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BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech men’s soccer team will look to extend its unbeaten streak to six when the Hokies play host to No. 9 Syracuse at Thompson Field on Saturday evening.

The Orange come into the match with a No. 9 ranking and a 8-1 (2-1 ACC) record. Most recently, Syracuse defeated then-No. 2 Virginia 1-0 in Syracuse. The squad’s only loss of the year came at the hands of then-No. 4 Notre Dame.

Emil Ekblom, who has 11 points on the strength of five goals and one assist this season, leads Syracuse offensively. Following Ekblom is Jordan Murrell who has six points on one goal and four assists.

The Orange boast one of the best defenses in the nation led by goalkeeper Alex Bono. Syracuse is tied with Michigan State for the national lead in fewest goals allowed this season (1) and owns the nation's top goals-against average at 0.11. In addition, Syracuse's .971 save percentage and .890 shutout percentage are tops in the country.

The Hokies come into the match on the heels of a five-game win streak, most recently defeating VMI 5-0 at home on Tuesday night. Tech is led by sophomore Som Essome who leads the team in points with 11 on the strength of three goals and five assists. Essome’s five assists rank him 10th nationally in total assists. Freshman Ricardo John is not far behind him with nine points on four goals and one assist while freshman Merlin Baus has eight points on three goals and two assists.

Tech has won all four meetings against Syracuse, including a 2-1 overtime decision at Thompson Field last season. The first three pairings occurred when the teams were members of the BIG EAST Conference and last season's matchup was the first between the schools since 2003. The Hokies have outscored the Orange in the series, 10-2.

Game time is slated for 7 p.m. Live stats are available for the match.

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