#1 Virginia Men's Soccer To Face VCU and Penn State in 2002 Maryland/FILA Classic

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Sept. 5, 2002

UP NEXT: The #1 ranked Virginia Cavaliers (2-0-0) will travel to College Park,Maryland to face the VCU Rams (2-0-0) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (1-1-0)in the 2002 Maryland/FILA Classic at Ludwig Field on the campus of the Universityof Maryland. Virginia will face VCU on Friday, September 6th at 5:00 p.m. beforebattling Penn State on Sunday, September 8th at 12:00 noon.

VIRGINIA’S RANKINGS/RECORD: Virginia is 2-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 in the ACCand is ranked #1 in the Soccer America Top 25 and #3 in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25poll. Since the beginning of the 1984 season, the Cavaliers have been the top-rankedteam in 71 Soccer America polls and 55 NSCAA polls (formerly the ISAA poll).Virginia was ranked in 183 consecutive NSCAA polls dating back to September of1983 until the streak was snapped on 10/25/99, and was ranked in 177 consecutiveSoccer America polls since September of 1984 until the streak ended on 10/4/99.

VIRGINIA HAS DOMINATED ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST VCU &PENN STATE: Virginia holds a combined 20-0-1 all-time series record againstVCU and Penn State and has outscored both teams by a combined 95-8 through21 contests. UVa is 18-0-1 all-time against VCU and it 2-0-0 all-time againstPenn State. Virginia has completely dominated it series against VCU with theCavaliers outscoring the Rams 87-7 over the 19-game history between the twoteams. UVa has outscored Penn State 8-1 after two meetings. In UVa’s’ lastmeeting with each school, Virginia posted a 1-0 victory over VCU on October 6th,2001 in Richmond, Va. and recorded a 4-0 win over Penn State on September 5,1992 in Charlottesville, Va.

ESKANDARIAN NAMED CO-ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: University of Virginiamen’s soccer player Alecko Eskandarian was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’sCo-Player of the Week . He shared the weekly honor with North Carolina’s Ryan Kneipper.The honor was the first ACC Player of the Week selection in men’s soccer for the 2002season. Eskandarian, a third-year forward, recorded seven points in two games to leadUVa to a first place finish over the Kentucky Wildcats and Rhode Island Rams in the2002 Virginia Soccer Classic Tournament (Aug. 30 – Sept. 1) in Charlottesville. Inthe Cavaliers’ 3-2 victory over Kentucky, Eskandarian scored two goals to turn a 2-1deficit into a 3-2 victory. His first goal of the match tied the score at 2-2 and hissecond goal resulted in the game-winning score. In Virginia’s 2-1 win over RhodeIsland, Eskandarian brought the Cavaliers back from a deficit again by tying thegame at 1-1 with a goal before he dished-out the game-winning assist on Virginia’ssecond goal of the match. For his efforts, Eskandarian was named the MVP of thetournament and was one of four players selected to the All-Tournament Team from UVa.

CAVALIERS KICKOFF 2002 SEASON BY WINNING THE VIRGINIASOCCER CLASSIC: Virginia improved to 28-4-4 all-time in regular season tournamentit has hosted. In 2002, UVa defeated Kentucky (3-2) and Rhode Island (2-1) en routeto winning its 12th home tournament. Virginia’s last home tournament win cameduring the 2000 season.

FOUR CAVALIERS NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Four UVa playersAlecko Eskandarian, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Cole and Matt Oliver were named to the2002 Virginia Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team. Eskandarian was named thetournament’s MVP after scoring three goals and dishing out one assist to pace theCavaliers to a 2-0-0 record and a first place finish in the event. Eskandarian scored ateam-high seven points in the tournament. Kelly scored one goal good for two points,while Cole and Oliver each added an assist to record one point apiece.

