, this group was simply amazing.

All in all, that's a solid sports year for Cavalier fans. Count me among those with one thought in mind: Can't wait for 2006-07 to get started!

Kris Wright
TheSabre.com

All 10 commitments are expected to be in Charlottesville tomorrow for UVa's Blue Chip day. Those players will certainly help the staff try and reel in the uncommitted prospects that plan to be there as well. Those players include Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.) TE Mason Cloy, Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh, PA) TE Andrew Devlin, Highland Springs CB/ATH Cris Hill, Stone Bridge OL Andrew Nuss, and Salesianum (Wilmington, DE) TE Andrew Szczerba.

Stay tuned on Sunday for reaction from Saturday's event, which UVa hopes to be as successful as it has been in years past.

John Bivens

The football program received a boost of sorts this week when Prince George (VA) LB John Bivens was not selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Had Bivens been drafted and received the amount of money he was looking for, he would have foregone his UVa football scholarship and played professional baseball.

The 6-2, 215-pound Bivens projects as a linebacker at Virginia. With an effort toward getting faster and more athletic at the linebacker position, keeping Bivens in the fold is big for the staff. While he only played varsity football his sophomore and senior seasons (skipped his junior year to concentrate on baseball), he is regarded as one of UVa's top signees because of his athleticism and ability.

Bivens plans to play both football and baseball for UVa. He will enroll next month.

In what would not be good news, there remains serious concern over Glassboro (N.J.) linebacker George Johnson, Jr. and if he will be accepted by UVa Admissions. The 6-5, 215-pound Johnson is a fast, athletic linebacker prospect who has an excellent frame to add and carry more weight. If he is not accepted by UVa, there is a good chance he would never play for the Hoos.

Johnson has qualified in terms of NCAA standards.

Stay tuned to TheSabre.com for further updates on Johnson as well as other 2006 signees.

Deep Run DE Sean Gottschalk and Vance (Charlotte, N.C.) S Rico Bell are two 2006 signees who will enroll at UVa next month. After a winter and spring full of training, Gottschalk says he is in the best shape of his life at 6-5, 265 pounds. The 5-11, 193-pound Bell recently captured the 4A state title in the 100 meters. Bell, who projects as a safety at Virginia, matched a meet record with an outstanding time of 10.48 seconds.

Check out the EDGE articles on each prospect.

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Thread of the Week

Sabre Edge subscribers were treated to a trip down memory lane this week as Sabre-ites discussed some of the memorable moments of Al Groh's tenure. Here's a look at a few of the flashbacks.

Subject: Today's Top 10 List -- The Second Edition
Posted by: JHoo on Thu Jun 8 2006 10:45:51 AM
Message: Today's "keep the board moving" list:

What moments stand out from the Al Groh Era at Virginia?

Top Ten Memorable -- not necessarily good -- Moments Of The Groh Era

1. The afternoon during which Parham, Brooks, and Johnson committed.
2. The 4th down stop against Pitt in the second CTB.
3. The walk out of the tunnel for the first CTB.
4. Canty's last injury.
5. Hughes's kicks against WFU.
6. Art Thomas's catch to start the second half of the Tech game.
7. The fake field goal to end the same game.
8. The feeling walking off the field after beating PSU to end Groh's first year.
9. The 4th down conversion by Fresno State to tie the Boise Bowl at the end of regulation.
10. Lyles's and Willie Davis's injuries (I just cannot separate the two in my mind).

Some other moments just missing the list: McMullen's stumbling into the endzone on an end-around; Heath Miller's reach for the pylon against Clemson; Lundy's first fumble at Tech two years ago; Weeks's KO returns for TDs against UNC; Groh's "chess" comment; the day Golden came on board; the day we knew that we had lost Jarrett; Alex Seals's hit and caused fumble against USC; Pearman's catch against Tech two years ago; the holding call that brought back Pearman's long run at the start of the second half of the Boise Bowl (as mad as I have ever been over a call, I admit); Hagans's escapes (there is no single one) versus FSU last year; Hamilton's interception to end last year's bowl game; Stupar's return to practice after his surgery; the called-back TD return by Canty in the NCS game; Lyles's hit in last year's UMD game; the atmosphere at Doak in our last game there.

