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Sept. 8, 2006
Game #5
Sat., Sept. 9, 2006
No. 2 Virginia at NC State
Method Road Stadium
Raleigh, N.C.
CAVALIERS HEAD TO RALEIGH FOR ACC OPENER
No. 2 Virginia heads to Raleigh for its Atlantic Coast Conference opener against NC State Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Method Road Soccer Stadium. UVa is 7-1-2 in ACC openers under George Gelnovatch. The Cavaliers have won three straight ACC openers including a 2-0 shutout last season of the Wolfpack.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
No. 2 Virginia enters the ACC opener 4-0-0 after recording a 1-0 shutout of No. 10 UCLA Monday night. Yannick Reyering scored the game-winner off a Nico Colaluca corner kick in the 88th minute. Virginia has recorded four straight shutouts to start off the season. Reyering leads the team with five points followed by Colaluca and Jeremy Barlow, who each have three points. Senior goalkeeper Ryan Burke already has three shutouts on the season while red-shirt freshman Michael Giallombardo has one shutout.
ABOUT THE NC STATE WOLFPACK
The Wolfpack are 3-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the ACC after recording a 3-1 win over No. 1 North Carolina earlier in the week. After the game was tied 1-1 at halftime, the Wolfpack scored two goals in the second half to earn its first win over the Tar Heels since 1997. NC State is led by freshman Alan Sanchez with three goals and six points. Freshman Jorge Mora has scored one goal and two assists for four appoints. In five games this season, the Wolfpack has scored seven goals. Goalkeeper Christopher Widman has 11 saves, one shutout and a 1.40 goals against average.
THE VIRGINIA-NC STATE SERIES
Virginia leads the all-time series with the Wolfpack, 39-16-6. UVa won last season in Charlottesville, 2-0. This will be the Cavaliers first trip to Raleigh since 2003 when NC State won, 1-0.
DEFENSE KEY IN CAVS’ UNDEFEATED START
The addition of red-shirt freshman Bakary Soumare and junior Matt Williams has made an immediate impact for the Cavaliers to go along with returning starters Matt Poole, Zola Short and Ryan Burke. Virginia has four shutouts in its first four games and has not allowed a goal – which includes two exhibition shutouts – in its six games.
CAVALIERS IN THE POLLS
Virginia is ranked as high as No. 2 in the first National Soccer Coaches of America (NSCAA) poll of the season released earlier this week. Virginia continues to rank No. 3 in the Soccer America poll and No. 4 in the College Soccer News poll.
WHAT A TOUGH CONFERENCE
In the latest Soccer America poll released Monday, seven of the top eight teams hail from the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina is No. 1 followed by No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Maryland, No. 5 Clemson, No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 8 Virginia Tech. Seven ACC teams are in the top 20 of the NSCAA poll this week.
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).
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.
STRONG SCHEDULE
Eight of the Cavaliers’ opponents this season were ranked in the preseason Soccer America Top 25. Four of those eight are ranked in the top 10 (#1 North Carolina, #4 Maryland, No. 5 UCLA and No. 6 Clemson). Four others are ranked in the top 25 in No. 15 Duke, No. 18 Wake Forest, No. 19 Virginia Tech and No. 21 UC Santa Barbara.