GELNOVATCH RECORDS 100th CAREER WIN: UVa men’s soccer head soccer coachGeorge Gelnovatch recorded his 100th career head coaching victory on Friday, August 30thwhen Virginia defeated Kentucky by the score of 3-2. Gelnovatch, in his seventh season ashead coach at UVa, has recorded 101 wins as a head coach at UVa with a career record of101-28-12, including a mark of 23-7-6 in the ACC. By reaching the 100-win mark, it makeshim only the second Virginia men’s soccer coach to record the milestone. Former UVa men’ssoccer head coach Bruce Arena holds UVa’s all-time coaching victory mark with 295(295-59-31, 74-21-11 ACC).

RYAN KELLY RECORDS VIRGINIA’S FIRST GOAL OF THE 2002 SEASON: Aftermissing all of last season (2001) with an injury, UVa midfielder Ryan Kelly was probablythe most excited player on the Cavaliers’ roster for Virginia’s season-opening match againstKentucky, and he didn’t take long to show everyone he was back in uniform and meantbusiness. Just 14:30 into the Cavaliers’ season-opening match, Kelly scored Virginia’sfirst goal of the 2002 season when he fired a one-timer off of a free-kick that was set-up byteammates Jonathan Cole and Ryan Gibbs.

VIRGINIA USES COMEBACK ROLE TO RECORD ITS FIRST TWO WINS IN 2002: Bothof Virginia’s wins over Kentucky and Rhode Island were of a comeback variety. Against Kentucky,UVa rallied from a 2-1 deficit to post a 3-2 victory, and against Rhode Island, Virginia turned a 1-0deficit into a 2-1 win.

HOME SWEET HOME: Virginia has enjoyed much success playing in the friendly confinesof Kl?ckner Stadium. One of the finest college soccer facilities in the country, Kl?ckner Stadiumhas been a very tough place for opponents to record a win. Since its opening in 1992, UVahas posted an eye-opening record of 126-16-7 (.869) at Kl?ckner Stadium. The Cavaliersfinished 10-1-1 (.875) at home last season. Virginia is 20-5 (.800) in NCAA Tournamentgames held at Kl?ckner Stadium during the past nine seasons, outscoring its opposition59-22 in those games.

HOME OPENERS: With its 3-2 victory over Kentucky on August 30th, Virginia improvedits home-opening record to 42-14-3 (.737) all-time dating back to the start of the 1941 season.However, over the past 34 years, Virginia has been nearly unbeatable in home openers. The Cavaliers have posted a record of 30-2-2 (.912) during that time span, including eightconsecutive home-opening victories. The last time Virginia was defeated in a home openerwas on September 3, 1994 when Boston University handed the Cavaliers a 3-2 defeat.Although UVa began that season with a loss, Virginia didn’t miss a beat the rest of theseason and closed out the year with its fifth National Championship.

‘HOOS RANKED IN THE PRESEASON POLLS?: Virginia entered the 2002 seasonranked #2 by Soccer America and #5 in the country according to the National SoccerCoaches Association of America (NSCAA) Top 25 poll. The Cavaliers were also pickedto finish first in the ACC by the conference’s coaches.

CAVALIERS WATCH THEIR LEADS WASH AWAY: Despite losing both of itsexhibition games in the preseason to Michigan State (4-3) and Indiana (3-2), Virginiaheld leads in both contests. UVa opened up a 2-0 lead against MSU and pulled outto a 2-1 lead against IU before eventually falling in each contest.

VIRGINIA FALLS TO MICHIGAN STATE AND INDIANA IN EXHIBITIONGAMES: Virginia may have answered some questions it had about what areas it needsto improve on the team before the 2002 regular season begins after competing in twoexhibition contests in the 2002 IPFW Soccer Showcase in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Virginialost both of its contests against Big Ten Conference opponents Michigan State andIndiana and finished 0-2 in the exhibition portion of its season. UVa dropped a 4-3decision to MSU on Friday, August 23rd before falling 3-2 to IU on Sunday, August25th. Both contests were played at the Hefner Soccer Fields on the campus of IPFW.

