CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team (2-2) is set to open conference play against Virginia Tech (0-3-1) in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Friday night (Sept. 9) at Klöckner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday night’s contest against Virginia Tech will be broadcast on ACC Network and will also be streamed through the ESPN app and at WatchESPN.com for customers who have the ACC Network as part of their television subscription. Live stats are also available and links to both the live broadcast and live stats are available at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official Twitter account (@UVAMenSoccer).

TICKETS AVAILABLE
Tickets are available for Friday night’s game and fans can purchase single-game tickets in advance online at UVATix.com. Reserved seats purchased in advance are $12 and general admission tickets are $8. UVA athletics strongly encourages fans to avoid lines on game day and purchase their tickets online in advance. Single-game tickets will be $15 at the gate on game day for reserved seats if available and $10 for general admission seats. Group packages for parties of 20 or more are $6 and are available for purchase over the phone in advance only.

MATCH NOTES

  • Virginia is 2-2 on the season while posting two shutouts through the first four
  • In their last outing, Virginia fell to Maryland in the “Battle for the DMV” at Audi Field in Washington D.C. by a score of 6-1
  • Under head coach George Gelnovatch, Virginia is 87-32-7 immediately following a loss
  • Freshman Albin Gashi notched his first career assist in his last appearance and has pitched in a goal contribution in each of his last two appearances
  • Daniel Mangarov scored his second goal as a Cavalier against Maryland and now leads Virginia with five points on the season
  • Newcomers Mangarov, Gashi, and Moritz Kappelsberger account for four of Virginia’s eight goals this season
  • Defensively, Virginia has held three of its first four opponents without a shot in the first half
  • The Cavaliers have outshot their opponents by a margin of 59-29 this season
  • Leo Afonso ranks among the nation’s leaders when it comes to creating chances as he checks in at No. 13 with 4.2 shots per game

AGAINST THE HOKIES

  • Friday’s match will be the 53rd meeting between Virginia and Virginia Tech as a part of a rivalry that dates back to the 1960 season
  • The Cavaliers have dominated the series holding a record of 42-5-6 against the Hokies all-time
  • In their last meeting, Virginia fell to Virginia Tech by a score of 2-1 in a double-overtime affair
  • Virginia has not lost back-to-back games to Virginia Tech since the 2005 season
  • Under head coach George Gelnovatch, the Cavaliers hold a record over 15-3-6 over Virginia Tech
  • Virginia has lost to the Hokies on just two occasions when playing on its home turf, holding a record of 21-2-3 against Virginia Tech at home

THE SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH
The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions. Friday’s match will be the first contest of the 2022 season between Virginia and Virginia Tech.