With the ACC Tournament looming just 10 days away, the No. 5 Virginia men's soccer team is making preparations for what it hopes will be a postseason run to remember.
Instead of adding extra meetings, practices and matches to the schedule, however, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch has elected to give his players a few days of well-deserved rest before Saturday's game against No. 12 Virginia Tech.
After knocking off Liberty 2-0 at home last Saturday, the squad took Monday and Tuesday off and, for the first time all season, had no mid-week match.
"We planned it this way," Gelnovatch said. "It was a conscious decision to backload some rest into the schedule."
Following a grueling eight games this month, the team welcomed the brief respite wholeheartedly.
"We're going to get a lot of sleep this week," freshman defender Robby Rogers said last weekend. "It's going to be nice."
Though practice on Monday was cancelled, the team spent its afternoon off visiting the U.Va. Children's Hospital. The players spoke with the young patients for several hours and made many new friends throughout the course of the day. The visit has become an annual tradition the team looks forward to each fall.
The well-rested squad's next test comes Saturday when a resilient Virginia Tech squad comes north to Charlottesville. Despite holding the short end of a 31-2-0 series stick, the Hokies upended the Cavaliers 2-1 last year in Blacksburg and look to do the same Saturday. Virginia Tech (9-3-4) has been on a roll in the last few weeks with shutout wins against North Carolina, N.C. State and Radford. Tech freshman forward Patrick Nyarko has been particularly impressive with six goals and four assists in just eight starts.
Nyarko, however, will have his work cut out for him with stalwart goalkeeper Ryan Burke guarding the net. Burke has been stellar all season long, recording 39 saves and allowing just 12 goals in the team's 15 matches.
"He makes himself big," Gelnovatch said of Burke. "He doesn't jump too early and takes good angles."
Moreover, if Virginia is able to hold its opponents scoreless in either of the team's final two matches, Burke will tie the school record for shutouts in a single season with eleven. The mark is currently held by former Cavalier greats Tony Meola (1988) and Bob Willen (1987).
"He's amazing," freshman forward Yannick Reyering said. "He's the perfect example of a good goalie, and his focus has been a major reason behind our success this year."
Saturday's match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium and will be the second half of a Virginia doubleheader. The women's team will face N.C. State at 5 p.m.
The men's regular season finale will be played next Friday at No. 19 Wake Forest.SEASON RECORDS
- Overall record: 11-2-2
- Record in the conference: 5-1-0
- Leading scorer: Freshman Yannick Reyering, 11
goals
- Record at home: 8-0-1
- Record away: 3-2-1
- Score last time U.Va. faced Va. Tech: 2-1, Tech
- All-time record against Va. Tech: 31-3-0
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