Freshman forward Will Bates has provided the Cavaliers with a much-needed offensive spark, scoring five of the team's last 10 goals. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.
Heading into its final regular season match, Virginia takes on N.C. State tomorrow evening at Klöckner Stadium, hoping to ride into the ACC Tournament on an eight-game winning streak.
The No. 18 Wolfpack (12-4-1, 2-4-1 ACC) enters Saturday’s contest with an impressive level of play on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The squad is averaging 2.16 goals per game and has outscored its opponents 9-3 in its last 3 matches, despite losing one of those matches. The Wolfpack defense, led by redshirt senior goal keeper Christopher Widman, is allowing only 0.91 goals per game and has recorded seven shutouts this season.
Although the Cavaliers (11-3-2, 3-3-1) soundly defeated N.C. State in a 5-0 rout last season, this weekend’s matchup against the Wolfpack should prove to be a tougher challenge for the team.
“They’re a very good team this year as opposed to past years when they’ve been a team that you can maybe overlook,” senior midfielder Jonathan Villanueva said. “This year they’re really a team that we’re going to get focused on and give everything we have to.”
This weekend’s result will have major playoff implications for both teams, as the final score will help determine seeding for the upcoming ACC Championships.
“There’s so much at stake. N.C. State still has a chance to be in the play-in game,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “There’re other games around the conference where teams could go from first to fourth or fourth to first. This last stretch here will mean so much for not only conference standings but [for] RPI and the overall record.”
The Cavaliers are coming off a strong showing against American on Wednesday at Klöckner Stadium, where they defeated their foe 3-0 to remain undefeated in non-conference play this season. Virginia, bolstered by the talented play of junior goalkeeper and ACC Co-Player of the Week Diego Restrepo, registered its eighth shutout of the season. In their last five games, the Cavaliers have outscored their opponents 10-1, with freshman forward Will Bates accounting for half of those goals.
Gelnovatch noted that the Cavaliers’ surging momentum, resulting from their recent offensive success, could help the team perform at a high level throughout the ACC Championships, which will begin Wednesday in Cary, N.C.
“I think that’s the key,” he said. “If your team can get better in November, that’s important. If we just keep grinding it while we’re getting better and in form, that’s a good combination.”