Soccer Game Preview: Highland vs. Virginia Academy

The Highland Hawks will face off against the Virginia Academy Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Highland's last three contests have been decided by no more than a goal, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Highland is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Virginia's top teams: Fredericksburg Academy, who was ranked 17th at the time (Highland was ranked 13th). The Hawks never let the Falcons get on the board and left with a 1-0 victory on Friday. That's two games straight that Highland have won by just one goal.

Meanwhile, Virginia Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Miller School of Albemarle on Monday, taking the game 2-0.

Highland's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 15 goals over those five matches. As for Virginia Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 5-8-1.

Highland skirted past Virginia Academy 4-3 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.