Nov. 30, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion Monarchs travel to Blacksburg, Va. to face the number 11 seed Virginia Tech (12-3-5) in NCAA Tournament action. One of the two teams will come away with its first ever win in the NCAA College Cup third round. It will be the second consecutive trip for the Monarchs (14-6-3) to the Round of 16 and they are one of just six teams to return this season. A year ago, ODU dropped a 2-1 decision at home to the eventual national champion Gauchos of UCSB. Kick-off is set for 1:00 pm and you can tune into Gametracker for live stat updates.
How Sweet It Is...
The Monarchs of Old Dominion (14-6-3) return to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive season, with a second round upset over #6 Brown University on the road. ODU will now face #11 Virginia Tech (12-3-5) on the road in their second ever appearance in the tournament's third round. Last season, ODU faced eventual national champion UCSB in the Round of 16 and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Gauchos.
It is Tech's first appearance, as with the 3-2 win over California on Wednesday they notched their first ever NCAA Tournament victory. They have only lost to two teams this season: #1 seed Boston College and Monarchs rival VCU.
The winner of the game will play the winner of the #3 Connecticut/USF matchup.
The Series
In eight matchups all-time, ODU has gotten the better of the Hokies by a count of 4-1-3 with five overtime matches. The Monarchs have won the last four games against the ACC foe.
Nationally Ranked Monarchs
As a team, the Monarchs boast on of the nations top defenses, with the 11th best GAA, at 0.60, and the 11th best shutout percentage, at 0.55. ODU also ranked 32nd in save percentage at .825.
In goal, Evan Newton ranks 15th nationally in goals against average with a .603 mark. He also ranks 39th in save percentage at .818.
Thanks to at least one assist in four of the last nine games, senior A.J. Kulp is climbing the charts as well, currently 70th nationally in apg with 0.36.
Best of the Best
ODU is on a historical run for the program, making six straight NCAA Tournaments. The Monarchs are one of just nine teams in the nation to reach the second round of the NCAA College Cup in each of the last six seasons. They are also one of just six teams returning to the third round of the NCAA Tournament this season.
In all, ODU boasts a .500 record in the tournament over the last six seasons. They are 5-5-1 with the most successful years being the last two. In 2006, ODU advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in program history. This season, they repeated that task and will look to advance to their first ever national semifinal.
Oh So Good in OT
The Monarchs are extremely seasoned in extra time this year, with over a third of their games heading into overtime. ODU is unbeaten in the last seven overtime games, including a 1-1 tie handing the Monarchs their first CAA Title since 1991 and a 2-1 win in the second round of the NCAA over #6 Brown University. Overall they are 4-1-3 in overtime this season.
Scouting Report: Virginia Tech
The Hokies played in the ACC semifinals against Boston College, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Eagles. After starting the season with a 0-4 loss to VCU, the Hokies went unbeaten in 15 straight before dropping the first of two to BC. They boast one of the most potent attacks in the nation, scoring 2.30 goals per game, ranking among the top five in the nation.
They spread the ball around, though, as no Hokie has more than 7 goals this season. Six Hokies are in double-figure points for the season. Patrick Nyarko leads the team with 20 points (5 goals, 10 assists).
Markus Aigner has been between the posts for most of the season, averaging 1.11 goals against with 45 saves.