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Aug. 24, 2006

Game #1
Aug. 25 & Aug. 27
Virginia Soccer Classic
Klöckner Stadium
Charlottesville, Va.

Fri., Aug. 25
No. 7 Akron vs. No. 21 UC Santa Barbara, 2 p.m.
No. 3 Virginia vs. Davidson, 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Aug. 27
No. 7 Akron vs. Davidson, 12 p.m.
No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 21 UC Santa Barbara, 7:30 p.m.

Virginia Soccer Classic Site

THREE RANKED TEAMS HIGHLIGHT 2006 VIRGINIA SOCCER CLASSIC
No. 3 Virginia hosts No. 7 Akron, No. 21 UC Santa Barbara and Davidson Friday and Sunday in the 2006 Virginia Soccer Classic at Klockner Stadium. UVa is ranked in the top five of two college men’s soccer polls including a No. 4 preseason ranking by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Akron also has a No. 9 ranking by NSCAA while UC Santa Barbara is ranked 22nd by the coaches.

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
No. 3 Virginia picked up exhibition wins over Georgetown, 2-0, and VCU, 3-0, last week in preseason play. Sophomore forward Yannick Reyering and junior forward Matt Ayotte each scored a goal in the win over the Hoyas. Junior midfielder Nico Colaluca scored in the 16th and junior midfielder Sean Hinkle and junior forward Matt Ayotte added second half goals as No. 3 Virginia shut out VCU, 3-0, last Saturday. Virginia returns 10 starters and 17 letterwinners from last season including first team All-ACC selection Yannick Reyering and second team All-ACC selections, Nico Colaluca and Adam Cristman. The Cavaliers were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll.

ABOUT THE AKRON ZIPS
No. 7 Akron split a pair of preseason matches as the Zips fell to No. 8 Creighton, 1-0, but defeated No. 17 St. John’s, 1-0. Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor/UIC) scored the Zips’ goal at 70:49. Head coach Caleb Porter enters his first season as head coach and welcomes back eight starters from last season’s squad that posted an 18-1-4 record. Akron advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament and spent much of the 2005 season ranked as the No. 1 team in the country. Ubiparipovic, a 2005 NSCAA All-American, returns as the team’s leader in points (41), goals scored (17) and game-winning goals (6). The Zips also return three other first-team All-MAC performers in sophomore goalkeeper Evan Bush, sophomore midfielder Matt Tutich and sophomore defender Ossie Michalsen. Senior defender Jonathan McClain, was an All-MAC second team selection.

ABOUT THE DAVIDSON WILDCATS
Davidson battled No. 1 North Carolina to a 1-1 tie exhibition play during the preseason. Junior Robby Hoak scored the lone goal for Davidson. Davidson returns eight starters from last year’s team that finished 14-6-1 overall and grabbed a share of the league’s regular season crown. The Wildcats made their third straight appearance in the Southern Conference championship game. Starting just 12 of the 21 contests in 2005, Hoak ranked among league leaders in scoring after posting eight goals and 19 points.

ABOUT THE UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS
Freshman forward Bongomin Otii scored three goals and chipped in with an assist and senior midfielder Bryan Byrne found the back of the net twice as UC Santa Barbara defeated Westmont College, 6-0, in the 44th Annual Bryant & Sons Cup in exhibition play. No. 21 UC Santa Barbara finished 2005 ranked No. 23 at 13-5-3 overall, took second place in the Big West Conference at 7-1-2, and advanced to a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round. UCSB returns 15 letterwinners and seven starters from last year’s squad that ranked 20th in the nation in scoring at 2.05 goals per game. Among the returnees are two-time All-American and reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year Andy Iro, Freshman All-American and 2005 Big West Freshman of the Year Eric Avila, and All-Big West performers Bryan Byrne, Kyle Reynish and Tyler Rosenlund.

REYERING, COLALUCA NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Sophomore forward Yannick Reyering has been selected a Soccer America Preseason All-American and junior midfielder Nico Colaluca has been named a College Soccer News Preseason All-American as announced by both publications. Reyering earned All-ACC First Team honors after leading UVa in goals (14), points (30), game-winning goals (5) and shots (62) last season. He was named a Freshman All-American by College Soccer News and Soccer America. Colaluca was a second team All-ACC selection last season after scoring two goals and adding three assists for seven points. He also was named to the VaSID All-State team.

REYERING NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Sophomore forward Yannick Reyering has been selected to the 25-man watch list for the 2006 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, presented annually to the top men’s and women’s player in collegiate soccer. With key players leaving school early to compete professionally, either in Major League Soccer or overseas, the talent is spread geographically, by position and by class. There are 13 seniors, nine juniors and three sophomores on this year’s list, and only three schools (Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina-Greensboro) have two players on the list.

VIRGINIA PICKED SECOND BY ACC COACHES
Virginia has been selected second in the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer title, as determined by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches. The Cavaliers return 10 of their 11 starters from a 2005 team that finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina is the preseason favorite while defending national champion Maryland is picked to finish third. Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish is Duke (56), Clemson (47), Wake Forest (38) Virginia Tech (33), Boston College (16), and NC State (15).

VIRGINIA AGAINST THE VIRGINIA SOCCER CLASSIC FIELD
Virginia owns an 8-2-1 record against the two opponents it will face in the Virginia Soccer Classic. UVa is 1-0-1 against UC Santa Barbara all-time and 7-2-0 all-time against Davidson.

THE VIRGINIA SOCCER CLASSIC HISTORY
After taking a one-year hiatus, the Cavaliers will host their sixth Virginia Soccer Classic. Virginia won the title in 2000 and 20002 and finished as the runner-up in 2001 and 2004. Past champions are Seton Hall (1999), Maryland (2001, 2004) and Saint Louis (2003).

TALENTED ROOKIE CLASS ADDS DEPTH
With 10 starters returning, Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch still brought in one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, which included the top recruit in the country. College Soccer News recently ranked the Cavaliers’ crop of newcomers No. 8 nationally Parade All-American and U.S. Under-20 National Team member Jonathan Villanueva headline a group of eight rookies. NSCAA All-Americans Matt Mitchell, Chase Neinken and Ross LaBauex are also part of the talented class.

UVA IN HOME OPENERS
Virginia enters Saturday night’s game with a 44-15-3 record in home openers. Over the past 37 years, the Cavaliers have been nearly unbeatable in home openers, posting a 32-3-2 during that span.

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