Virginia Women Conclude Preseason Trip To Brazil

Some college coaches schedule a couple of preseason games and like to play those at home. In recent years, collegiate teams have begun to take their preseason training to Europe. This year the University of Virginia women headed South…..as in South America.

The Virginia women’s soccer team returned home Monday after spending 10 days of the preseason in Brazil. The Cavaliers visited Sao Paulo and Santos on their tour and posted a 2-0-1 record in three exhibition games.

“You never know going into one of these trips if it will go according to plan, but these 10 days were everything we asked for and more,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “We were very fortunate to have the experiences we did, both on and off the field, specifically experiencing another culture. It was a great adventure and we couldn’t ask for a better trip.”

In the Cavaliers’ first game of the trip, Virginia defeated FC Osasco 2-1 on goals by third-year midfielders Noelle Keselica (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, Texas). Two days later, Virginia won its second game of the trip, shutting out Araraquara FC 2-0. Fourth-year forward Lindsay Gusick (Livonia, Mich.) and second-year forward Ariel Thompson (Salem, Va.) scored the Cavalier goals. In their final contest of the trip, the Cavaliers tied Santos FC 2-2. Gusick and Huffman each scored their second goal of the trip in the draw.

The Cavaliers, ranked No. 7 in the preseason Soccer America poll, open the 2004 regular season this Friday night as they host East Carolina at Klöckner Stadium at 7:00 p.m.