Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 27, 1995 TAG: 9511280064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
It wasn't the same as playing, though.
Shapowal, who missed the last half of the 1994 season after breaking an ankle, made up for lost time Sunday when he scored two goals in Virginia's 4-0 victory over Hartwick.
It was the most lopsided victory in 42 NCAA Tournament games for the Cavaliers, who will entertain Brown in the third round Dec.3. The Bruins (16-3) advanced with a 2-0 triumph over Lafayette.
Top-ranked Virginia, which extended its unbeaten streak to an ACC-record tying 32 games, got two goals apiece from junior Mike Fisher and Shapowal. Fisher, a national player of the year candidate, has 19 goals for the season.
Shapowal has eight goals, but three have come in the NCAA Tournament. His first goal Sunday, with 21:29 remaining in the first half, gave Virginia some room to breathe after a few anxious moments.
``I wasn't pleased with my performance the first week'' of the tournament, said Shapowal, a sophomore midfielder. ``I never felt comfortable the whole time; I was never certain whether I should be going forward or coming back.''
Shapowal did not play in the NCAA Tournament last year, but that did not contribute to his uneasiness. He started all 12 games in which he played before his injury in 1994.
``I was pretty fortunate that I was able to travel last year and at least get a taste of it that way,'' said Shapowal, the national player of the year when he was a high school senior in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. ``So, it wasn't like I was a complete rookie.''
Although Virginia controlled the early action, Hartwick (13-6-2) had an opportunity to take the lead when a breakdown in the Cavaliers' defense led to a three-on-one break with a little less than 26 minutes remaining in the first half.
UVa freshman Scott Vermillion created enough indecision among the Hawks' attackers that All-America defender Brandon Pollard was able to get back and block a shot before it ever reached Cavaliers' goalie Yuri Sagatov.
``Against a team like this, you may only get one or two quality chances,'' said Hartwick midfielder Jim DeCillo. ``That was our first one we were going to get, and we didn't take advantage of it.''
The Cavaliers had a chance to regroup during a TV timeout - there was one during each half - and needed little more than a minute to take the lead on Shapowal's blast, which clipped the inside of the right post from 25 yards.
``I've been complaining all week about the TV timeouts,'' said UVa coach Bruce Arena, ``but I think they saved us today. I certainly didn't expect us to win 4-0. Andriy's goal was a big early lift.''
The Cavaliers outshot unranked Hartwick 17-5 and Sagatov wasn't required to make a save until the second half, when he had three. It was UVa's sixth shutout victory of the season, two in the past three games.
``It's the ultimate challenge for a college soccer team,'' said Hartwick coach Jim Lennox. ``Virginia, obviously, is the premier team in college soccer. They haven't just talked about it; they've done it on the field.''
Lennox is qualified to make such a judgment, having directed the Hawks to an NCAA championship (1977) and more NCAA Tournament victories (36) than all but three programs. Virginia, by comparison, has 29.
``Soccer's a stupid game and anything can happen,'' Lennox said, ``but the only way they're [the Cavaliers] not going to win another championship is they've got to lose it. Somebody else isn't going to win it.''
by CNB