Riding the strength of back-to-back shutouts, the No. 2 Virginia men's soccer team prepares to host William & Mary tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Klockner Stadium.
The Tribe (5-2-1) is a familiar opponent for the Cavaliers (5-0-1), and one Virginia hasn't had much success against recently. Since 1998, William & Mary is 2-0-1 against the Cavaliers. On Sept. 27, 2000 - the last time these two teams met - the Tribe took home a 3-2 overtime win.
"Since I've been the coach here we haven't beaten them, home or away," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "I think that's something that's sitting in backs of all of our heads."
Sophomore forward Alecko Eskandarian returns to the Virginia lineup tonight after sitting out the Cavaliers' 2-0 win over North Carolina on Saturday. Eskandarian was Virginia's leading scorer last year, and currently leads the team with five goals.
William & Mary enters tonight's matchup on a streak of its own. The Tribe is 2-0-1 in its last three matches, with wins over High Point and UNC-Greensboro.
"We haven't beaten [William & Mary] in like five years," said Ryan Gibbs, Virginia junior forward and second leading scorer. "We really want to go out there and play well, keep up the intensity."
"Our mission this year is to win every game, and we're not going to treat [this] one any differently," Gelnovatch said.
William & Mary returns its two leading scorers from last season - junior Carlos Garcia (6 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore Phillip Hucles (5 goals). The Tribe also boasts freshman Brian Hinkle, a Parade All-American.
With the return of Eskandarian, the Cavaliers will have their top three scorers on the field. In addition to Eskandarian, Gibbs is a crucial element to the Virginia offense. Gibbs scored both goals in Virginia's 2-0 win over North Carolina, pushing his total to four this season. Junior forward Kyle Martino also has been a bright spot for the Cavaliers this season. He has two goals and six assists.
Despite the lack of recent success against William & Mary, the Cavaliers should feel confident about putting their unbeaten record on the line tonight.
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