If you were to poll most Division I college coaches from around the country on the definition of a successful season, reaching an NCAA tournament while trampling the competition in an undefeated conference season would ultimately rate as quite successful for most programs. Not for head coach George Gelnovatch and the Virginia men’s soccer team.

Last fall, Gelnovatch’s dominant Cavalier squad became the first ever squad to sweep its conference foes without allowing a single goal in conference play. The likes of North Carolina and Clemson were simply no match for Virginia in September and October, but in November, something happened to the Cavaliers that happens to so many teams throughout the athletic year: they ran into a roadblock.

“I don’t think we prepared for the postseason like we should have,” Gelnovatch said. “We had some injuries at the end of the season and it hurt us going into the NCAA tournament. Not very many teams go to the ACC tournament final year after year, but we have done it for quite a few years now. We are going to try to be better prepared for the postseason after the ACC tournament.”

The roadblock came in the form of Tigers and Pirates, as Clemson derailed the roaring train that was the Cavaliers in the annual conference tournament, while Seton Hall drove a sword through the hearts of Virginia fans in Klockner Stadium, when they upset Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was certainly an unexpected early end to a season that started with so much promise.

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