2024 Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer team
American college soccer season
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The 2024 Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer team represented the University of Virginia during the 2024 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The Cavaliers were led by head coach George Gelnovatch, in his twenty-ninth season. They played their home games at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. This was the team's 84th season playing organized men's college soccer and their 73rd playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference.[1]
| 2024 Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer | |
|---|---|
 | |
NCAA Tournament, Third Round | |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| U. Soc. Coaches poll | No. 17 |
| TopDrawerSoccer.com | No. 14 |
| Record | 11–7–3 (3–3–2 ACC) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home stadium | Klöckner Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Pittsburgh + | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Clemson + | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 15 | – | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Duke + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 3 | 11 | – | 4 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Wake Forest ‡ | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 12 | – | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 SMU + | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 12 | – | 3 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina + | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 4 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Stanford + | 3 | – | 2 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Virginia + | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 7 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 NC State + | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | 2 | – | 4 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 7 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 2 | – | 4 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | 1 | – | 4 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | 1 | – | 5 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 6 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | 0 | – | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from United Soccer Coaches Source: The ACC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Cavailers began the season ranked thirteenth in the polls and started the season with a win over Rider. They followed that with a loss against Colgate which saw them fall out of the polls. They defeated Saint Joseph's before a rough patch of six games. Over the next six games the team went 0–3–3. Their losses were against conference opponents Duke and second ranked Stanford and non-conference opponent UNC Greensboro. They drew Maryland, Wake Forest, and California. After this stretch, the Cavalier's season turned 180 degrees. They won six of their next seven games. Their only loss was at fifth ranked Pittsburgh. During this stretch, they defeated number eight James Madison and number nineteen Virginia Tech in back-to-back matches.
The Cavaliers finished the regular season 8–5–3 after starting 2–4–3. They finished 3–3–2 in ACC play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place. As the ninth overall seed in the ACC Tournament they defeated eighth seed NC State in the First Round. Their Quarterfinal matchup was a re-match with first seed Pittsburgh. The Cavaliers avenged a regular season loss and advanced to the Semifinals. There they were defeated 5–1 by Wake Forest. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and they were the eleventh overall seed. They earned a bye to the Second Round where they defeated West Virginia 2–1. They were upset in the Third Round by UMass to end their season. Their final overall record was 11–7–3.
Background
The Cavaliers finished the season 11–4–4 overall and 5–2–1 in ACC play to finish in second place in the Coastal Division. As the third overall seed in the ACC Tournament they earned a bye to the Quarterfinals where they were defeated by sixth seed Syracuse in penalties. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and they were the seventh overall seed. They defeated FIU in the Second Round before losing 1–0 to Indiana in the Third Round to end their season.
Player movement
Players leaving
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Williams | 1 | GK | 6'3" | 195 | Junior | Cincinnati, Ohio | Transferred to New Hampshire[2] |
| William Citron | 2 | DF | 6'0" | 185 | Senior | Eastchester, New York | Graduated |
| Aidan O'Connor | 5 | DF | 6'3" | 215 | Senior | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Graduated; selected 12th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft |
| Leo Afonso | 7 | FW | 5'11" | 170 | Senior | São Paulo, Brazil | Graduated; selected 32nd overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft |
| Stephen Annor | 9 | FW | 6'0" | 140 | Freshman | Accra, Ghana | Selected 26th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft |
| Axel Ahlander | 10 | MF | 6'3" | 190 | Senior | Nøtterøy, Norway | Graduated |
| Mouhameth Thiam | 11 | MF | 5'5" | 142 | Senior | Dakar, Senegal | Graduated |
| Elias Norris | 21 | FW | 5'10" | 155 | Graduate Student | Bethesda, Maryland | Graduated |
| Michael Tsicoulias | 22 | FW | 5'8" | 150 | Junior | Newton, Massachusetts | Transferred to New Hampshire[3] |
| Jack Singer | 27 | MF | 6'1" | 175 | Graduate Student | San Francisco, California | Graduated |
| Holden Brown | 99 | GK | 6'4" | 190 | Senior | Zionsville, Indiana | Graduated |
Players arriving
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Miles | 0 | GK | 6'1" | 180 | Graduate Student | London, England | Lubbock Christian |
| Nick Dang | 2 | DF | 6'2" | 180 | Junior | Brentwood, Tennessee | Lipscomb |
| Hayes Wood | 7 | FW | 6'2" | 200 | Graduate Student | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Lipscomb |
| AJ Smith | 9 | FW | 6'4" | 189 | Sophomore | Høje-Taastrup, Denmark | Tyler Junior College |
