The Fanatic Magazine - A student-run sports magazine for the UVA fanatic

Back By Popular Demand

Written by Administrator

Tuesday, 09 October 2007

Back by popular demand, it is time once again for all you Fanatics in cyberspace to vote for your Big Man On Campus. Much like VH1's "Beast Week Ever", Big Man On Campus takes a look at the week that was in Cavalier athletics and let's you, the Fanatics, vote for the athlete whose performance warrants the title of BMOC.We kick off the first week of the 2007 BMOC season on the heels of an exciting weekend in Cavalier sports that saw a championship and two nail-biting victories. The themes of this week’s BMOC: bloodlines and streaking! Let’s get to it…

Sample Image First up is a duo of seniors serving up victories on the court. Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey captured the doubles title at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa. The Cavalier team streaked through the doubles draw, dropping only one set in five matches. Devvarman and Huey, the preseason No. 1 duo, topped the No. 20 ranked team of Jonas Berg and Erling Tveit of Mississippi 6-2, 7-5. They became the first ACC team to win the doubles title at the prestigious tournament. The two also enjoyed success in the singles draw of the tournament. Huey reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Robert Farah of Southern California 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Devvarman, the reigning NCAA Champion and top seed, was upset in the semifinals by the eventual champion, Travis Helgeson of Georgia 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. The loss snapped Somdev’s school record 24-match winning streak, dating back to last year.

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Sample Image His father was a professional soccer player and his older brother plays in the NFL; next up is a kicker whose right foot is good as Gould. Senior kicker Chris Gould led the Cavaliers in scoring in 2006 with 51 points and is well on his way to topping that mark this season, with 42 points through six games. Gould kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the victory over Middle Tennessee State; redeeming himself after a missed extra point put the Cavaliers in a 21-20 hole. Although credit has to go to quarterback Jameel Sewell, who drove the Cavaliers down the field in the final 80 seconds, Gould sealed the 23-21 victory with his eighth straight successful field goal. Gould is now 9 of 10 on the season and has not missed a field goal since the second quarter of the Cavaliers’ game against Duke.

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Sample Image They are ranked No. 5 in the nation and have beaten four ranked teams this year; quick, name that Cavalier team. The Virginia women’s soccer team extended a streak of their own last weekend thanks to senior midfielder Shannon Foley’s late game heroics. Her sixth goal of the season netted the Cavaliers an exciting double overtime victory over ACC foe Miami. Foley’s six goals and 17 points lead the team and she is tied for the team lead with five assists. With the victory over the Hurricanes, Virginia extended its unbeaten streak to nine games. During that streak, the Cavaliers have faced six ranked teams and have improved their record to 8-1-3 (2-0-2 ACC). Foley’s golden goal came in the 107th minute of the critical conference matchup, and kept the Cavaliers undefeated at Klockner Stadium.

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Sample Image He looks like his older brother, runs like his older brother, and dons the #21 jersey like his older brother; junior Andrew Pearman may as well be Alvin Pearman 2.0. And Andrew may as well be money too. Older brother Alvin is now in the NFL with the Jaguars, but Andrew is adding to the Pearman family legacy at Virginia. When ACC leading rusher Cedric Peerman went down with a leg injury early in the second quarter, Al Groh and Co. called on Pearman and Keith Payne to share the load. While Payne played well, it was Alvin 2.0 who found paydirt, twice. Andrew finished the game with two rushing touchdowns and 138 total yards from scrimmage. Pearman’s two trips to the endzone and a crucial 20 yard catch on the final drive propelled the Cavaliers to a 23-21 victory over MTSU. With the help of Andrew, the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to five games, their longest such streak since 2004.

There they are fellow Fanatics; your hopefuls for the week that was in Virginia Sports. This is no Sportscenter “Who’s Now” gimmick-- bragging rights and the title of Big Man On Campus are on the line. So cast your votes and until next week, WaHooWa!!