The Virginia men’s soccer team will take on ACC foe Clemson at home in Klöckner Stadium this Friday. The Cavaliers (5-3-1, 1-1-0 ACC) are coming off an exciting 1-0 win in double overtime against Virginia Commonwealth Tuesday night and will look to use the energy from that victory to fuel their game against the Tigers (2-5-2, 1-1-1 ACC).
Coach George Gelnovatch’s young team has recently hit its stride, dropping only one of its last six games in a 1-0 loss to then-No. 8 North Carolina last Friday. Virginia has managed this surge despite a starting lineup ridden with injuries, which has expedited the development of young stars such as freshman defender Zach Carroll and midfielders Scott Thomsen and Todd Wharton.
Against VCU, with three starters out with injuries, Virginia went deep into its bench and played a total of 16 players during the 100-minute plus game. Junior forward Cameron Chavira scored the overtime winner in just his third appearance of the season.
In the midst of all the adversity, the Cavaliers must find a way to overcome Clemson, who is hoping to rebound from an inauspicious start to its season. Despite a worse overall record, the Tigers sit above Virginia in the conference standings because of a tie in their extra conference game.
But with the Tigers looking for revenge after last year’s 2-0 domination by Virginia at Clemson, the Cavaliers cannot rest on their laurels. To duplicate last year’s result, Virginia will look to senior forward Will Bates, who holds the team lead with five goals, to guide the offense and to sophomore goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita to anchor the defense.
This will be the 54th meeting between Clemson and Virginia on the soccer field, with the Cavaliers leading the overall series 27-21-5.
Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
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