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AUGUST 2023 9 cavalier sports D uring its recent tour of Italy, the UVA wom- en's soccer team went through training sessions, played three games and attended two professional matches. Many of the Cav- aliers' most memorable moments abroad, though, occurred away from the pitch. "We were playing soccer, and soccer's impor- tant there," graduate student goalkeeper Cayla White said, "but [the tour] allowed us to bond off the field more so than just coming in and bonding during preseason." The team left for Italy on May 25 and returned to the United States about two weeks later. The Wahoos were missing two of their best players — second-years Maggie Cagle and Jill Flammia were representing the United States at the CONCACAF U-20 Women's Championship in the Dominican Republic — but the traveling party included the team's five first-year players. "That was huge," coach Steve Swanson said. "I think all the things that usually happen during the preseason happened during this time in Italy." This was the Hoos' first trip abroad since 2017, when they toured France. They flew into Rome, where they stayed for six days and visited the city's most famous attractions, including the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum. Their next stop was Florence, where they spent four days before moving on to Como. Other high- lights included a trip to Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera, a bike tour of the town of Lucca, and a visit to a farm where the team made pasta. They took a boat tour of Como and visited the village of Bel- lagio in that region. There was time for some soccer, too. The Cavaliers played three games in Italy. They defeated AS Roma 5-1, lost 3-1 to Ternana and tied Como 2-2. Not having Cagle and Flammia hindered the Hoos, as did injuries to sev- eral other players. Virginia did not have close to a full complement of players for any of the games. That was less than ideal, but the Cavaliers pushed through the adversity. "We didn't get all the results that we wanted," White said, "but we can fix those areas when it comes to the preseason." White, whose play in goal helped Virginia advance to the NCAA quarterfinals last fall, is heading into her fifth year in the program. So is graduate student defender Lacey McCormack. "I think playing the Italian teams was a great learning experience for our team," McCormack said. "The competition was really tough, aside from the first game." For McCormack, the highlights of the tour in- cluded the team's stay in Florence, "because we had a lot of time to ex- plore the city," she said. "Sometimes we had more guided tours, and obviously that's really cool, because you get to learn about the history of a city, but I liked being able to walk around and explore for ourselves." The team attended two pro men's games in Italy, each of which drew more than 70,000 fans. "I have never been to a game that was that packed," White said. "I've been to an MLS game or a women's game over here, and it was nothing compared to what we witnessed over there. Their fans are different, that's for sure. There's so much passion, so much energy. It was different. It was amazing." — Jeff White The UVA women's soccer team went through training ses- sions and played three games in Italy, but also packed in a lot of activities off the pitch. From left to right, Ella Carter, Aniyah Collier, Chloe Japic, Lia Godfrey, Laughlin Ryan, Lacey McCormack and Michaela Moran. (Photo courtesy UVA) behind the scenes Women's Soccer Team Bonds During Its Trip To Italy