Soccer Travels To Face Virginia Tech

Oct. 18, 2001

CORAL GABLES, Fla.-The Miami soccer team will face its biggest challenge of the season this weekend as they travel to Blacksburg, Va. to play Virginia Tech in its final BIG EAST Northeast Division match of the season.

The match will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at the Tech Soccer Field.

The Hurricanes (8-5-0, 3-2-0 in the BE) have to beat the Hokies (6-7-2, 0-3-0 in the BE) to secure a spot in the BIG EAST tournament beginning Nov. 3. If Miami wins then they lock up the No. 2 spot in the conference and will host its first-ever quarterfinal match.

If the Hurricanes lose, their fate will lie in the hands of the remaining matches in the Northeast Division, with a possible scenario that the Hurricanes will be knocked out of the tournament all together.

This will be the first time Miami faces the newcomer to the conference. The Hokies have lost all three-conference games played so far, losing to No. 15 Connecticut (2-0), Providence (3-1) and Boston College (2-0).

Miami also fell to No. 15 UConn (5-0) and Boston College (4-2) before defeating Providence (1-0).

The Hurricanes have scored 29 goals this season, compared to 16 for the Hokies. Junior Laura West continues to lead the Miami offense with nine goals and three assists on the season.

She is three goals away from breaking the record for most goals scored in a season, currently held by senior Jennifer Sanchez with 11 goals during the 1998 season.

Kim Wyckoff leads the Hokies with three goals scored this season.