VIRGINIA SOCCER TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The beginning of the 2002 seasonmarks the 18th consecutive year the Cavaliers hosted a soccer tournament. Virginiastands 28-4-4 (.833) all-time during that time span in tournament play in the Coca-ColaClassic (1985-1998) and the Virginia Soccer Classic (1999-2002). Here is a year-by-yearlook at UVa’s results:

1985	West Virginia 		W	3-0	(1-0-0)	George Washington	W	4-1	(2-0-0)1986	Richmond		W	3-0	(3-0-0)	Cornell			W	2-0	(4-0-0)1987	Wake Forest		W	3-0	(5-0-0)	Adelphi			W	1-0	(6-0-0)1988	Illinois State		W	2-0	(7-0-0)	William & Mary		W	1-0	(8-0-0)1989	UNC-Charlotte		W	2-0	(9-0-0)	Charleston		W	6-0	(10-0-0)1990	Army			W	4-0	(11-0-0)	South Carolina		T	1-1	(11-0-1)1991	Creighton		T	3-3	(11-0-2)	Rutgers			W	2-1	(12-0-2)1992	Penn State		W	4-0	(13-0-2)	Seton Hall		W 	4-1	(14-0-2)1993	Florida International	W	3-1	(15-0-2)	Connecticut		W	5-1	(16-0-2)1994	Boston University		L	2-3	(16-1-2)	St. John's			W	2-0	(17-1-2)1995	UNLV			W	3-0	(18-1-2)	Boston College		W	3-2	(19-1-2)1996	Cal-State Fullerton		T	2-2	(19-1-3)	Saint Louis		W	2-1	(20-1-3)1997	Akron			W	5-1	(21-1-3)	Florida International	T	1-1	(21-1-4)1998	American		L	1-2	(21-2-4)	Adelphi			W	3-0	(22-2-4)1999	Seton Hall		W	4-3	(23-2-4)	Gonzaga			L	2-3	(23-3-4)2000	South Florida		W	3-2	(24-3-4)	Jacksonville		W	7-1	(25-3-4)2001	Liberty			W	2-1	(26-3-4)	UCLA			T	2-2	(26-4-4)2002	Kentucky		W	3-2	(27-4-4)	Rhode Island		W	2-1	(28-4-4)

LAST TIME OUT: Here is a look at the box score from all of Virginia’s 2002 contests:

#2 Virginia 2, Rhode Island 1

Sept. 1, 2002 * Charlottesville, Va. – Game 2

Scoring      1  	2   	FRhode Island	0	1	1Virginia 		0	2	2 

Goals: UVa - Eskandarian (Hartman) @ 58:52, Wright (Eskandarian) @ 65:28.URI - Benevides (unassisted) @ 65:28. Shots: UVa 17, URI 7.Corner Kicks: UVa 5, URI 3.Saves: UVa 5, URI 3.Fouls: URI 22, UVa 19.Offsides: URI 3, UVa 0.Yellow Cards: URI - Benevides, Bellen, Mazza.  UVa - Hartman.Red Cards: None.Attendance:  2,140.

#2 Virginia 3, #25 Kentucky 2

Aug. 30, 2002 * Charlottesville, Va. – Game 1

Scoring      1  	2   	FKentucky	1	1	2Virginia 		1	2	3

Goals: UVa - Kelly (Cole, Gibbs) @ 14:30, Eskandarian (Arena) @ 61:10,Eskandarian (Oliver) @ 88:38.  UK - Frazier (Modig) @ 44:10,McDaniel (Fleetwood) @ 47:49.Shots: UVa 17, UK 6.Corner Kicks: UVa 4, UK 2.Saves: UK 3, UVa 2.Fouls: UK 27, UVa 20.Offsides: UVa 2, UK 0.Yellow Cards: UK 5 - Frazier, Pearse, Peters, Stephenson, Modig.UVa 3 - Kelly, Arena, LeBlanc.Red Cards: UVa 1 - LeBlanc.  UK 1 - Frazier.Attendance:  2,123.

