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Virginia Men's Soccer Set To Face Clemson In 2003 ACC Men's Soccer Championship
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Nov. 10, 2003
VIRGINIA’S RANKINGS/RECORD: Virginia is not ranked in the Soccer America Top 25 poll and is not ranked in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25 poll this week. UVa entered the 2003 season ranked in several national preseason polls. Virginia was ranked #14 in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25, #16 in the SoccerTimes Top 25, #19 in the Soccer America Top 25 and #21 in the College Soccer News’ Poll. Since the beginning of the 1984 season, the Cavaliers have been the top-ranked team in 71 Soccer America polls and 55 NSCAA polls (formerly the ISAA poll). Virginia was ranked in 183 consecutive NSCAA polls dating back to September of 1983 until the streak was snapped on 10/25/99, and was ranked in 177 consecutive Soccer America polls since September of 1984 until the streak ended on 10/4/99.
VIRGINIA VS. CLEMSON SERIES: Virginia leads the all-time series with Clemson in men’s soccer 20-18-4. The Cavaliers tied the Tigers by the score of 2-2 in the first meeting between the two schools back on October 22, 1968 in Charlottesville. Virginia defeated Clemson by the score of 3-2 in the last meeting between the two teams which was played earlier this season on October 11, 2003 in Charlottesville at Klockner Stadium in an ACC regular season match. The last time the Cavaliers and Tigers met in the ACC Tournament, Clemson defeated Virginia by the score of 1-0 in the 2001 ACC Finals in Clemson, S.C.
VIRGINIA SEEDED #3 IN ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia earned the #3 seed in the upcoming 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Championship (on November 12-16) and will face the #6 seed Clemson Tigers on Wednesday, November 12th at 8:00 PM in Cary, N.C. at the SAS Soccer Complex. Virginia earned the #3 seed in the ACC Tournament after posting a 3-3-0 record in the ACC, while Clemson was awarded the #6 seed in the ACC Tournament after posting a 2-4-0 record in the conference. The Cavaliers defeated the Tigers by the score of 3-2 on October 11th in Charlottesville, Va. in the only meeting between the two teams this season. The 2003 ACC Tournament will run from November 12-16. The quarterfinals round is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12th (3:00 PM, 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM), the semifinals round is scheduled for Friday, November 14th (5:30 PM and 8:00 PM) and the ACC Championship (Finals) is scheduled for Sunday, November 16th at 1:00 PM. If UVa advances past Clemson in the quarterfinals round, the Cavaliers will face the winner of the #2 seed Wake Forest vs. #7 seed Duke on Friday, November 14th at 8:00 PM at the SAS Soccer Complex. If UVa were to also advance past the semifinals, it would play in the finals on Sunday, November 16th at 1:00 PM in a match that will be televised on Fox Sports Net South, the Sunshine Network and Comcast Sportsnet.
VIRGINIA IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT: Virginia stands 25-9-3 (.716) all-time in the history of the ACC Championship. UVa has advanced to the ACC Finals 13 of the 16 times the tournament has been played and has won the ACC Tournament title on seven occasions. The Cavaliers claimed the ACC Tournament title in: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997. Virginia has competed in the ACC Finals the past four consecutive seasons (1999-2002) and seeks its fifth consecutive appearance.
UVA LOOKS FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE ACC FINALS APPEARANCE: Virginia will be looking to make its fifth consecutive ACC Finals appearance this season. UVa has made it to the ACC Finals the last four consecutive seasons (1999-2002) but did not win an ACC title in any of those years.
RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE PICKED TO FINISH: Virginia was picked to finish third in the 2003 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, and that is exactly where UVa finished. In fact, the top four teams finished in the order they were projected to finish. Below is the projected and actual finish for the 2003 ACC standings:
Rank Projected Finish Actual Finish1. Maryland Maryland2. Wake Forest Wake Forest3. VIRGINIA VIRGINIA4. North Carolina North Carolina5. Clemson N.C. State6. Duke Clemson7. N.C. State Duke
‘HOOS AGAINST THE TOP 25: Virginia finished the regular season with a record of 2-4-0 against teams that were ranked in the Top 25. Here is a look at Virginia’s matches against the Top 25:
Date Opponents Score Location11/7 #12 VCU L, 2-1 Charlottesville, Va.10/31 #3 Maryland L, 1-0 College Park, Md.9/21 #4 North Carolina W, 1-0 Charlottesville, Va.9/13 #2 Wake Forest W, 2-1 Charlottesville, Va.9/7 #1 UCLA L, 4-0 College Park, Md.8/31 #13 Saint Louis L, 3-2 Charlottesville, Va.
TO BE (RANKED), OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION: Through its 17 regular season games this season, Virginia turned in an overall record of 8-9-0. UVa has been ranked in seven of the 17 matches it has played in. In the matches it has been ranked, Virginia’s record is 2-5-0. However, in its matches it is not ranked, UVa is 6-4-0.
VIRGINIA’S THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK ITS LONGEST SINCE 2002: Multiple-game losing streaks are not a common thing for UVa, however, heading into the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers are currently on a three-game losing streak. Virginia’s three-game losing streak is its longest since dropping four consecutive games from September 8th – September 25th in 2002.
CAVALIERS FALL BELOW .500: Following its 2-1 loss to VCU on November 7th, Virginia dropped below the .500 mark for the first time since it was 4-5-0 following a loss to N.C. State on September 28th earlier this season.
ROAD WOES CONTINUE FOR CAVALIERS AS ‘HOOS FINISH WINLESS: When Virginia dropped a 1-0 decision to Maryland on October 31st in College Park, Md., the Cavaliers dropped to 0-4-0 on the road for the 2003 season. The match with Maryland was UVa’s last regular season road match of the year. Virginia is 0-4-0 on the road after dropping decisions to Maryland (1-0), UNC Greensboro (1-0), Duke (3-1) and N.C. State (1-0). However, the Cavaliers are 1-1-0 on neutral sites this season. UVa defeated American (1-0) and lost to #1 UCLA (4-0) in two games played on a neutral field.
GELNOVATCH TOPS 100 AND IS CLIMBING: UVa men’s soccer head soccer coach George Gelnovatch recorded his 100th career head coaching victory on August 30th, 2002 when Virginia defeated #25 Kentucky by the score of 3-2. Gelnovatch, in his eighth season as head coach at UVa, has recorded 122 wins as a head coach at Virginia with a career record of 122-44-12, including a mark of 29-13-6 in the ACC. By reaching the 100-win mark, it makes him only the second UVa men’s soccer coach to record the milestone. Former Virginia men’s soccer head coach Bruce Arena holds UVa’s all-time coaching victory mark with 295 (295-59-31, 74-21-11 ACC).
UVA FALLS TO VCU FOR FIRST TIME EVER: When Virginia lost to VCU on November 7th, it marked the first time the Cavaliers had ever lost to the Rams in men’s soccer. UVa entered its game with VCU holding a 19-0-1 advantage in a series that the Cavaliers had outscored the Rams 91-8 in 20 games. With the loss to VCU, Virginia is now 19-1-1 in the 21-game series.
HOME SWEET HOME: Virginia has enjoyed much success playing in the friendly confines of Kl?ckner Stadium. One of the finest college soccer facilities in the country, Kl?ckner Stadium has been a very tough place for opponents to record a win. Since its opening in 1992, UVa has posted an eye-opening record of 143-21-7 at Kl?ckner Stadium. The Cavaliers finished the 2002 regular season a perfect 12-0-0 at home and finished the 2002 season 12-1-0. Virginia is 20-6 (.769) in NCAA Tournament games held at Kl?ckner Stadium during the past 11 seasons, outscoring its opposition 60-23 in those games.