Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 1 | August 2019

40 Inside Hokie Sports The Virginia Tech men’s soccer program finds itself in a bit of a strange, unfamiliar situation, as it gets ready to kick off the 2019 season. For the first time in quite a while, the Hokies find themselves in the position as the hunted instead of the hunter. The Hokies won 11 games and made their third straight NCAA Championships appearance last season, receiving a national seed and advancing to the Sweet 16. Looking ahead to this season, a roster loaded with talent and experience returns and has resulted in lofty expectations among fans and those in tune with the world of collegiate men’s soccer. TechheadcoachMikeBrizendineembracesthoseexpectations—after all, he and his staff built the program into this—but he also admits feeling a bit nervous. “I’m excited about the amount of kids we have and our culture,” he said. “I’m apprehensive because of we have a tough schedule, and everyone wants to kick our butts. All these other years, we’ve been the underdog, and that’s kind of the Tech way—underdog and play with a chip on our shoulder. The reality is we need to continue to play like that and not think about anything else.” Tech’s 2018 team featured a high-powered offense, solid defense, and terrific goalkeeping. With 10 players who started at least 10 matches returning, the 2019 group appears to be built in that exact same mold. Tech ranked second in the ACC in 2018 with 37 goals. Nine of the 12 goal scorers last season return, led by Kristo Strickler. The rising junior earned second-team All-ACC honors after leading the team with 10 goals. “I thought he would score goals for certain,” Brizendine said. “But I had him in the five-to-seven-goal range, especially with the kind of schedule we played. He’s such a great kid. It’s a pleasure to coach him, and his stuff is based on hard work. He’s got a lot of talent, but there is a deep desire to win out of that boy. As long as we can keep him healthy, it should be good.” Strickler may receive an in-season invite to participate in a U.S. national team tryout at some point this fall and thus could miss some games. But the Hokies figure to be able to absorb any Strickler absence. Nico Quashie, a forward, scored six goals in 2018, while defender Jon Ingason added four goals, and forward Brendan Moyers scored three. Defender James Kasak led the team with seven assists. “We return most of our goals, and we’ve added some special pieces,” Brizendine said. “We’re adding some young guys that are going to help. Justus [Kauppinen] got hurt [last season], and we thought he’d be a five-to-seven goal guy, so we’ve got a third-year player back and healthy. We’ve got some recruits we’re going to add to that. by Jimmy Robertson EXPECTATIONS HIGH FOR TECH MEN’S SOCCER The Hokies made it to the Sweet 16 last season and return most of their scoring, their goalkeeper and their key defenders, thus fueling high hopes for the 2019 campaign Kristo Strickler