There was one blemish on the Virginia men's soccer team's ACC record last season: a home loss to Duke.
The game, which cost Virginia sole possession of first place in the ACC and was one of only two home losses, still bothers the Virginia players.
But the No. 2 Cavaliers (11-0-1, 4-0 ACC) will get a chance to avenge the loss when they travel to Durham, N.C., to face Duke (7-5, 2-1) on Saturday night at 8 p.m.
"Last year they came to our place and beat us, 3-2," sophomore forward Alecko Eskandarian said. "I know I haven't forgotten about that. It's fresh on my mind [and] I'm looking forward to payback."
The Cavaliers won their 10th consecutive game Wednesday, beating Mercer, 2-1. Though the Cavaliers allowed their first goal in over 657 minutes, second-half goals from senior forward Sheldon Barnes and Eskandarian gave Virginia the victory.
Meanwhile, Duke needed overtime to narrowly beat Campbell (2-8-1), 2-1, on Wednesday and extend its winning streak to three games. Sophomore forward Jordan Cila, second in the ACC in points, scored the golden goal in the 100th minute to give the Blue Devils a win.
Cila has seven goals and eight assists to lead the Blue Devils, a preseason top-20 team that has failed to live up to expectations. Nevertheless, Virginia is not taking Duke lightly.
"I know we'll be up for Duke," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "They're a good team. They may not be as good as they have been in the past, but they are very capable of beating us."
For the Blue Devils to beat the Cavaliers, they will have to score on a defense that has shut out seven opponents and is allowing only 0.67 goals per game.
"Duke's always a big game, our biggest rivals in conference," Eskandarian said. "They're a good team and they're always going to play us hard, so it's going to be a battle, especially at their place."
Ranked second in the country, the Cavaliers will continue to be the hunted. A Blue Devil victory against Virginia could serve as a major boost for Duke.
Duke "will be very enthusiastic," Gelnovatch said. "They're doing fairly well in the conference. In a year where their record isn't what it normally is, this would propel them to the national limelight - beating the No. 2 team in the country."
The Virginia offense is led by Eskandarian and junior midfielder Kyle Martino, who was named ACC player of the week for the second time this season. Martino has five goals and seven assists on the year. Eskandarian, the team's leading scorer with six goals, expects the team to come out strong against the Blue Devils.
"I think we're going to win" in Durham, he said. "We're going to look to take care of business just like we have been all year."
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