I am sure that I have left others off.

Subject: Not sexy and it didn't have much of an impact on the game but ...
Posted by: sobocav on Thu Jun 8 2006 2:51:09 PM
Message: I still find Kurt Smith's touchback against Miami last year amazing. Kickers across the country, pro and college, have trouble even getting it close to the endzone from the normal kickoff yardline. Smith pinned them from the 20. That's the type of play that if it was done at home, would be more fondly remembered.

Want in on the conversation? Join the Sabre Edge Today!

Gooooaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllll!

The World Cup takes center stage this month as soccer teams from around the globe compete in Germany. Want to discuss the action with fellow futbol fanactics? We've got you covered! The Sabre's Soccer Message Board is the perfect place to rant and rave about the World Cup.

Fan of the Week

Every week, theSabre.com features a Fan of the Week photo on the front page of the Web site. (Archives are available in the Wahoowa! section.) So you want to be the fan of the week? It's easy - be the loudest Hoo at a live UVa event, wear some crazy Cavalier gear, or do something else to catch our attention. If Mike or Kris spot you and take your picture, you'll be in the running for Fan of the Week honors!

Newslink - Your One Stop Shop for UVa News

TheSabre.com provides an excellent service for the Virginia fan base that you may not know about: Newslink. Sabre NewsLink provides you with links to the daily news on your Hoos. Our staff checks the Internet each morning to locate and link to articles from various online media sources from around the state and beyond. We even throw some interesting ACC news to let you know what the Hoos' opponents are up to. Sabre NewsLink is updated every morning, 365 days a year!

Check out Sabre NewsLink today,

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

Marcus Hamilton

• Hamilton Listed on Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List: Virginia senior cornerback Marcus Hamilton is one of 56 players named in the preseason to the 2006 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced on Thursday. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football, has been a staple of the FWAA's awards since 1993.
• Four Virginia Softball Players Earn VASID All-State Honors: Four University of Virginia softball players have been named to the 11-member 2006 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State University Division Softball Second Team. Seniors Erin Horn and Jessica Taylor, junior Amy McKean, and sophomore Lindsey Preuss each garnered VaSID All-State Second Team honors.
• Wigger Picks Up More All-America Honors: Virginia junior golfer Leah Wigger has been named a second-team All-American by Golfweek. It is the second organization to recognize her as an All-American. At the NCAA Championships Wigger was announced as a second team All-American by the National Golf Coaches Association. She is the first player in the three-year history of the Virginia program to earn All-America honors.
• Crawford Qualifies for Semis at NCAA Track and Field Championships: Virginia's Erin Crawford, the school record holder in the 400 intermediate hurdles, advanced to the semifinals of that event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, running a 57.36 and finishing second in her heat. Crawford joins ACC Champion Billie Jo Grant, who advanced in the discus competition, as part of the Cavalier contingent to move on in the meet.
• O'Connor Named Coach of the Year; Doolittle Earns All-America Honors from CBF: Virginia head baseball coach Brian O'Connor was named a College Baseball Foundation Coach of the Year and LHP/1B Sean Doolittle was named to the College Baseball Foundation's All-American team announced by the organization.
• Kyser Named Assistant Field Hockey Coach at Virginia: USA Field Hockey National Squad member Alexandra Kyser has been appointed as an assistant coach for the Virginia field hockey program. Kyser, an All-American at Michigan State, joins her former head coach on the sidelines in Charlottesville after assisting in East Lansing during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

Sabre articles from the past week

Best Seat in the House: Around the University
The Best Seat in the House's latest addition is a segment called "Around the U", a quick-hitting tour around the world of University of Virginia sports. This edition features the Sabre's Kris Wright, former Cavalier and Texas Ranger pitcher Mike Ballard, and UVa prospect and Boston Red Sox draftee Ryan Kalish. Check out the new feature here and catch another "Around the U" segment tonight on the Best Seat, which airs from 6 to 7 p.m. on Charlottesville's WINA AM 1070.

Best Seat in the House: UVa Recruit John Bivens
John Bivens signed a letter-of-intent in February with the Virginia football program, but his arrival at UVa wasn't certain until this week. After waiting out the Major League Baseball Draft, Bivens' future with the Cavalier football program is now clear - he'll be a Hoo next season. Bivens joined Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House on Wednesday to talk about baseball, football, his expected position with the Cavs, and more.

