Hokies open regular season in San Diego

Tech to face two West Coast opponents on road trip

August 17, 2017

The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will open the 2017 regular season this weekend, as they take a cross-country trip to San Diego. The Hokies will compete in the University of San Diego Tournament on the Toreros’ home pitch, Torero Stadium.

Tech begins play with a match against home-standing University of San Diego on Friday night, before taking on Pepperdine in San Diego on Sunday morning. Pepperdine advanced to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, before falling to NC State. The San Diego match will be live streamed and both games will have live stats.

The Hokies will enter the season looking to continue their strong play over the past several seasons. Senior Alani Johnson is Tech’s leading scorer among returners and is joined on the offensive side by fellow seniors Madi Conyers and Kallie Peurifoy, who returns for her senior season after an injury forced her to miss the 2016 season with a medical redshirt.

Tech is led on the defensive end of the field by returning starter Mandy McGlynn in goal. The sophomore spent part of last season and most of the summer competing with various US Women’s National teams. Joining her on the defensive side is sophomore Kelsey Irwin, a San Diego native who not only was a top defender a year ago, scored two goals for Tech.

The trip is a homecoming for head coach Chugger Adair, who is a 1993 graduate of San Diego. While at San Diego, Adair was a two-year captain and an All-American as a senior, when he led the Toreros to the NCAA Finals.

The Hokies played a pair of scrimmages during the preseason, tying Liberty, 1-1, and defeating Charlotte, 2-0. Following the San Diego trip, the Hokies will open the home schedule on Friday, Aug. 25, as they host the College of Charleston at 7 p.m. at Thompson Field.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer