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CARY, N.C. – The fifth-seeded and sixth-ranked Virginia men’s soccer team defeated fourth-seeded and fifth-ranked Maryland, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament Wednesday at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute.

Virginia (13-3-1) will face either top-seeded Wake Forest or ninth-seeded Clemson in the first semifinal on Friday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m.

With the win, the Cavaliers won their third straight game and extended their unbeaten streak to nine games. In those contests, UVa holds a 7-0-2 record. Additionally, Virginia posted its sixth-consecutive shutout.

“We talked about keeping the ball on the ground and the fact that the standing water issue wasn’t a problem,” UVa head coach George Gelnovatch said. “We stayed the course and kept plugging away and Tony Tchani did great with his goal.”

Virginia goalkeeper Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had two saves for his ACC-best 10th shutout of the season.

The teams played through heavy rains and strong winds for the entire game. Tchani had his first scoring opportunity in the 22nd minute when his free kick from the top of the penalty area curled around Maryland’s defensive wall and sailed just wide.

In the first half, Virginia out-shot Maryland 7-1. The second half was more evenly matched until UVa midfielder Ross LaBauex (Chicago, Ill.) was issued his second card of the match and Virginia was forced to play a man down for the final 28 minutes of the match.

Tchani made the difference in the 88th minute however, gathering possession of the ball near the center circle and finishing a one-on-one opportunity with Maryland goalkeeper Zach MacMath.

For Tchani, it was his sixth goal of the year. Virginia avenged a 1-0 loss to the Terrapins in last year’s ACC Championship game. Earlier this season in College Park, the teams played to a scoreless draw. It was the first UVa win in the series since a 3-0 win in Charlottesville during the 2006 season.

Shots ended up 12-6 in Virginia’s favor. Maryland held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. MacMath finished with three saves.

Check VirginiaSports.com for the most up-to-date schedule of the 2009 ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament.

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