Top 25 Matchup Kicks Off Virginia Men’s Soccer Season

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 15 Virginia begins its 2018 season on Friday (Aug. 24) when they host No. 19 New Hampshire at Klöckner Stadium. The contest will air live on ACC Network Extra.
 
Game Coverage: ACC Network Extra is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN3 through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. will be available on VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get in-game updates on the match’s live stats feed on VirginiaSports.com and on the men’s soccer official twitter feed (@UVAMenSoccer).
 
TICKETS AVAILABLE
Fans can purchase tickets at a discounted rate in advance by going online to VirginiaSports.com/Tickets. For all regular season home games, available reserved single-game tickets can be purchased in advance for $8 online or via mobile devices. Tickets are $10 at the sport-specific ticket office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the sport-specific ticket office locations on game day.
 
PROMOTIONS
• Virginia soccer thunder sticks will be available to the first 500 fans in attendance.
• The team will sign autographs after the game in the south end of Klöckner Stadium
 
MATCH NOTES
• Virginia will begin its 75th season of soccer and the 23rd under the direction of head coach George Gelnovatch, the longest tenured coach in program history.
• The Cavaliers have won seven national championships, the third most of any program in collegiate soccer. Virginia has qualified for 37-straight NCAA Tournaments, the longest active streak in the country.
• Virginia will open up its season at home for the fifth-consecutive season. The Cavaliers have won their last four opening games including a 3-2, double-overtime win over Villanova last season. All-time, the Cavaliers are 47-24-3 in season-opening matches.
• Virginia has squared off against a Top-25 opponent in its opening game for four of the last five seasons. They own a 3-1 mark in those contests with the only loss coming to No. 10 Louisville in 2013.
 
KLÖCKNER ADVANTAGE
• Klockner Stadium, in its 27th season as the home of Virginia soccer. The Cavaliers have won over 80 percent of its matches at Klöckner while hosting 50 NCAA men’s soccer tournament games.
• Over the past five seasons, the Cavaliers own a 45-8-10 record on their home pitch. From 2015-17, the Cavaliers were unbeaten in 21 straight matches, including a 9-0-4 mark in 2016.
 
RANKINGS & PREDICTIONS
• Virginia finished the 2017 season ranked No. 19 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll. The Cavaliers moved up four spots to No. 15 in this year’s preseason poll. The ACC placed seven teams in the Top-25, the most of any league in the nation.
• For the second-straight season, Virginia was picked to finish second behind North Carolina in the ACC Preseason Coaches poll.
 
PRESEASON NOTES
• Virginia returns 19 letterwinners from a season ago but will look to replace its top two scorers and four All-ACC selection including its starting goalkeeper.
• Sophomore Joe Bell, a 2017 ACC All-Freshman honoree, helped his native New Zealand qualify for the 2019 U-20 World Cup this past weekend. He served as the team captain and was given the Golden Ball as the most outstanding player of the Oceania Championship.
• In the offseason, the Cavaliers added nine newcomers (eight freshmen, one transfer), including Daryl Dike, who was recognized by TopDrawerSoccer.com eight impact freshmen going into the 2018 season.
 
NOTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
• New Hampshire (13-4-5) was ranked as high as No. 12 (program best) in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after a historic 2017 season.
• After falling in the semifinals of the America East Tournament, New Hampshire earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The berth was the second in program history and first since 1994.
• The Wildcats eventually fell in the third round to national runner-up, Indiana, 2-1 in Bloomington. The UNH goal was only the fifth surrendered by Indiana all season.
• In a poll of America East head coaches, the Wildcats were picked to finish second in the league’s preseason poll.
• The Wildcat coaching staff, led by Marc Hubbard, was named the 2017 East Region Coaching staff of the Year and brought in nine newcomers (six freshman and three transfers) to this year’s squad
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY/SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE AT KLÖCKNER STADIUM

For the 2018 season, fans are reminded the Virginia athletics department’s clear bag policy and entrance procedures will be in place for all home soccer games at Klöckner Stadium. The clear bag policy and entrance procedures will match those in place at Scott Stadium for home football games and at John Paul Jones Arena for home men’s and women’s basketball games.
 
The policy and entrance procedures are consistent with University policies for events held on Grounds and were implemented as a result of recommendations made by UVA’s security consultant. The policy limits the size and type of bags that can be brought into Klöckner Stadium. The policy does not change the items fans may bring into the facility, but restricts the type of bag used to carry items. Click here for a complete list of prohibited items.
 
• Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or clear one-gallon plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar) are also permitted.
• A small clutch bag, approximately the size of a hand and no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ (with or without a handle or strap) may be taken into the stadium or arena and will be subject to search.
• An exception will be made for items necessary for medical reasons after proper inspections at a gate designated for this purpose.
 

• Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, diaper bags, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size. 
 

 
Seat cushions, seat backs, folding chairs and blankets are permitted. However, these items may not have pockets and the carrying bags for these items will not be permitted to enter the facility. 
 
Items needed for small children must be in a clear bag that meet the stated dimensions. Screening procedures will be used at all entry gates to Klöckner Stadium. Walk-through and hand wand metal detectors will be the primary means of screening. For guests who are unable to utilize a walk-through metal detector, hand-held metal detectors will be used. 
 

 
Re-entry will no longer be permitted at Klöckner Stadium without a separate game ticket.