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Men's Soccer Battles No. 4 North Carolina at 7 p.m. Friday
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team returns to ACC competition at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays host to No. 4 North Carolina at Klöckner Stadium.
The game will be streamed live online at VirginiaSports.com as part of Cavaliers Live, UVa’s live audio and video streaming offering. Live statistics also will be available at VirginiaSports.com.
Tickets are $9 for reserved seats, $7 for adult general admission and $5 for youth/student/senior citizen general admission. Fans can order tickets for online at VirginiaSports.com and by phone through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 800-542-UVA1 (8821) or 434-924-UVA1 (8821). Tickets are also available at the gate beginning one hour prior to the start of play. Gates open one hour prior to the match. Free parking is available in the University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena lots.
Virginia (5-3-0, 1-0-0 ACC) used a four-goal outburst from Will Bates on Tuesday to defeat Radford, 4-3, at home. Bates set a career high with his four-goal effort and fell one shy of the school record, set by Bill Hodill against Davidson in 1942. Bates scored four goals in the first 20 minutes of the match as UVa picked apart the Radford defense.
After his four-goal night, Bates now has nine goals this year – tops in the ACC. All nine goals have come in the last seven games. With three assists this year, Bates owns 21 points, which also ranks first in the ACC. He ranks sixth in the ACC in assists.
Both defenses will be tested Friday. UNC averages 2.29 goals per game, while UVa averages 2.25 per match.
The Tar Heels (6-1-0, 1-1-0) are ranked as high as fourth nationally this week and own a 6-1-0 record following a 1-0 win at Wofford on Tuesday. UNC has been ranked as high as No. 1 this year. The Tar Heels are 1-1 in ACC play, with a loss at Virginia Tech and a win at Wake Forest. Led by goalkeeper Scott Goodwin, UNC’s defense has surrendered just five goals this year and owns a 0.70 GAA. Billy Schuler leads the squad with five goals; he is tied for the team lead in points (12) with Enzo Martinez.
North Carolina owns a slim 35-34-7 advantage in the all-time series with Virginia, which dates to 1946. The last six meetings all have been close, with each coming down to a single goal. UNC won 1-0 last year at Klöckner Stadium.
The Cavaliers have a week off before their next match on Sept. 30 at Clemson.