/
.
Men's Soccer Picked Fifth in ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Story Links
Aug. 22, 2012
Follow UVa Men’s Soccer on Twitter | Become a Fan of UVa Men’s Soccer on Facebook
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team has been selected fifth in the Preseason ACC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll, released Wednesday by the conference office.
Maryland is the preseason conference favorite, according to voting by the league’s nine head coaches. North Carolina, Wake Forest and Boston College were selected second through fourth, respectively.
The Cavaliers open the 2012 regular season at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they take on Georgetown in the ACC/BIG EAST Challenge at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.
Head coach George Gelnovatch is leading the Cavaliers’ program for the 17th season. He heads a talented, but very young squad; 21 of the 27 players on the roster are in their freshman or sophomore years of eligibility. Virginia has just two seniors on the roster, Will Bates (Sr., Chester, Va.) and Ari Dimas (R-Sr., Chesapeake, Va).
Virginia returns 17 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2011 squad which went 12-8-1 (4-3-1 ACC) and made the program’s 31st-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
The Cavaliers won both of their preseason exhibition games, downing St. John’s, 1-0, and Liberty, 3-0. The Red Storm is ranked as high as 13th nationally in the preseason polls.
The ACC is coming off a 2011 season that saw six teams receive NCAA tournament berths and North Carolina claim the conference’s 15th national title. The ACC has placed at least one team in the Men’s College Cup each of the past 11 seasons. Conference teams have claimed five of the last seven NCAA titles, and an ACC team has appeared in the championship game on 22 occasions.
Single-game and season tickets for Virginia men’s soccer currently are on sale through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office.
To purchase tickets online, visit VirginiaSports.com/Tickets. In-person purchases can be made at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).
2012 Preseason ACC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
School, Points, 2011 Overall & ACC Record
1. Maryland (3), 72, 14-4-3 (4-2-2)
2. North Carolina (4), 71, 21-2-3 (5-1-2)
3. Wake Forest (2), 60, 8-8-5 (4-3-1)
4. Boston College, 52, 14-6-1 (4-4-0)
5. Virginia, 49, 12-8-1 (4-3-1)
6. Duke, 42, 11-8-3 (4-3-1)
7. Clemson, 30, 8-8-2 (4-4-0)
8. NC State, 18, 7-11-2 (2-6-0)
9. Virginia Tech, 11, 4-13-2 (1-6-1)