What: No. 6 Virginia (3-0-2) vs. NC State (5-1-0)
Where: Klӧckner Stadium
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
The Skinny: The No. 6 Virginia men’s soccer team looks to continue its undefeated season as it hosts the NC State Wolfpack in the Cavaliers’ second ACC match.
Friday night’s clash will be the 72nd meeting of the two teams since 1949, with the Cavaliers owning a 46-17-8 series record. However, beating this year’s NC State team will not be an easy task.
The Wolfpack finished the 2014 campaign with a 7-7-4 record but, at 5-1-0, are off to one of the team’s best starts in coach Kelly Findley’s five years at the helm. They have displayed grit this season in winning two overtime games, including last Friday’s 2-1 double overtime victory over ACC foe Boston College.
The team is led by sophomore midfielder Zach Knudson, NC State’s leading goal scorer, and has been boosted by the play of emerging freshman midfielder Julius Duchscherer, a talented newcomer from Weilburg, Germany.
Virginia will look to counter NC State’s scrappiness with its tenacious midfield play. Looking especially dominant in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over James Madison, the Cavalier midfield has been consistently able to control ball possession and tempo against its opponents. The midfield is led by sophomore Jake Rozhansky, who has scored in the past two games, as well as by junior Riggs Lennon, who has netted two goals this season.
The two teams last faced off in 2013 in a thrilling match that resulted in a 3-3 tie. Both teams expect another close match on what should be an exciting night of soccer.
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