Photo Gallery: Charlottesville Regional
The Virginia baseball team hosted its second NCAA Tournament Regional in three years this weekend, welcoming three other teams to Charlottesville. The tourney ended on a bitter note for the Cavs, who were eliminated on Sunday. Check out some of the images from the Hoos' games with Lehigh and Evansville in this 95-photo gallery that features Sean Doolittle, Tom Hagan, Brian O'Connor, Greg Miclat, and more!

Cavaliers Make Early Exit
In 33 regular season games, just three opponent hits sailed over the blue walls that surround Davenport Field's outfield. The NCAA Regional participants that visited Charlottesville this weekend surpassed that in just three games as Lehigh, South Carolina, and Evansville (twice) all hit home runs against Virginia's vaunted pitching staff. The first one was harmless. The last three? Season ending.

Gamecocks Top UVa in Grand Fashion
Yes Virginia, superman is human. Do it all, two-way star and Second Team All-American Sean Doolittle apparently is not perfect after all. The "Untouchable?" Touchable. Virginia (47-14) ace and ACC Player of the Year Sean Doolittle retired the first six batters he faced, but gave up a grand slam that was the key hit in UVa's 8-2 loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

Cavaliers Win Opener in Regional
Lehigh opened the 2006 Charlottesville Regional with a bang but concluded the first game of the weekend with a whimper as host Virginia quickly erased the 2-0 deficit en route to an 11-5 victory Friday. Starter Mike Ballard pitched 6.2 innings to get the win for the Hoos.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

UVa's Blue Chip Day
The UVa staff is hosting Blue Chip day tomorrow. The day is not expected to be as populated as in year's past in terms of uncommitted prospects, but the day can still be a success. And, with limited scholarships available, there aren't too many targets remaining anyway. All ten verbal commitments are expected to be in attendance to help woo the uncommitted players expected to be in attendance.

5-Star Prospect Plans to Cut List Next Week
Rated the #1 overall prospect in the country by Scout.com and the #2 overall prospect by Rivals.com, Coolidge (Washington, D.C.) defensive lineman Marvin Austin is a top priority for Division 1A coaches all across the country. Austin says he plans to narrow his long list of schools down on June 14th, in what will be his first major cut.

Thomas Staying Open
5-9, 170-pound Patrick Henry (Ashland, VA) star D.J. Thomas came close in recent weeks to making an early decision, but has decided to stick with his original plan of committing after his senior season. The standout running back/defensive back talked about his near decision as well as what his plans are for the summer.

Bell Looking to Make Big Impact at UVa
On February's Signing Day, Virginia head football coach Al Groh said the following about Vance (Charlotte, N.C.) safety prospect Rico Bell: "Well, with the Super Bowl coming up, one of the players everyone is talking about is Troy Polamalu, the impressive safety for the Steelers. Rico Bell we hope will be that kind of player," Groh said. "He's a very aggressive, always moving forward, very contact oriented player. He's a good, solid student. He has a good, solid family support system. He really fits the model of what we're trying to create back there with a hard-charging, playmaking type of safety." Whenever he is able to contribute, Bell hopes to live up to coach Groh's expectations.

Devlin to Begin Next Round of Visits
Andrew Devlin, one of the top tight end recruits in the East, has narrowed his list to "about 10 or 12 schools." The Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh, PA) star hopes to make a commitment before the beginning of his senior season and plans to make a number of unofficial visits this fall - starting this weekend at the University of Virginia.

Nuss Takes Key Visit
Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) star Andrew Nuss did make his much anticipated unofficial visit to Notre Dame this past weekend. We caught up with Andrew to discuss the experience as well as his performance in the one day combine, which could determine whether or not the Irish extend an official scholarship offer.

Q&A with Sean Gottschalk
Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) standout defensive end Sean Gottschalk verbally committed to Virginia on July 13, 2005, over scholarship offers from many programs including Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Virginia Tech. Gottschalk signed with UVa in February and has been preparing for his arrival in Charlottesville on July 10th. TheSabre.com caught up with Sean to find out what he has been up to this off-season, to take a look back at his recruiting process and more.

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