Five Reasons to Attend: No. 17 Virginia Tech vs. No. 1 PittFive Reasons to Attend: No. 17 Virginia Tech vs. No. 1 Pitt
Men's Soccer

Five Reasons to Attend: No. 17 Virginia Tech vs. No. 1 Pitt

Hokies host Panthers in ranked matchup Friday

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UPDATE: Tonight's men's soccer game vs. Pitt has been postponed to Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. ET.

BLACKSBURG – No. 17 Virginia Tech Men’s Soccer will welcome No. 1 Pittsburgh for a nationally ranked contest this Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The Hokies return to Blacksburg after being on the road against SMU and will look to capitalize in what promises to be an exciting game. With special giveaways and promotions for all fans in attendance, Hokie Nation won’t want to miss the matchup. Here are five reasons to attend men’s soccer under the Thompson Field lights this Friday.  

1. Key Matchup - For the first time since 2021, the Hokies will face a No. 1-ranked team. In the last meeting with a top-ranked team, the Hokies defeated Marshall by a score of 3-2 and look to continue their success against the Panthers. A win Friday would be Tech’s fifth win against a No. 1-ranked team in program history. 

2. International Night - Virginia Tech Men’s Soccer is celebrating International Night at the game this Friday. The Hokies have a handful of student-athletes with international ties, including Floki Stephensen (Iceland), Marcos Escoe (Costa Rica), Oliver Roche (Denmark), Malick Thiaw (France), Yonis Kireh (France) and Sergios Feneridis (Cyprus). Other Hokies on the team also have correlation with Colombia, Japan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Mexico, Ireland, Nigeria, and Italy.

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3. Giveaway – Fans who arrive early to Thompson Field will have the opportunity to receive a cookbook that celebrates international cuisine. The cookbook features recipes from some of the Hokie student-athletes themselves. Fans won’t want to miss this opportunity!

4. Battling the Conference – The #17 Hokies will host the Panthers for their third ACC matchup of the season this Friday. In ACC play, Tech men’s soccer is 1-1 with a win against Syracuse.

5. Players to Watch – Key players on the Hokies’ roster have allowed the men’s soccer team to reach their best start in program history. Leading the charge defensively is goalkeeper Cooper Wenzel, who earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week after securing his fourth clean sheet of the season against Syracuse. Also on defense is Floki Stephensen, a 6-foot-4 defender who has put two balls in the back of the net this season. Forward Ethan Hackenberg continues to make a big impact on offense, leading the team with three goals all from the penalty spot over seven games.