Story Links
CHARLOTTESVILLE The 14th-ranked Virginia men’s soccer team travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass., for a Friday night match at Boston College. Kick-off from the Newton Campus Soccer Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m., and live statistics are available at VirginiaSports.com.
Virginia (8-3-0, 4-0-0 ACC) carries a six-game win streak into the match with the Eagles, having most recently shut out Clemson at home last weekend, 1-0. Cavalier goalkeeper Michael Giallombardo posted his fifth shutout in his sixth start, and currently leads the nation with a 0.167 goals-against average. The junior out of Manalapan, N.J., has allowed just one goal in 540 minutes of action this year.
Offensively, sophomore Chase Neinken got it done for the Cavaliers against Clemson, coming up with the game-winning goal in the 88th minute. Neinken finished a Tony Tchani header for his first goal of the year.
With four conference victories, UVa is off to its best start in league play since 2005, when it also began 4-0. The Cavaliers are ranked No. 14 by Soccer America and No. 17 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Tchani leads Virginia with nine goals on the season, followed by Jimmy Simpson and Chris Agorsor with four apiece. Agorsor suffered a season-ending injury in the Sept. 23 game against Central Connecticut State.
Boston College (6-4-2, 2-2-0 ACC) defeated Yale Tuesday night, 2-1. Alejandro Bedoya leads the Eagles with three goals, while Edvin Worley and Jeremiah Gallington have each recorded two. In ACC play, Boston College has defeated North Carolina and NC State and fallen to Maryland and Duke. In goal for the Eagles, Chris Brown has started all 12 games and allowed 12 goals.
Virginia holds a slim advantage in the all-time series with Boston College, 3-2-0. In last year’s meetings, BC prevailed 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and 2-1 during the regular-season at Klckner Stadium.
On deck for Virginia is a Tuesday night match with Longwood at Klckner Stadium. That game kicks off at 7 p.m.