Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 1 | August 2020

inside.hokiesports.com 43 Kitty Newton Photo KitKatNewt1@gmail.com “The Farmhouse... Eating Great Food here for over 30 Years.” – Coach Frank Beamer thefarmhousechristiansburg.com 285 Ridinger Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • (540) 251-7600 Prime Rib • Steaks • Seafood • Outdoor Courtyard • Private Dining • Weekend Brunch EDITOR’S NOTE : As of Aug. 20, the ACC was committed to playing the fall sports of volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country. Developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic since this issue went to the printer were happening daily, and they may or may not have change the ACC’s decision between the print date and the time that the customer received this issue. program is becoming one of the most consistent in the school’s stable of 22 varsity sports. The cupboard remains stocked with quality talent and experience — Tech’s 2020 roster features six seniors and seven juniors and includes three of the top four scorers from last season. “This is a great group here,” Brizendine admitted. “A great group. I’m very excited … we have great kids, and I’m very much looking forward to spending time with them.” Certainly, a coach could find himself in a worse position than returning his top two scorers and goalkeeper from the previous season. High-scoring Kristo Strickler leads the way. The senior midfielder scored a team-best 11 goals in 2019 and led the Hokies with four game- winning goals. The Hilliard, Ohio native needs just one more goal to break into the top 10 in career goals at Tech, and he needs just eight more points to break into the top 10 in career points. His scoring usually equates to success for Tech. During his career, the Hokies are 14-2-2 when Strickler scores a goal in a match. “He’s much better,” Brizendine said of Strickler. “He’s continued to grow. I wondered how last year would be without Marcelo [Acuna, a 2018 All-American]. If there is a go-to guy, whoever the secondary guy is finds things a little easier. But he’s shined. It’s a testament to what kind of kid he is. He’s the best. I always know he’s giving 100 percent. He’s very consistent. I never worry about him off the field. He’s a good leader for our team.” Tech’s offense, though, features more than Strickler. The group of Daniel Pereira, Jacob Labovitz, Camron Lennon, and Nick Blacklock make the Hokies capable of scoring at any time. In fact, Tech averaged a little more than two goals per game in 2019 against a difficult schedule, and Brizendine expects the Hokies to be just as potent this season. Pereira, who made the All-ACC Freshman Team last season, scored five goals and finished with five assists in his debut season, while Labovitz added five goals and Lennon scored twice. Blacklock tied Pereira with a team-best five assists—and he and Pereira both were freshmen. Brizendine expects big seasons from the latter two and also Lennon, who scored in each of the Hokies’ final two matches of 2019. “He’s one of the more gifted players on our roster,” Brizendine said of the junior from Austin, Texas. “His skillset is off the charts. He’s just been injured all the time. He’s had nagging injuries, so getting him right has been difficult. If that kid is 100 percent, this article won’t be the last time you’re writing his name. He’s quick, he’s skillful, he knows how to score, he can use both feet … he can do it all. He’s just got to stay healthy.” Tech also features talent on the back end, led by goalkeeper Mathijs Swaneveld. Despite being injured for much of last season, the senior from The Netherlands played well, leading the ACC with 68 saves. “He still had a great year, and he wasn’t 100 percent,” Brizendine said. “He had surgery [in the offseason], and I think he’s doing much better. He’ll be very good.” Tech needs to shore up the defense in front of Swaneveld, as defenders Ingason, Will Mejia, Nikal Clarke-Smith and Marc Hoppler all graduated. Ingason, in particular, gave the Hokies a steady presence, and the three-year starter will be missed. Brizendine expects a lot of junior Sivert Haugli, a 6-foot-5 player from Oslo, Norway, and senior Jakob Bluemler from Bad Soden, Germany. Sivert started 17 matches last season, while Bluemler started 10. Also, Tech’s head coach expects big things from a couple of newcomers—freshman Welnilton Da Silva Jr. from Para, Brazil, and Zane Bubb, a 6-4 transfer from North Florida. Bubb, who has two years of eligibility remaining, led North Florida in minutes last season. “I think we have a lot of different options and a lot of different looks that we can do,” Brizendine said. “Our depth has gotten better and Continued on page 44