Coming off a commanding 3-1 victory over James Madison (0-4, 0-0 CAA) in Harrisonburg, Va., the No. 17 Virginia men’s soccer team will look to continue its undefeated season against ACC rival No. 21 Wake Forest (3-1, 0-0 ACC) in its second-straight away game this Saturday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Cavaliers (2-0-1, 0-0 ACC) routed the Dukes, with goals coming from sophomore forward Edward Opoku, sophomore defender Sergi Nus and redshirt junior midfielder Pablo Aguilar. If it weren’t for a late penalty, the Cavaliers would have tallied yet another clean sheet, adding to their impeccable preseason and early season form.
“It was a good game,” senior midfielder Nicko Corriveau said. “We definitely had a good performance. But we know that it’s different in the ACC than playing JMU. No disrespect to them, but the ACC is a higher level. I think we’ll be even more focused for this game and ready to go.”
At this stage in the season, Virginia has been all business. Over three games, the Cavaliers have scored six goals while allowing only three, thanks in large part to the consistent play of junior goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell. The matchup against Wake Forest will present the Cavaliers with one of their biggest challenges of the season so far.
The Demon Deacons are undefeated in their last three games, and have lost only once, in their season opener against Saint Louis. Their most recent win was a commanding 3-0 win over Appalachian State.
Virginia coach George Gelnovatch recognized the challenge that Wake Forest will provide for the Cavaliers.
“Every ACC team is ridiculously tough,” Gelnovatch said. “If you just look at the rankings, it speaks for itself. Being on the road presents a whole different dynamic too, in the ACC. What I would say about Wake is that they are probably kind of similar to us. They want the ball and are a pressing team, so we can look to be pressed trying to come out.”
Corriveau echoed similar concerns but feels positive, especially after the Cavaliers’ big win Monday night.
“We are feeling pretty strong,” Corriveau said. “I think we’re confident, [and] we’ve had a couple good games. We know Wake is a really good team and it’s always hard to play them away, but I think we’re going into it feeling good.”
If their past performances are any indicator, the Cavaliers have every reason to feel good. Opoku leads the team in goals with two, and a cast of other Virginia players have proven their ability to find the back of the net.
In order to win, however, Virginia will also look to its defense to stymie the offensive production of the Demon Deacons. In particular, senior forward Tane Gent will look to expand on his early season form, after scoring two goals in Wake Forest’s win over Appalachian State. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Grant Bishop found success in the same game, tallying his second shutout of the season.
As far as preparation goes, the Cavaliers will continue focusing on what has made them successful in the past.
“I think most of the emphasis will be on what we do as a team as opposed to reacting to what they do,” Gelnovatch said. “We’re going to try to concentrate on the things that we do well with an understanding that they have some dangerous things that we have to be aware of, but we’re going to try to do what we do really well and make them react to us — that’s probably the biggest thing.”
If all goes as planned, the Cavaliers will head into next week with another successful match under their belt. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday night at Spry Stadium.
Read More
Volleyball falls in five sets to North Carolina after valiant performance
By Cole Huff | 1 hours agoVirginia dug out of a massive hole just to reach the final set.
Duangmanee shines for men’s golf in third-place finish at Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate
By Stephen O'Dea | 9 hours agoVirginia's blistering start faded as the weekend progressed.
Women’s golf takes fourth place amidst packed field at Stanford Intercollegiate
By Stephen O'Dea | 9 hours agoThe Cavaliers struggled in the second round and just missed out on the top three.
