Soccer Game Preview: Gloucester vs. Hickory

Gloucester has won ten straight games at home, while Hickory has won ten straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Dukes will host the Hawks at 6:30 p.m. Both teams beat their previous opponents by a single goal, so this matchup might be just as contested.

While Gloucester's win against Kecoughtan wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Dukes skirted past the Warriors 3-2. Given Gloucester's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia soccer rankings (they are ranked 20th, while Kecoughtan are ranked 68th) , the result on Thursday wasn't entirely unexpected.

Gavin Blanks and Corey Skay scored all three of Gloucester's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 40 goals.

Meanwhile, Hickory kept a clean sheet against Western Branch on Thursday. They beat the Bruins by a goal, winning 1-0. Hickory's defense has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a goal in their last five games.

Hickory is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 32 goals over those eight contests. As for Gloucester, their win bumped their record up to 13-1.