Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, December 6, 1993 TAG: 9312050184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAVIDSON, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Aren't the winners supposed to be happy?
"That's the sad part," said Bruce Arena, Virginia's coach.
"If Princeton had won, their players would have been jumping up and down and running all over the field. If we'd lost, they'd have been setting up a burial ground for us behind the goal."
The Cavaliers (21-3) will meet South Carolina (15-3-4) at Davidson College at 1:30 p.m. today with the understanding that anything less than a third consecutive national championship could be viewed as a disappointment.
"It's tiring," Arena said. "I'm emotionally and physically drained. But, we're willing to accept that. It goes with the territory.
"Now we're there. We're where we want to be - playing for the national championship. We're aware that many people didn't think we'd get here this year."
Who those people are, Arena hasn't made clear. The Cavaliers were ranked No. 1 for eight consecutive weeks before a five-game stretch in which they lost three games.
Virginia's current eight-game winning streak coincided with the return from injuries of the Cavaliers' top goal-scoring threats, Nate Friends and A.J. Wood. Friends scored all three goals in the 3-1 semifinal victory over Princeton, two on assists from Wood.
Virginia led 3-0 at the half and almost appeared to be going through the motions in the second half.
"It sure looked that way to me," Arena said. "We had enough chances to absolutely bury them. We were capable of putting five, six or seven goals on the scoreboard."
The Cavaliers have enough talent that Arena could afford to hold out All-America defender Clint Peay because of a strained hamstring and rest All-America midfielder Claudio Reyna after he suffered cramps with 18 minutes, 10 seconds remaining.
"If we can't hold a two-goal lead for 18 minutes without Claudio, then we don't deserve to be national champions," said Arena, who expects to have Reyna and Peay today.
Reyna, a junior, is likely to pass up his senior year to try out for the U.S. World Cup team, although he is expected to receive professional offers as well.
"Claudio held us together [while his teammates were injured]," Arena said. "They should be sending him all the player-of-the-year trophies now and saving money on banquets and press conferences. Give him his due."
Virginia has not met South Carolina since 1989, when UVa beat the Gamecocks 1-0 in a quarterfinal en route to its first NCAA championship, a shared title with Santa Clara.
South Carolina, playing for a national championship for only the third time in any sport, needed a goal by Jamie Posnanski with 8:07 remaining to get past Cal State-Fullerton 1-0 in Friday's second semifinal.
"I think Virginia will have an edge because it had a significantly easier game," said Al Mistri, Fullerton's coach. "If it were my team going to the final, we would have a difficult time because it was a very emotional, very strenuous game."
Arena fretted that the Gamecocks, who have shut out three of five NCAA Tournament opponents, might choose not to run with the Cavaliers.
"We'll see," South Carolina coach Mark Berson said mischievously.
by CNB