Olympic Sports Roundup: Men’s Soccer Takes On No. 1 Wake Saturday
Posted on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, 7:13 pm
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The sixth-ranked Virginia men’s soccer team looks to close the regular season strong, with a trio of tough ACC opponents remaining on the schedule.
UVa (9-1-2, 3-1-1 ACC) welcomes in Omir Fernandez, Bruno Lapa and No. 1 Wake Forest Saturday afternoon in a rematch of last year’s conference championship. The ‘Hoos will recognize the seniors — Daniel Barir, Prosper Figbe, Kennedy Nwabia, Sergi Nus and Simeon Okoro — prior to kickoff, which is slated for 1 p.m.
The start time was moved up from the original 6 p.m. designation, but the crucial match can still be streamed through ACC Network Extra via the ESPN app.
The Demon Deacons (14-1-0, 5-1-0), who have been ranked inside the top five in the country for 29 straight weeks, boast a high-powered attack, leading the nation in scoring with 42 goals on the season.
The Cavaliers counter with a top-notch defense, and recently posted shutouts at Klöckner Stadium against two other offenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in Wright State and Denver.
Goalkeeper Colin Shutler and the Virginia defense has only given up six goals all season, with two of those coming in the last two contests. The Cavaliers are ranked fourth in the country in goals against average (0.48).
It all came down to penalty kicks last year in the ACC Championship after the ‘Hoos and Deacs played 110 minutes of scoreless regulation soccer. Despite playing a man down for nearly the last 70 minutes, Wake prevailed 4-3 in PKs to claim the title.
Freshman Daryl Dike has scored five times over the last five games, and is tied for the team lead in scoring with classmate Cabrel Happi Kamseu. Dike was recently named the ACC’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
After Saturday’s big game against Wake, which is second in the RPI rankings, Virginia — ranked No. 4 in the RPI — will face two more teams in the RPI top five to conclude the regular season.
The ‘Hoos will host Notre Dame (5th in RPI) in a make-up contest from September Tuesday night, and then wrap up the regular season at North Carolina next week. The Tar Heels come in at No. 4 in the latest RPI rankings.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Cavalier women’s soccer team, also ranked sixth in the country, kept it rolling Thursday night with a 4-0 blanking of Syracuse at Klöckner.
The ‘Hoos (13-2-0, 6-2-0) got a pair of goals from freshman Alexa Spaanstra, while senior Ayan Adu scored her third of the season and junior Sam Rosette notched her first tally as a Cavalier, becoming the 15th player to register at least one goal this year.
It was the fourth shutout in a row against ACC opponents for UVa and sixth solo blanking for second-year goalkeeper Laurel Ivory this season.
UVa will honor its senior class prior to Sunday’s game against 14th-ranked Florida State at 1 p.m., and then will welcome N.C. State for Thursday’s regular-season finale at 6.
FIELD HOCKEY
The No. 23 UVa field hockey team closes out its home schedule this weekend with two more contests against ranked opponents.
The Cavaliers (5-8, 1-4) have faced nine ranked teams thus far — six of which were ranked in the top 10 — and the trend continues this evening at 5 p.m., as No. 14 Wake Forest comes calling.
Virginia then will celebrate seniors Brooke Castleberry, Greta Ell, Nikki Freeman, Carrera Lucas and Izzy McDonough before taking the field against second-ranked Maryland Sunday at 2 p.m. at Turf Field. Both contests can be streamed live through ACC Network Extra.
The ‘Hoos travel to face William & Mary next Friday before heading into ACC Tournament play in early November.
VOLLEYBALL
Virginia’s volleyball team (6-12, 2-6) pulled off a feat it hadn’t achieved in a decade Sunday on Tobacco Road, as the ‘Hoos prevailed over North Carolina in a sweep in Chapel Hill, 25-16, 25-12, 25-22.
The victory snapped a 15-match drought against UNC and also marked the first time in almost two years that UVa registered a hitting percentage above .300 (.330) against a conference opponent.
The Cavaliers are back at Mem Gym this weekend, hosting No. 21 Louisville tonight at 7 and Notre Dame Sunday at 1.
CROSS COUNTRY
As the Cavaliers’ men’s and women’s teams prepare for the ACC Championships next week at Franklin Park in Chestnut Hill, Mass., freshman Abbey Green continued to pick up conference accolades.
Green was named ACC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season Wednesday, after finishing fourth overall at the Penn State National Open a week ago.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The UVa doubles duo of Meghan Kelley and Sofia Munera captured the title at the ITA Atlantic Regional in Lynchburg Tuesday, knocking off Oleksandra Andrieieva and Yulia Starodubsteva of Old Dominion, 6-4, 6-3.
With the win, Kelley and Munera will move on as one of 32 women’s teams to participate at the Oracle/ITA National Fall Championships next month in Arizona.
MEN’S TENNIS
Members of the Virginia men’s team will be participating in this weekend’s ITA Atlantic Regional in Blacksburg.
Sophomore Ammar Alhaqbani is still alive in singles competition after advancing to the second round, while four UVa doubles teams are in action this afternoon in the hopes of playing their way through to Monday’s final round.
You can find updates all weekend at VirginiaSports.Com.
WOMEN’S GOLF
The Wahoos are off to the best start in team history after claiming second place last weekend at the Tar Heel Invitational. Virginia finished first at Michigan State’s Mary Fossum Invitational to begin the season last month.
Senior Anna Redding, who finished first in Michigan, posted her seventh career top-10 finish Sunday in fourth place overall. Sophomore Beth Lillie was right behind Redding, finishing fifth.
The Cavaliers will be back in action next weekend at The Landfall Tradition tournament in Wilmington, N.C.
MEN’S GOLF
After an 11th-place overall finish at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate last weekend, the UVa men’s golf team hits the road once again today in Alpharetta, Ga., at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate (formerly referred to as the United States Collegiate Championship). It will be the team’s final event of the fall season.
After this weekend’s tournament, Virginia will not return to the course until late February, when the ‘Hoos travel to Hawaii for the John Burns Intercollegiate.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Cavaliers begin ACC competition Saturday morning against Pittsburgh, with the diving competition getting underway at 9 a.m. at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The swimming portion of the dual meet is slated to begin at noon.
Both the women’s team (No. 10) and men’s team (No. 15) head into the weekend with a national ranking.
The women’s team finished third at the SMU Classic last weekend, with Sydney Dusel picking up ACC Diver of the Week recognition in the process. She joins fellow junior Morgan Hill, who claimed ACC Swimmer of the Week after the season-opening win over Penn State.
Also announced this week, sophomore teammate Paige Madden will be representing the United States in the 200-meter freestyle event at the 2019 World University Games in Italy next summer.
BASEBALL
The annual Orange and Blue World Series resumes Sunday with the first pitch of Game 4 scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Disharoon Park.
The Blue team prevailed in Thursday’s Game 3, 3-1, to take a 2-1 series lead, as starting pitcher Mike Vasil tossed five scoreless frames, allowing just four hits.
Former St. Anne’s-Belfield standout Nic Kent delivered the deciding run in the seventh inning, finishing the contest 2 for 4.
The Orange squad will look to even things up in the shortened six-game series Sunday, as the intrasquad event concludes next weekend.
SOFTBALL
The Cavalier softball team will wrap up its fall season this weekend, hosting Richard Bland College Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader against Shippensburg Sunday, which also begins at 2 at The Park.
Coach Joanna Hardin and the rest of the softball program are likely still on cloud nine after taking part in last Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the team’s new stadium, which is set to open with the 2020 season.
