The Rundown: Virginia Tech Men's Soccer 4 North Florida 0, Transfers lead the way in season-opening win
The Hokies men's team has some gamechangers, well about eight of them.
After a down year for 16th-year coach Mike Brizendine, he and his staff, including a newly added assistant, Kyle Renfro, sought a largely new talent pool. They found it, acquiring eight transfers (two of which scored), totaling a class of 14 before their Thursday night win against the North Florida Ospreys.
Before an explosive Sami Kolby shot in the 34th minute, neither side was moving with the sharpness necessary for a goal. Actually, the Hokies spent a lot of the first half on the backfoot, succumbing to North Florida press while not being able to combine in order to pick the ball away from North Florida.
However, after Kolby's left-footed shot that barreled into the top of the net, the floodgates began to open. Kolby found the net for a second time minutes later after a well-orchestrated Tech play that found the Charlotte transfer dribbling inside around the box at the exact position of his first strike, yet this one looked a lot more composed as his shot went for the side of the outstretched arms of Luciano Natoli, to make it a two-goal advantage for the Hokies before the break.
Just two minutes into the second half, with the cobwebs thoroughly dusted off, Saint Louis transfer forward CJ Coppola, chopped his way inside the right edge of the box and rifled a shot into the far post bottom corner, snagging his second goal contribution on the night.
Noe Uwimana capped off the night with a free kick goal in the 57th, after Marcos Escoe was dragged down on the edge of the box.
Despite the chopping and changing faced by Brizendine and his staff, there is a sense of collectiveness coming from this Tech side. "We're building our foundation right, and I think that we have a nice foundation, and we'll build a nice house on it," Brizendine said. "But we have to continue. We're in the early phases of it."
Against the mountainous backdrop, Coppola was eager to let me know that he and his team are ready to leave a mark this season. "I mean, for the first day, it was great. We have a great new team this year, and I feel like everyone's sleeping on us and we're going to take it to them."
Next for the Hokies is their second consecutive home game as they take on UNC Asheville next Tuesday at 6 ET.
CONNOR MARDIAN