BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech women's soccer team will finish off its regular-season home schedule this weekend with matches against Notre Dame on Thursday night (7 p.m.) and Clemson on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m.). This final home weekend is key for the Hokies in its attempt for a postseason bid. Before the match against the Tigers, the Hokies will celebrate Senior Day and will recognize its six seniors - Zoe Foxhall, Jen Boyles, Heather Timothy, Kristina Diana, Alia Abu El Hawa and Abby Dolgos.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Thursday, October 18 - 7 PM
Thompson Field, Blacksburg, Virginia
vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-8-0, 3-4-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Nate Norman (1st season; 6th overall)
Record at school: 7-8-0; career: 65-43-14
Series: 8th meeting; Tied at 3-3-1
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra; Link: CLICK HERE
Sunday, October 21 - 1 PM
Thompson Field, Blacksburg, Virginia
vs. Clemson Tigers (9-6-0, 4-3-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Eddie Radwanski (8th season; 18th overall)
Record at school: 79-52-19; career: 219-117-32
Series: 15th meeting; Tech leads 6-4-4
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra; Link: CLICK HERE
Top Notes for the Hokies (link to Game Notes pdf packet)
Tech finishes three-game homestand with Notre Dame and Clemson before match at Louisville
- The Hokies returned to Thompson Field last Saturday night with just four matches remaining in its regular season. Their stretch run started versus No. 3 North Carolina, a 2-0 loss, that began a three-game homestand that includes Notre Dame (Thursday) and Clemson (Sunday).
- Tech entered the stretch unbeaten at home with a 5-0-2 mark before the loss to the Tar Heels.
- Tech will face Notre Dame for just the eighth time in program history, with the series tied at 3-3-1.
- Against Clemson, the Hokies hold a 6-4-4 all-time mark, but are 0-2-1 in the last three meetings.
- See more on the match-ups on page 2 of the game notes.
Final stretch run fraught with postseason implications
- Tech currently sits in a tie with Thursday's opponent Notre Dame for the eighth and final spot in the ACC standings with nine points - eight teams make the ACC Championship tournament. The Hokies final two opponents are ahead of them, with Louisville tied at fourth with 15 points and Clemson all alone in the sixth spot with 12 points.
- When it comes to the NCAA Championship tournament, much is made of RPI, and Tech entered the week with an RPI of 40, just ahead of its final three opponents, who are also vying for postseason spots. Louisville (41) and Clemson (42) are right behind the Hokies, while Notre Dame is nine spots back at 49.
- The next three matches for the Hokies will certainly decide their fate when it comes to postseason play.
You score first, you win, pretty simple
- This season in Tech matches, only once did the team that scored the day's first goal not go on to win the match, and that was then-No. 22 Georgetown, which resulted in a 1-1 draw back on Aug. 19.
- Since then, the team that scored the contest's first goal is 12-0, with the Hokies holding a 7-0 record while the opponents are 5-0, with one double overtime 0-0 tie in the mix (Sept. 2 at Georgia).
- Going one step further, since the scoreless tie with the Bulldogs, the team that has scored the game's first goal has actually gone on to shut out their opponent. In Tech's last nine outings, the team that has won has also registered a clean sheet - with the Hokies going 5-4 in that span.
- That is now tied for the longest such stretch in Tech history with the nine straight matches during the 2005 season (Sept. 9 - Oct. 6), when the Hokies posted a 4-5 mark.
- In fact, the last 11 matches the Hokies have played at least one team has been shut out, including the double overtime contest. There has never been a string like that before in Tech's history.
- To sum up, when the Hokies score a goal, they are 7-0-1 this season, when they don't they are 0-5-2.
- Lastly, in just three matches this year both teams have scored, which if holds, would be the fewest ever in a single season. The fewest is five, tied by three squads, 1996 and 2005 (5-of-19) and 2017 (5-of-18).