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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team opens the 2009-10 campaign at the Portland Nike Invitational on the campus of the University of Portland Friday and Sunday. On Friday (Sept. 4) at 10 p.m. (eastern time), the Cavaliers take on host Portland, while on Sunday (Sept. 6) at 3 p.m. (eastern time) UVa faces the University of Washington.

The Portland Nike Invitational matches will be played at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex in Portland, Ore.

Both matches will have live statistics available on VirginiaSports.com. In addition, a free audio broadcast and a subscription video broadcast will be available for Virginia’s Friday night match vs. Portland. Visit the links above this story for live audio and video.

Friday’s match will be the season-opener for both Virginia and Portland. The Cavaliers dropped their three preseason exhibitions against George Mason (1-0), at Old Dominion (3-1) and vs. West Virginia (2-0). Freshman Ahkeel Rodney (Elmont, N.Y.) scored the Cavaliers’ lone goal against the Monarchs on Aug. 24.

Despite being one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, Virginia advanced to the final of the ACC Tournament and continued its longest-active streak in the nation of 29-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Head coach George Gelnovatch welcomes the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top-ranked recruiting class according to Top Drawer Soccer and returns for his 14th season at the helm of UVa. Gelnovatch has compiled a 195-76-22 overall record and is eyeing milestone win No. 200 for his career.

Picked to finish second in the ACC, Virginia is ranked No. 16 in Soccer Times’ preseason poll and No. 22 in the preseason poll released by College Soccer News.

Portland finished the 2008 season with an 8-10-2 overall record and 5-7 record in the West Coast Conference.

It will be the first men’s soccer meeting between Virginia and Portland.

Washington (1-0) opened its season with a win on Tuesday (Sept. 1) 1-0 against Seattle University. Ryan Moore netted the game-winner in the 49th minute. The Huskies finished their 2008 campaign with an overall record of 8-8-2 and 3-5-1 mark in the Pac-10.

The Cavaliers and Huskies have never met in men’s soccer action.

Virginia returns to Klöckner Stadium on Friday, Sept. 11 for an ACC match against conference foe Duke. The game, scheduled to kick-off at 8 p.m., follows a Virginia women’s soccer match at 6 p.m. vs. West Virginia.

Season tickets are still available for men’s and women’s soccer. The all-soccer season ticket package prices are $140 (reserved), $80 (adult general admission) and $50 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).

The men’s soccer season ticket package includes all 11 regular-season home games. Prices are $90 (reserved), $60 (adult general admission) and $35 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).

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