Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech women's soccer team will finish off its regular-season schedule with a match at Louisville. The postseason, both the ACC and NCAA, are still within the Hokies grasp, but the contest with the Cardinals will go a long way in determining their fate.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Thursday, October 25 - 7 PM
Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
vs. Louisville Cardinals (12-4-0, 6-3-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Karen Ferguson-Dayes (19th season)
Record at school: 169-153-35
Career Record: same
Series: Sixth meeting; Louisville leads 2-1-2
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra; Link: CLICK HERE
Top Notes for the Hokies (link to Game Notes pdf packet)
Tech finishes regular season with Louisville Cardinals
- The Hokies will finish out their regular season slate with an ACC match at Louisville.
- This is the sixth meeting between the two programs with the Cardinals holding a slight lead at 2-1-2. However, Louisville won those matches back in 1994-95 and since, Tech leads it 1-0-2.
- In the Bluegrass State, Tech is 1-1-0 all-time, with both of those matches against Louisville.
- See more on the match-up on page 2 of the game notes.
Postseason still a possibility for the Hokies
- Tech currently sits in a three-way tie with both Wake Forest and Notre Dame for the eighth and final spot in the ACC standings with 12 points as NC State sits just one point back (11). Eight of the league's 14 teams make the ACC Championship tournament. The Hokies' opponent Louisville is currently tied for third with Virginia with 18 points.
- When it comes to the NCAA Championship tournament, much is made of RPI, and Tech entered the week with an RPI of 43 with eight ACC teams ahead of them. The closest ACC teams to the Hokies are Thursday's opponent Louisville, who's at 32, and Clemson is seven spots back at 50.
- Today's match for the Hokies will certainly decide their fate when it comes to ACC postseason play and maybe the NCAA tournament as well.
- Ironically, the four teams still fighting for a playoff spot are all facing one of the current top four teams in the league, of which two are looking to secure a hosting site for Sunday's opening round of the ACC Championship - Wake Forest (T8) at North Carolina (clinched No. 1); Duke (clinched No. 2) at Notre Dame (T8); NC State (11) at Virginia (T3) and the Hokies (T8) at Louisville (T3).
In 2018 Tech games, scoring first is critical
- 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 14-0, with the Hokies holding an 8-0 record while the opponents are 6-0, with one double overtime 0-0 tie in the mix (Sept. 2 at Georgia).
- In fact, once the first goal has been scored, the team with the lead has never relinquished it - and has actually gone on to register a shutout in nine of those contests, with Tech earning five of them.
- So, the good news is - when the Hokies score a goal, they are 8-1-1 this season.
- Lastly, in just five matches this year both teams have scored, which if holds, would tie for the fewest ever in a single season done only three other times, 1996 and 2005 (5-of-19) and 2017 (5-of-18).