PREVIEW: Notre Dame at Virginia Tech

Notre Dame hits the road for an ACC matchup against Virginia Tech at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 in Blacksburg. The match will be broadcast on ACCNX and be available to stream on WatchESPN (subscription required).

NOTRE DAME vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia | Thompson Stadium
TV: ACCNX
Live Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Virginia Tech

THE VIRGINIA TECH SERIES

• The Irish and Hokies will meet on the pitch for the 10th time on Friday evening.

• The Irish lead the series with a mark of 6-2-1.

• Notre Dame has found success when playing in Blacksburg, posting a mark of 3-1-1 when facing the Hokies on the road.

• The most recent matchup in the series came last season at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 19, resulting in a 5-2 victory for the Hokies.

SET-PIECE SPECIALIST

• Felicien Dumas has already scored three goals and added three assists this season off set pieces.

• The graduate student has free kick goals against Seattle, Clemson and DePaul  and has assists against Saint Louis, Seattle and Purdue Fort Wayne.

• The goal against DePaul found the back of the net with just five seconds left on the clock in regulation to deliver the Irish a 1-0 victory.

• Dumas scored the goal of the season for the Irish in 2018, curling an effort into the top right corner in a 3-2 win over Syracuse.

• Dumas is the active leader for career assists with 17.

• The graduate student was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14 after helpint the Irish backline to shutout victories over No. 21 Duke and Purdue Fort Wayne.

LYNN LEADING THE LINE

• Sophomore striker Jack Lynn has started the 2019 season brightly, scoring seven goals to lead the Irish attack.

• After scoring goals in wins over Seattle and Denver the sophomore was named the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament MVP.

• The striker recorded the first brace of his career with two goals in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne.

• Lynn scored the match winner to beat No. 21 Duke in the 65th minute on Oct. 11.

• Lynn has already surpassed his goal tally from last season (three goals).

UNITED SOCCER COACHES Men’s Team Academic Award RECIPIENT

• Notre Dame has been named a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Men’s Team Academic Award for the 19th time in the last 20 seasons.

• To qualify for the award, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible.

• The Irish have earned the award more than any other ACC team since the inception of the honor in 1996.

STARTING STRONG

• The Irish have scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of matches this season.

• In the season opener Notre Dame scored a goal in the second minute (1:12) of play, marking the quickest goal to start a season in program history.

• Freshman Mohammad Abualnadi scored the first goal off a rebound from a Felicien Dumas free kick.

• The goal scored at 1:12 is tied for the second fastest goal scored to open a match since 1995.

• The Irish have scored first in eight of 12 matches this season and have not lost when scoring the first goal (7-0-1).

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN THE COUNTRY

• The Irish have never shied away from playing a challenging slate of opponents and the 2019 schedule looks to be no different.

• Notre Dame has or will play four of the top eight ranked teams in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll in No. 1 Virginia, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 6 Indiana, and No. 8 Clemson.

• Six of the 16 teams on Notre Dame’s regular-season schedule are currently ranked in the top 25.

• Ten of the sides the Irish are scheduled to face qualified for the 2018 NCAA tourney.

• All four of Notre Dame’s defeats have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, including two against top eight opponents.

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