Women’s Soccer: UVA hosts Towson Thursday to kick off 2024 fall season

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Posted on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, 11:00 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Image: UVA Athletics

The Virginia women’s soccer team opens the 2024 season on Thursday night when the Cavaliers host Towson in a 6 p.m. contest at Klöckner Stadium.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION

Thursday night’s match will be streamed on ACCNX which is available at ESPN.com and through the ESPN app. Live stats will also be available and links are at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVAWomenSoccer).

TICKETS AVAILABLE

Tickets are available for purchase at UVATix.com. General admission tickets are $8 and reserved seats are $12 if available.

Concessions will be available at Klöckner Stadium for all home games and a clear bag policy is in effect. Outside food and drink is not permitted.

NOTING THE HOOS

  • Virginia enters 2024 with several players returning to the lineup after missing the 2023 season due to injury, including midfielders Emma Dawson and Lia Godfrey, and defender Laney Rouse
  • UVA was picked to finish sixth in the ACC in the preseason poll of the league’s coaches with 177 points and behind five teams that advanced to the second round of NCAA play and four that advanced to the Elite Eight (FSU, Stanford, Clemson, North Carolina).
  • A trio of players will serve as captains for the 2023 season: Dawson, Alexis Theoret and Rouse
  • Maggie Cagle and Lia Godfrey were named preseason All-ACC selections by the league’s coaches
  • Both players were also named to Top Drawer Soccer’s preseason Best XI Team with Godfrey named a second-team midfielder and Cagle named a third team forward
  • Godfrey (14) and Cagle (25) were also named to the Top Drawer Soccer preseason Top 100 Players
  • Cagle is the returning assist leader from a year ago with 7 in 2023 and tied with Meredith McDermott for the team lead in goals scored (8) last season
  • With three new teams in the league this season, the Cavaliers only face one of the newcomers with SMU making the trip to Charlottesville late in the season. UVA misses Cal and Stanford this season
  • The Hoos play a challenging schedule this season that includes six games against teams in the preseason top 25, including three in the in the top 5 and five in the preseason top 15
  • Yuna McCormack was called up to the U20 USWYNT for the U20 Women’s World Cup in September
  • UVA received the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for performance in the classroom during the 2023-24 academic year to mark the 15th consecutive season to earn the honor
  • The Cavaliers are 22-2 in season openers under head coach Steve Swanson and are 19-1 in season openers at home under Swanson’s leadership

THE SERIES WITH TOWSON

  • Virginia and Towson have faced each other once before with that meeting coming in the 1994 season
  • The Cavaliers won that meeting 6-0 over the Tigers in Charlottesville