Cavs plan to rely on offense

Hopefully, for the sake of the Virginia women’s soccer team, the old axiom of “defense wins championships” isn’t true. If it is, UVa coach Steve Swanson could have some rough sailing ahead.

Swanson, whose 11th-ranked squad opens its regular season tonight at sixth-ranked Penn State, has an entirely new back line. Gone are mainstays Sarah Senty, Nikki Krzysik, Alex Singer and Alli Fries. In their place are … well, that’s still up in the air.

In the exhibition win over Georgetown last Sunday, sophomores Katie Carr and Maggie Kistner started in the middle, while sophomore Amanda Fancher and junior Kika Toulouse played on the outside. But freshmen Morgan Stith, Emily Carrollo and Kiley Naylor, along with fifth-year senior Blair Weymouth, are also in the mix for playing time.

“It’s very difficult when you lose the kind of experience we had in the back,” Swanson said. “To think that you can get it all back before the first game is unrealistic.

“But a real positive sign for us is that we’ve gotten better every single day. Just from the [Notre Dame exhibition game to the Georgetown exhibition] there was a lot of progress.”

The good news for Swanson is that sophomore goalie Chantel Jones, who took last season off to play for the United States under-20 team, is back in the fold. Jones, one of the top goalies in the country, should be a nice anchor for the young unit in front of her.

“Defense is definitely our challenge this year,” Jones said. “The group that just graduated carried our team for four years. To have them leave is a big void.

“But this whole preseason we’ve been working on defense and I’m pretty confident in it. The first-years are incredible. They’re fast, they’re fit and they’re willing to listen — and that’s all you need.”

If all else fails, Virginia can just outgun the opposition. This year’s group of forwards and midfielders could be one of the deepest and most potent of Swanson’s tenure.

Up front, Virginia returns sophomores Meghan Lenczyk and Lauren Alwine. Last season, Lenczyk had a team-leading 11 goals, while Alwine had a team-leading 14 assists. In addition, UVa added freshman Caroline Miller, one of the most heralded recruits in the country. Miller looked extremely sharp in the win over Georgetown, tallying two goals.

“The thing about Caroline is that she has, like [many of her teammates], the ability to really create some problems on her own,” Swanson said.

The midfield is just as talented. Senior Jess Rostedt, who has battled injuries the last couple of years, appears to be close to top form. The unit also features senior Caitlin Miskel, juniors Sinead Farrelly and Colleen Flanagan, and freshman Julia Roberts.

“I’m really, really excited,” said Farrelly, who was named to the preseason Hermann Trophy watch list, putting her in the company of the top 45 players in the nation. “It’s awesome. We have girls who can play anywhere. We have center-mids who can play outside and also up front.

“It’s definitely our most offensive-minded group since I’ve been here. I think that’s what we need, especially when our defense is taking a while [to jell]. At least we can get good offense.”

Virginia will be looking to break through in the postseason. Last season, the Cavaliers were in upset in the NCAA Sweet 16 by Duke.

However, a tough early-season schedule, starting with tonight’s contest against the Nittany Lions, won’t be any walk in the park.

“This will be a good test for us — away from home, against a top 10 team at their place,” Swanson said. “But I think we have to understand that we’re still evolving as a team, and as a defensive team.”