@CanesFutbol Meets No. 25 Va. Tech on Senior Day
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami soccer team is set to host No. 25 Virginia Tech Sunday at noon on senior day at Cobb Stadium.
Defender Emily Auld, forward Gracie Lachowecki, midfielder/defender Gianna Dal Pozzo and defender Shannon McCarthy will all be honored prior to the match. The quartet has combined for 63 of a possible 64 starts this season.
This will be the 16th consecutive season the Hurricanes and Hokies face off at least once, dating back to their first meeting on Oct. 19, 2001.
Miami heads into Sunday’s contest with a 9-7-0 (4-4-0 ACC) record and has won four straight home matches for the first time since 2008. The Hurricanes rank third in the ACC in assists (37), tied for fourth in goals allowed (12), fifth in points (97), fifth in goals (30) and tied for fifth in shutouts (seven).
Fourth-year head coach Mary-Frances Monroe’s team features three of the conference’s most statistically prolific offensive players this season, including Lachowecki, who is tied for second in the league in goals (nine) and fourth in points (21).
Junior forward Ronnie Johnson is tied for sixth in goals (seven) and tied for seventh in points (17), while freshman forward Kristina Fisher ranks tied for fourth in assists (six), fifth in points (20) and tied for sixth in goals (seven). All three players also ranked in the ACC’s top 10 in shot attempts, while Fisher and Johnson are part of a tie for fifth in game-winning goals with three each.
Additionally, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce is fourth in the conference in save percentage (.800) and fifth in goals against average (0.77), after allowing just 12 goals in over 1,400 minutes of action.
Virginia Tech is 10-4-3 (2-3-3 ACC) in 2016 and is unbeaten in its last five matches, with four of those five going to double overtime. The Hokies have reached the NCAA Championship eight seasons in a row, including advancing to the second round last year, when they finished 15-4-2 (6-3-1 ACC).
Miami enters the match in seventh place in the ACC with 12 points, while Virginia Tech is tied for ninth with nine points. With a victory over the Hokies, Miami would clinch a berth in the ACC Championship for the first time since 2012 and would set a program record for conference victories.
As is the case with all matches at Cobb Stadium, entry to Sunday’s game is free. The first 150 students in attendance will receive Miami soccer scarves and the first 50 fans will get Miami soccer-branded water bottles, while team posters will be available for all fans.
The match between Miami and Louisville will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra HERE. Live stats for the contest can be found HERE.
To keep up with the University of Miami soccer team on social media, follow @CanesFutbol on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