| Willem Ebbinge | 16 | FW | 6'1" | 180 | Graduate Student | Queenstown, New Zealand | Harvard |
| Luc Mikula | 21 | DF | 6'2" | 198 | Senior | State College, Pennsylvania | Coastal Carolina |
| Drew Serafino | 22 | FW | 5'8" | 155 | Junior | East Longmeadow, Massachusetts | Boston College |
| Cameron Yriondo | 27 | MF | 6'3" | 180 | Sophomore | Sammamish, Washington | Seattle Pacific |
| Grant Howard | 33 | DF | 5'10" | 179 | Junior | Atlanta, Georgia | Virginia Tech |
Recruiting class
| Name | Nat. | Hometown | Club | TDS Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jed Akwaboah DF |  USA | Short Hills, New Jersey | Cedar Stars Bergen |   [4] |
Joaquín Brizuela FW |  ARG | Mendoza, Argentina | Godoy Cruz | N/A |
Luke Burns MF | USA | Scottsdale, Arizona | Phoenix Rising FC | [5] |
Anthony Faupel FW | USA | St. Louis, Missouri | St. Louis City 2 | [6] |
Michael Howard FW | USA | Apex, North Carolina | Atlanta United FC | [7] |
Bakary Kante MF | USA | Overland Park, Kansas | Kansas Rush | [8] |
Alex Parvu DF | USA | Cumberland, Rhode Island | New England Revolution Academy | [9] |
Spencer Sanderson GK | USA | Austin, Texas | Austin FC | [10] |
Squad
Roster
- As of September 1, 2024[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Team management
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | George Gelnovatch |
| Associate Head Coach | Matt Chulis |
| Associate Head Coach | Adam Perron |
| Assistant coach | Jermaine Birriel |
Source:[11]
Schedule
Source:[12]
| Date Time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (Attendance) City, State | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| August 22* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
No. 13 | Rider | W 3–0 | 1–0–0 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,142) Charlottesville, VA | ||||||
| August 25* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
No. 13 | Colgate | L 0–1 | 1–1–0 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,380) Charlottesville, VA | ||||||
| August 29* 3:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Saint Joseph's | W 5–0 | 2–1–0 |
Klöckner Stadium (861) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| September 2* 7:00 p.m., BTN |
at Maryland | T 1–1 | 2–1–1 |
Ludwig Field (2,402) College Park, MD | |||||||
| September 6 6:00 p.m., ACCN |
Duke | L 0–1 | 2–2–1 (0–1–0) |
Klöckner Stadium (2,725) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| September 13 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
at Wake Forest | T 1–1 | 2–2–2 (0–1–1) |
Spry Stadium (2,440) Winston-Salem, NC | |||||||
| September 21 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
at California | T 1–1 | 2–2–3 (0–1–2) |
Edwards Stadium (710) Berkeley, CA | |||||||
| September 27 7:30 p.m., ACCN |
at No. 2 Stanford | L 0–1 | 2–3–3 (0–2–2) |
Cagan Stadium (1,446) Stanford, CA | |||||||
| October 1* 1:00 p.m., ACCNX |
UNC Greensboro | L 1–2 | 2–4–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (877) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| October 7 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
No. 19 Virginia Tech Rivalry |
W 2–1 | 3–4–3 (1–2–2) |
Klöckner Stadium (2,813) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| October 8* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
No. 8 James Madison | W 1–0 | 4–4–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,345) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| October 11 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
at Boston College | W 1–0 | 5–4–3 (2–2–2) |
Newton Soccer Complex (250) Chestnut Hill, MA | |||||||
| October 15* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
American | W 4–2 | 6–4–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,350) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| October 19 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Syracuse | W 3–0 | 7–4–3 (3–2–2) |
Klöckner Stadium (2,202) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| October 25 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
at No. 5 Pittsburgh | L 1–4 | 7–5–3 (3–3–2) |
Ambrose Urbanic Field (1,601) Pittsburgh, PA | |||||||
| October 30* 3:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Mary Washington | W 4–2 | 8–5–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,160) Charlottesville, VA | |||||||
| ACC Tournament | |||||||||||
| November 6 8:00 p.m., ACCN |
(9) | (8) No. 21 NC State First Round |
W 1–2 | 9–5–3 |
Dail Soccer Field (1,464) Raleigh, North Carolina | ||||||
| November 10 8:00 p.m., ACCN |
(9) | (1) No. 9 Pittsburgh Quarterfinals |
W 2–0 | 10–5–3 |
Pittsburgh (987) Ambrose Urbanic Field | ||||||
| November 14 5:30 p.m., ACCN |
(9) | (5) Wake Forest Semifinal |
L 1–5 | 10–6–3 |
WakeMed Soccer Park (645) Cary, NC | ||||||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| November 24 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
(11) | West Virginia Second Round |
W 2–1 | 11–6–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,747) Charlottesville, VA | ||||||
| November 30 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
(11) | UMass Third Round |
L 0–1 | 11–7–3 |
Klöckner Stadium (1,408) Charlottesville, VA | ||||||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from United Soccer Coaches. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. | |||||||||||
Awards and honors
| Recipient | Award | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Wise | Pre-Season All-ACC Team | August 14 | [13] |
| Joey Batrouni | ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week – Week 7 | October 8 | [14] |
| Nick Dang | All-ACC Second Team | November 13, 2024 | [15] |
| Nick Dang | All ACC-Tournament Team | November 17, 2024 | [16] |
| Paul Wise |
2025 MLS Super Draft
| Player | Team | Round | Pick # | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Dang | Real Salt Lake | 2 | 49 | DF |
 A. J. Smith | New York City FC | 3 | 78 | FW |
Source:[17]
Rankings
| Week | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| United Soccer[18] | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | Not released | 17 | |||
| TopDrawer Soccer[19] | 8 | 20 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 12 | 14 | 14 |