Two years ago, then-freshman Patrick Nyarko led the Virginia Tech Hokies to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Virginia men's soccer team at Klöckner Stadium. Tonight, as the in-state rivals go head-to-head once again, that memory serves as additional motivation for the Cavaliers to pick up their first ACC win of the season.
"Tonight is going to be our biggest game of the year -- it's our home ACC opener," Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. "We are very conscious and aware that they're a talented team and we have a lot of respect for them. We are hoping for an exciting game."
Back in 2005, Virginia Tech trailed 1-0 with a little under 10 minutes to go in the game. In a span of just eight minutes, Nyarko put two goals past Virginia and the Cavaliers left the field stunned.
"Patrick Nyarko single-handedly, two years ago, beat us here" Gelnovatch said. "For me, he is one of the most dangerous guys in college soccer."
In last year's contest, Virginia picked up the win in Blacksburg, outscoring the Hokies 3-1. Since then, however, Gelnovatch feels that Virginia Tech has improved greatly and should no longer be considered one of the weaker ACC teams.
Indeed, Virginia Tech (6-1-1, 1-0-0) is ahead of Virginia (6-1-1, 0-0-0) in the ACC after having already won a conference match. The No. 4 Cavaliers, however, outrank the No. 12 Hokies on the national level, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
Virginia's ACC opener against N.C. State last weekend resulted in a 2-2 draw. Coaches and players alike focused this week on heading into tonight's match fully prepared. In an effort to avoid the fatigue that plagued the team last Saturday, the Virginia coaching staff worked hard to manage players' cumulative minutes this past week, especially during the mid-week contest against Mount St. Mary's.
"It's been a tough stretch of two weeks," Gelnovatch said."But some guys are making some progress who normally are getting just a little time. Some first-year guys and some second-year guys are making some real progress as we rest the starters.At the very least, it just makes us deeper."
Also working in the Cavaliers' favor tonight is their home-field advantage. Virginia remains a formidable force in Charlottesville, dropping only one game at Klöckner since the beginning of last season. That said, while the Hokies will deal with a hostile environment, they proved they could overcome the challenge two years ago.
"It's a really big rivalry," sophomore Ross LaBauex said. "I'm not from here but I can tell that all the Virginians get up for this. I feel like it will be a packed house and I'm excited for it. We just have to make sure we come out hard and get a victory."