The No. 10 Virginia men’s soccer team visits Boston College Friday evening for an ACC match against the Eagles. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Newton Campus Field in Newton, Mass.
Records
Virginia: 7-1-2 (ACC: 2-1-1/7 points)
Boston College: 7-3-1 (ACC: 2-2-0/6 points)
Broadcast Information
Links to a live video broadcast and live statistics (GameTracker) can be located at VirginiaSports.com.
Virginia-Boston College Series
The Virginia-Boston College series has been extremely close, with UVA holding a 5-4-2 edge. The matches have epitomized the close series – only one contest has been determined by more than one goal.
UVA scored a 1-0 win in overtime on Nov. 8, 2013, in Charlottesville in the programs’ last meeting. The Cavaliers have not won at Boston College since earning a 4-3 win on Sept. 24, 2005; UVA is 2-4-2 against BC since 2007.
Last-Minute Goal Lifts UVA to Win Over Portland
Freshman Simeon Okoro netted the game-winning goal with 50 seconds remaining as Virginia defeated Portland 3-2 on Monday evening at Klöckner Stadium. After a dominating first half, the Cavaliers squandered a two-goal lead during an eight-minute stretch in the second half before bouncing back for the late win.
Edward Opoku and Marcus Salandy-Defour also scored for UVA, while Patrick Foss assisted on all three of the goals. Foss now has two goals and three assists in his last two games over the past week.
Salandy-Defour Steps Up in Return to Lineup
Marcus Salandy-Defour has made an immediate impact in his return to the UVA lineup, scoring goals in each of UVA’s wins over Louisville and Portland over the last week.
He returned to the UVA lineup last Friday, starting in the Cavaliers’ midfield against Louisville. It marked his first game action since Dec. 13, 2013, in the College Cup against Maryland. He then played 77 minutes Monday against Portland. Salandy-Defour missed the 2014 season with a knee injury and the first eight games in 2015 with leg injuries.
Virginia Rises to No. 21 in RPI
Virginia stands No. 21 in the NCAA’s latest RPI, which was released Monday prior to the Cavaliers’ win over Portland (99 in RPI). Boston College is a notch ahead of UVA at No. 20. The Cavaliers’ remaining matches of the regular season are against American (89), Pitt (38), Virginia Tech (53) and North Carolina (2).
Noting BC
Boston College scored a 1-0 win at Brown Tuesday evening on Mohammed Moro’s 16th-minute goal. BC goalkeeper Alex Kapp made five saves in the win. The Eagles are 4-2 on their home pitch this season. They own wins over Pitt and Virginia Tech and defeats against NC State and Wake Forest in conference play. Zeiko Lewis and Trevor Davock lead the team with four goals apiece.
Defense Looks to Tighten
Virginia’s defense is looking to bounce back after giving up multiple goals in each of its last three matches, which has not happened since Oct. 12-19, 2012. UVA last conceded multiple goals in four straight games in a stretch from Sept. 13-23, 2011.
Up Next
The Cavaliers return home for a pair of matches next week, taking on American Tuesday (Oct. 13) in a 7 p.m. match before entertaining Pitt on Friday, Oct. 16 in an 8 p.m. game.
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Chris Graham
