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FALL 2024 21 Virginia's impressive 24-game run. He would go on to captain the squad in 2021 and 2022. "I became pretty close with Andreas pretty fast," Gashi said. "We speak almost the same language, so we understand each other well. I would hear him talk about the 2019 sea- son. He would tell stories about Daryl Dike, and his own experience that season. "It was interesting because that was his first season, so I kind of thought to myself, 'OK, I have to do as well as he did in his first year.'" Gashi would live up to his own expecta- tions in his debut season. He started the first game of 2022 and quickly became a fixture of the Cavalier midfield in a season that saw UVA earn the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Championship with a 10-4-5 record. The Cavaliers would fall on penalties in the semifinals of the ACC Championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite the departure of Ueland for MLS, the Cavaliers took another step forward in 2023. Along with a high-powered offense that saw a trio of Cavalier forwards combine for 20 goals, the team featured a dynamic midfield partnership between Gashi and Italian sophomore Umberto Pelà. The midfield pairing first met at an ID camp (which provides aspiring soccer players a chance to showcase their skills to college and academy coaches) just six months prior to the 2022 season, each vying for an op- portunity to make the UVA roster. "We have talked about it now, and we both remember going into the coaches' of- fice afterwards and talking about who we thought was good," Gashi recalled. "We both wondered if we should mention the other because he could get recruited over me. "In the end, we both said that the other was very good." Before long, Gashi and Pelà each arrived on Grounds not only as teammates, but as roommates. The two established a close bond both on and off the field. "We became best friends and we've been roommates ever since," Gashi said. "He's my closest friend here. We often talk about how we can make the team better and how we can make each other better. "Spending so much time together, you understand each other in a different kind of way both on and off the field. I can see he'll be making a move and I know exactly where he's going to be." That connection flourished on the field in 2023. The Cavaliers posted an 11-4-4 record on their way to becoming the only team in college soccer to earn back-to-back top-eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Virginia would take its postseason journey one step further to the round of 16. Now entering their third seasons, Gashi and Pelà will each serve as captains looking to guide the Cavaliers back to the College Cup. "Being selected as a captain of this team is a huge honor," Gashi said. "For me, it's not just about being part of a successful program with a rich history, but also about representing a school and city that I have truly fallen in love with. "The pride I feel for UVA and its commu- nity makes this role even more special as I get to support and lead a team that means very much to me." With two years of experience in college soc- cer, Gashi has seen and felt what it's like to play in the postseason. He believes the team has the knowledge of what it takes to win in November and is set on improving upon the foundation of a championship team. "As a team we are just trying to play bet- ter possession-based soccer," Gashi said. "We kind of lacked that in previous years. You have to win 24 games to win a national championship. If you want to actually win it, you have to do it with a strong foundation. "I think we are doing a better job with that this year, and if we continue to build on it, then it will show." " Being selected as a captain of this team is a huge honor. For me, it's not just about being part of a successful program with a rich history, but also about representing a school and city that I have truly fallen in love with." GASHI