UVA tabbed second in Coastal in preseason ACC poll

The UVA men’s soccer team was voted to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division in a poll of the league’s 12 head coaches.

Junior midfielder Joe Bell (Wanaka, New Zealand) was listed on the ACC Preseason Watch List which is comprised of one student-athlete from each ACC program. Bell was a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region and a Third Team All-ACC selection last season. He was one of two Cavaliers to play in every minute of the team’s 17 matches.

Virginia received the fourth most total votes with 46 and was one of four programs to receive a first-place vote. The Cavaliers who finished fourth in the Coastal Division last season with a 3-2-2 record in conference play.

The Cavaliers were picked to finish second for the third-straight season, after advancing to the round of 16 in last year’s NCAA Tournament for the 27th time in program history. The Cavaliers have qualified for the NCAA postseason for 38-straight seasons, the longest streak in the history of college soccer.

Virginia returns 15 letterwinners from a season ago including its top four scorers – Nathaniel Crofts (4g, 6 a), Daryl Dike (5g, 1a), Cabrel Happi Kamseu (5g, 1a) and Bell (1g, 5a). In goal, junior Colin Shutler (Middleburg, Va.) returns after leading the ACC in save percentage (.796) in 2018.

Virginia will play its final two exhibition matches this week before opening up the season on Aug. 30 against Pacific. Tuesday’s friendly against Villanova has been moved 9 a.m. while the preseason finale will be played on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.

Tickets

Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Season tickets provide the best value with general admission tickets available for $20 ($15 university staff) and include either men’s or women’s home games. For all regular season home games, reserved single-game tickets can be purchased for $8 online and in advance, and $10 at the box office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 online and in advance, and $8 at the box office on game day.

Soccer season tickets are only available for delivery either as mobile or print-at-home, however upon request and in person only including at the game day ticket office an option for point-of-sale paper stock printing is available for $10 per account. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of discounted single game pricing by purchasing tickets in advance and using mobile ticketing options or printing their tickets at home.

2019 ACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

Overall Champion

• North Carolina, 9
• Duke, 1
• Virginia, 1
• Wake Forest, 1

Atlantic Division

1. Wake Forest, 64 (9)
2. Louisville, 48 (1)
3. Syracuse, 42 (1)
4. NC State, 38
5. Clemson, 36 (1)
6. Boston College 18

Coastal Division

1. North Carolina, 65 (10)
2. Virginia, 46 (1)
3. Duke, 45 (1)
4. Virginia Tech, 38
5. Notre Dame, 36
6. Pitt, 16

First-place votes in parentheses

2019 Preseason Watch List

• Kristofer Konradsson, Boston College, W/F, Sophomore, Gardabaer, Iceland
• Malick Mbaye, Clemson, D, Senior, Dakar, Senegal
• Daniele Proch, Duke, F, Senior, Riva Del Garda, Italy
• Lamine Conte, Louisville, M/D, Senior, Conakary, Guinea
• Mauricio Pineda, North Carolina, M/D, Senior, Bolingbrook, Ill.
• David Loera, NC State, M, Junior, Orlando, Fla.
• Felicien Dumas, Notre Dame, D, Graduate Student, Tokyo, Japan
• Edward Kizza, Pitt, F, Junior, Kampala, Uganda
• Ryan Raposo, Syracuse, M, Sophomore, Hamilton, Ontario
• Joe Bell, Virginia, M, Junior, Wanaka, New Zealand
• Kristo Strickler, Virginia Tech, F, Junior, Hilliard, Ohio
• Bruno Lapa, Wake Forest, M, Senior, Curitiba, Brazil