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Edwardsville, Ill. – The Virginia Tech men’s soccer team looks to kick off 2014 with a pair of wins on the road as they travel to the Midwest for nonconference tilts against SIUE and Saint Louis.

The Hokies return several key players form last year’s squad. Sophomores André Thomas and Niels Kirch return to the fold for Hokies in the midfield while junior Daniel Lauretano will look to get things going up top for Tech. Sophomore Alessandro Mion returns to anchor an impressive Hokie defense that earned five shutouts last year. With veterans returning, Tech also welcomes a host of new talent into the mix who will be vying for playing time.

Last season SIUE finished the 2013 campaign with an 8-9-2 overall mark, a 2-3 record at home, and a 3-3 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Cougars advanced to their fourth consecutive MVC Tournament, falling in the semifinals to top-seeded Missouri State.

Saint Louis returns five of its top six scorers from last year’s squad that went 14-5-2 overall and 6-0-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Billikens captured the A-10 regular-season title and advanced to the league’s championship game. Saint Louis was picked to win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season.

Live video is available at SIUETV.com for the Friday’s match scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. Live video and live stats for Sunday’s match are available at SLUBillikens.com.

For updates on Virginia Tech men's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_MSoccer