Virginia Men’s Soccer 2023 Schedule Preview

George Gelnovatch enters his 28th season as the coach of Virginia men’s soccer with the hopes of bringing an illustrious 8th title, and third under his watch, back to Charlottesville. Last year, Virginia’s season came to a close in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Qualifying for the NCAA Tournament was massive for the Cavaliers, as it marked their first appearance since 2019 when Virginia fell to Georgetown in the final by one penalty in a penalty shootout.

This season serves as a test for Gelnovatch and his squad as to whether this program can continue to make positive strides forward to claim their first ACC Championship since 2019 and first National Championship since 2014.

Before the glory games, Virginia will face 16 regular season opponents. Here’s a preview of each opponent for the 2023 Virginia men’s soccer season:

Virginia will host exhibition games against Patrick and Henry Community College, Villanova, and Duquesne before hosting Iona on August 24th for its home opener at Klöckner Stadium. The Gaels return their two top-point scorers from last year and should not be underestimated. In 2022, the Cavaliers dropped their opening game to Xavier and will look to make a strong impression on matchday one.

After that, the home spell continues as Virginia hosts Loyola Marymount and George Mason on August 27th and 31st, respectively. Neither of those teams made the NCAA tournament last year or won their conference championship, and should serve as momentum-building games for the Hoos.

For matchday four, Virginia will host Maryland on September 4th for its first test of the season. Nearly a year after the Terrapins downed Virginia 6-1 at Audi Field, the Cavaliers will have an opportunity to redeem themselves. Maryland loses its top three-point scorers from last season and has entered a rebuilding phase.

Four days later, Virginia travels to Durham, North Carolina, to face off against Duke for the first road game of the season. The Blue Devils lost two first-team All-Americans and will rely on Axel Guðbjörnsson and Nick Pariano to pick up the pieces. In 2022, Duke drew Virginia 0-0, one of only three teams to hold the Hoos scoreless last season.

Virginia then remains on the road to play James Madison on September 12th before returning home to host NC State on September 16th. Last year, the Cavaliers cruised past the Dukes 3-0, while NC State finished bottom of the Atlantic division in the ACC in 2022. The expectation is Virginia fends off both upsets before traveling to South Bend, Indiana, to play Notre Dame on September 22nd.

Notre Dame should not be underestimated, despite finishing in the lower half of the ACC last season. The Fighting Irish returns their top eleven-point scorers from 2022 and will look to shake up the ACC.

After a trip to South Bend, Virginia returns home for a three-game stretch that begins with East Tennessee State on September 26th. Three days later, Virginia plays Louisville before a rematch with Hofstra on October 3rd. Both the Cardinals and the Pride made the NCAA tournament last year and will serve as strong opponents midway through the season. The headline name for Hofstra is second-team All-American Eliot Goldthorp. Last year the midfielder from Leeds, United Kingdom, finished with 17 goals and six assists to his name.

Three days after Hofstra, the Cavaliers head up north to play Boston College, who only strung together one win in the ACC last season while also graduating its two All-ACC players.

A week later, Virginia hosts Pittsburgh, who made it to the College Cup in 2022. Despite this, the Cavaliers took care of business with a 3-1 win against the Panthers in Pittsburgh last season. The game was a defining moment for the Cavaliers as it was the second top-10 opponent they had beaten that week, and saw Reese Miller score his first career goal. Virginia also defeated Pitt 1-0 in the ACC Tournament last season. The Panthers lose their top two goal scorers from last year and will rely on forward Luis Sahmkow and midfielder Filip Mirkovic to headline the Panthers attack.

On October 20th, Virginia returns to action against Virginia Tech for the 55th edition of the Commonwealth Clash. The matchup was one of the most thrilling games of the 2022 season, as the Cavaliers scored four goals in the final 20 minutes to defeat the Hokies 4-2 in Charlottesville. Although Virginia Tech finished bottom of the ACC in 2022, the Cavaliers should not overlook their in-state rival, especially on the road.

The name to watch for the Hokies is Misei Yoshizawa, who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and will look to get Virginia Tech back on track after a disappointing season in 2022. After that, Virginia returns home to host High Point. The Panthers made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year with Noah Holmes leading the way, who topped High Point in scoring with 11 goals. 

Finally, on October 27th, Virginia closes its regular season against North Carolina in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers also closed out their regular season against the Tar Heels with a 2-2 draw in 2022. The ACC rival should serve as an opportunity for the Cavaliers to build momentum heading into the ACC tournament, which will begin on November 1st. 

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