#1 Indiana 3, #2 Virginia 2

August 25, 2002 * Fort Wayne, Ind. – Exh. 2

Scoring      1  	2   	FIndiana		1	2	3Virginia 		0	2	2 

Goals: IU - Noonan (Mack) @ 21:11, Noonan (Presser) @ 72:05,Noonan (Chirico) @ 73:33.UVa - Dinnal @ 50:28, Eskandarian @ 51:00.Shots: IU 12, UVa 6.Corner Kicks: IU 3, UVa 1.Saves: UVa 5, IU 2.Fouls: IU 22, UVa 20. Offsides: IU 9, UVa 0.Cautions: UVa - Eskandarian, Feeney, Hartman, Gibbs, Tuman.  IU - O'Rourke.Attendance:  2,400. 

Michigan State 4, #2 Virginia 3

August 23, 2002 * Fort Wayne, Ind. – Exh. 1

Scoring      1  	2   	FMichigan State	4	0	4Virginia 		3	0	3 

Goals: MSU - Krass (Gruber) @ 23:00, Gruber @ 28:00, Gruber @ 33:35,Trivelloni (Hearn) @ 37:00.UVa - Megaloudis @ 10:14, Gibbs (Comfort) @ 17:00, Dinnal (Hartman) @ 41:25.Shots: MSU 13, UVa 11.Corner Kicks: UVa 4, MSU 3.Saves: UVa 5, MSU 3.Fouls: UVa 13, MSU 11.Cautions: UVa - Hartman, Megaloudis, Feeney.  MSU - Krass.Attendance:  4,200. 

2002 Virginia Soccer Classic Results

Contest		Opponents		    	ScoreGame 1		Maryland def. Rhode Island		8-0Game 2		Virginia def. Kentucky		3-2Game 3		Kentucky def. Maryland		2-1Game 4		Virginia def. Rhode Island		2-1 

2002 Virginia Soccer Classic Standings

Place	Team		Record	Note1st 	Virginia		2-0-0	Finished undefeated.2nd	Kentucky	1-1-0	Earned tie-breaker.3rd	Maryland	1-1-0	Lost tie-breaker.4th	Rhode Island	0-2-0	Finished winless.

2002 Virginia Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team

Player			TeamAlecko Eskandarian (MVP)	VirginiaRyan Kelly		VirginiaJonathan Cole		VirginiaMatt Oliver		VirginiaDani Kamras		KentuckyJ.D. Stephenson		KentuckyNathan Fleetwood		KentuckySumed Ibrahim		MarylandSeth Stammler		MarylandRuss Smith		Rhode IslandPeter Benevides		Rhode Island

Current Top 25 Polls

Soccer America Top 25

Rank	Team		Record1.	VIRGINIA	2-0-02.	North Carolina	2-0-03.	Stanford		1-0-04.	Indiana		0-0-25.	Clemson		1-0-16.	UCLA		2-0-07.	Portland		2-0-08.	Connecticut	0-1-09.	St. John's		0-1-010.	Furman		1-0-011.	San Diego	2-0-012.	Washington	0-0-213.	Saint Louis	0-1-114.	South Carolina	2-0-015.	FDU		1-0-116.	SMU		1-0-117.	Wake Forest	1-0-118.	UAB		0-1-119.	Creighton	1-0-120.	Rutgers		0-1-121.	Seton Hall	1-0-022.	Notre Dame	1-0-123.	Kentucky	1-1-024.	Santa Clara	1-0-025.	Boston College	1-0-0

as of 9/3/02

NSCAA/adidas Top 25

Rank	Team		Record1.	Stanford		1-0-02.	North Carolina	2-0-03.	VIRGINIA	2-0-04.	Indiana		0-0-25.	Clemson		1-0-16.	Seton Hall	1-0-07.	UCLA		2-0-08.	SMU		1-0-19.	Boston College	1-0-010.	South Carolina	2-0-011.	Notre Dame	1-0-112.	St. Bonaventure	2-0-013.	Loyola (Md.)	1-0-014.	FDU		1-0-115.	St. John's		0-1-016.	Connecticut	0-0-117.	San Diego	1-0-018.	Bradley		2-0-019.	Kentucky	1-1-020.	Rutgers		0-1-121.	American	2-0-022.	Wake Forest	1-0-1t-23.	Furman		1-0-0t-23.	Saint Louis	0-1-1t-23.	UAB		0-1-1

as of 9/3/02