If the Virginia men's soccer team is to live up to its No. 3 preseason ranking, it will have to take care of business at home.
Virginia will play 13 of their 17 regular season matches at home, including their first four.
Key home games include a rematch against the defending NCAA champion Maryland Terrapins, who handed the Cavaliers a pivotal 3-0 defeat in mid-October last season. The Terrapins had the best record in the ACC last season at 20-4-1.
The No. 5 UCLA Bruins should also prove to be an early test of Virginia's national status when they come to Charlottesville Sept. 3.
The matches that may very well determine the eventual conference champion likely will take place on Tobacco Road, where Virginia faces off against the preseason favorite No. 1 North Carolina and last year's ACC Tournament champion No. 14 Duke.
The ACC looks to be the toughest soccer conference yet again this year, with seven schools ranked in the top-25 and four in the top-10. Virginia's schedule also features eight teams currently ranked in the preseason top-25. Fortunately, Virginia has compiled some experienced and talented players to handle this tough schedule.
"I think everyone's getting on the same page," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "They understand if you're not playing within the team concept then there is somebody right behind you that is going to do it."
The Cavaliers had three all-ACC selections led by sophomore captain Yannick Reyering. Also making the cut was senior forward Adam Cristman, whose 11 game-winning goals rank highest on the team. The final selection was midfielder Nico Colaluca. The junior has already gotten the year off to a great start, earning a standing ovation after a bending goal outside of the box during Virginia's 3-0 exhibition victory over the VCU Rams last Saturday.
"We've been working on that in practice -- just some free kick plays," Colaluca said. "The goalie moved and left the whole side open, so I just placed it in there."
The Virginia men's soccer program has long been a national presence. Virginia has made the NCAA Tournament for 25 years straight and expects to make it yet again. The question will really be what the Cavaliers will do once they reach it. Virginia has not made it past the third round since 1997 and has not won an NCAA championship since 1994, when they won their fourth consecutive title. However, with an experienced goalie, an All-American forward and the No. 1 recruit in the country, the time seems better than ever for Virginia to finally break through and add another championship to the mantle.
"We have all our guys back," Colaluca said. "We're looking really good."
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