The UVA women’s soccer team will kick off its 2014 regular season Friday night when it hosts Marshall. Game time at Klöckner Stadium is 7 p.m.
Tickets for the game are $7 for adult general admission and $5 for youth, senior and faculty/staff general admission. Group tickets (20 or more) are $4. Free parking is available in the University Hall lots.
The Cavaliers open the season ranked No. 3 in the Soccer America and NSCAA polls, their highest preseason ranking since 1992, when they opened the year at No. 2. Virginia returns five starters from last year’s College Cup squad, including All-Americans Morgan Brian (St. Simons Island, Ga.), Danielle Colaprico (Freehold, N.J.) and Makenzy Doniak (Chino Hills, Calif.). All three are on the preseason watch list for the MAC hermann trophy.
The Thundering Herd was picked to finish seventh in Conference USA this season. Marshall returns nine starters from last year’s squad that finished with a 10-7-3 record.
Friday’s game is the first all-time meeting between the programs. Marshall is one of four first-time opponents on Virginia’s schedule this season (Alabama, Samford, Louisville).
The Cavaliers are coming off a perfect home season in 2013, as they went 18-0-0 at Klöckner Stadium and outscored opponents 58-7. Against unranked opponents, Virginia has won 31 straight games and is unbeaten in its last 45 games (44-0-1).
Virginia continues its season-opening homestand on Aug. 29 as it hosts Richmond.