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WE've known the schedule for some time. But our SID staff puts it in perspective:
Flames to Face #1 Ranked North Carolina and #3 Virginia
August 17, 2006
Lynchburg, Va.
The Liberty Flames will face both the #1 North Carolina Tarheels and the #3 Virginia Cavaliers this season as Soccer America released its Men's Soccer Preseason Top 25 this afternoon.
The Flames will host the Tarheels, who Soccer America picked to win the 2006 NCAA Division I title, on September 9, at Liberty Soccer Field. The match is set for 2 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the two schools in soccer.
Liberty will once again travel to Charlottesville to meet Virginia. Last year when the two teams meet at UVa’s Klochner Stadium in late October, the Cavaliers were ranked #2 in the nation. This season, the Flames and the Cavaliers will square off on October 3.
Besides North Carolina and Virginia, the Flames will also face North Carolina State, another Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team this season. The ACC placed eight teams in the 2005 Men’s College Cup Field and is considered by many to be the top conference in the nation.
“Playing UNC, UVA, and NC State will provide visibility and credibility to Liberty University and our soccer program,” commented Liberty head coach Jeff Alder. “These games are what college soccer is all about and I look forward to the challenge that lies ahead for our group of men.”
The Flames visit Longwood on August 29 to open the 2006 season.
The Flames will host the Tarheels, who Soccer America picked to win the 2006 NCAA Division I title, on September 9, at Liberty Soccer Field. The match is set for 2 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the two schools in soccer.
That'll be an SFC event, definitely. What sucks is I'm a Carolina fan but I'll actually pull against them in that game.
Go to the soccer game, tailgate, go to the football game.
The Tar Heels lost just one starter (soph M Dax McCarthy) from the squad that narrowly missed out on a Cup trip last year. In the NCAA quarters, the Heels lost to SMU in OT, so you can bet the seven seniors in coach Elmar Bolowich's XI will do anything to get there this year. UNC has talent all over the field: Seniors Justin Hughes (GK) and Michael Harrington (D) provide tons of experience in the back, mids Corey Ashe (four game winning goals in '05) and St. John's transfer Garry Lewis (McCarthy's replacement) will work the engine room. Lethal soph striker Ben Hunter will be even tougher on opposing defenses after a stellar frosh debut. 2006 marks the Chapel Hill crew's best chance to get back to the top of the college game since lifting the Cup in 2001.
3. Virginia (12-5-3)
Another team that lines up almost fully intact from a year ago, the Cavaliers are loaded. Giant German Yannick Reyering (6' 6", 205) scored 14 goals as freshman while his running mate, senior Adam Cristman, bagged seven. U.S. U-20 international Jonathan Villanueva, the nation's top recruit, joins junior stalwarts Jeremy Barlow and Nico Colaluca in the midfield. And the back line, led by senior GK Ryan Burke, is solid. Injuries were part of the reason Virginia was a third-round tourney casualty in '05. But with this much evenly-balanced talent, UVa should be settle for nothing less than a Cup berth, no excuses. If they underachieve, coach George Gelnovatch -- who hasn't won a title since replacing Bruce Arena as coach in 1996 -- could be looking for a new gig.
- By ECC29
- By jmclaughlin
- By LUOrange