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Oct. 3, 2013

Pittsburgh at Virginia
Date/Time Fri., Oct. 4, 2013 | 7 p.m.
Location Charlottesville, Va. | Klockner Stadium
Multimedia Cavaliers Live Video ($) | GameTracker
Additional Information Purchase Tickets | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s soccer team takes on Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. Friday at Klöckner Stadium in the teams’ first-ever contest as ACC rivals. It marks just the third meeting between the two programs and the first in 11 years.

Records
Virginia: 5-3-1 (ACC: 1-2-1/4 points)
Pitt: 0-5-2 (ACC: 0-4-0/0 points)

Ticket Information
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors and faculty/staff. Group ticket orders of 20 or more tickets are $4.

Broadcast Information
A live video broadcast will be available via the Cavaliers Live subscription on VirginiaSports.com.

Live statistics (GameTracker) can be found on VirginiaSports.com, as well the new Virginia Sports app, which is available free of charge through iTunes.

Parking Information
Free parking is available in the University Hall, John Paul Jones Arena, McCue and Cage lots.

Virginia-Pitt Series
Virginia and Pittsburgh have met just twice previously, with the Cavaliers winning both games. The Cavaliers won 3-0 at home to open the 1982 season and also topped the Panthers 2-0 on Nov. 5, 2002, at Klöckner Stadium.

The Grind Continues
Virginia is in the midst of its busiest and most demanding portion of the 2013 schedule. UVa is playing its seventh match in 22 days on Friday. The Cavaliers play a pair of ACC games next week before getting a week off prior to their Oct. 18 match at Virginia Tech.

Unbeaten Streak Reaches Five As UVa Tops VCU in 2OT
Eric Bird scored the golden goal with 3:20 left in double overtime to propel Virginia to a 2-1 triumph over No. 23 VCU Tuesday evening at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers ran their unbeaten streak to five matches, including three consecutive wins. Bird also had an assist on Darius Madison’s first-half goal.

The Cavaliers out-shot VCU 18-7 and put seven shots on goal, while the Rams recorded five shots on goal. UVa took all four of the shots in the overtime periods. During the five-match unbeaten streak, UVa has outscored its foes 14-4 and out-shot them 84-31.

Virginia Stands Sixth in First NCAA RPI
Virginia is ranked No. 6 in the first NCAA RPI report for the 2013 season. The report was released on Monday, prior to UVa’s game against VCU, which is 25th in the initial ratings. The Cavaliers’ first nine opponents this season all are ranked among the top 70 in the RPI, while 15 of UVa’s 17 regular-season foes are amongst the top 70, including 10 in the top 40.

Offense Keeps Rolling
Virginia has scored at least two goals in each of its last six matches, with 16 goals in that span. This is the first time UVa has scored two or more goals in six straight games since Sept. 29-Oct. 17, 2004. No UVa team has done so in seven straight games since the 2002 season. The Cavaliers tallied three goals in their first three matches combined this year.

Pitt has not allowed more than two goals in any of its seven matches this season.

Plenty of Offensive Threats
Virginia has scored 19 goals in nine games this season. Eleven different players have scored. UVa had 11 different goal scorers during the entire 2012 season. Eric Bird leads the Cavaliers with four goals on the year and is tied with Jordan Allen with a team-best three assists.

Bird Among ACC Leaders
Eric Bird has been a major catalyst on offense and ranks among the ACC top 10 in goals, assists and points. He is tied for seventh in the ACC with four goals, ninth with three assists and third with 11 points. Bird already has topped his goal and point totals from his first two years combined (3 goals, 9 points).

Quality Opponents Line UVa Schedule
Eleven of UVa’s 17 opponents this season are currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest NSCAA poll. UVa’s first four opponents all are currently ranked in the NSCAA poll: Louisville (17), St. John’s (14), Clemson (13) and Wake Forest (24).

UVa still has matches on the docket with Notre Dame (2), Maryland (7) and North Carolina (12). Boston College, George Mason, Providence and VCU – also on the UVa schedule – are receiving votes in the NSCAA poll.

Noting Pitt
Pitt is 0-5-2 this season following a 2-1 home loss to Xavier Tuesday night. The Panthers hold an 0-4 record in their inaugural season in the ACC. Pitt has gotten a goal from four different players this year. Dan Lynd has played every minute in goal this year for Pitt, recording 43 saves.

While the Panthers are winless, they have been in all seven matches, with each of their five defeats coming by two goals or fewer.

Up Next
Virginia plays a pair of ACC matches next week, traveling to Duke Tuesday (Oct. 8) before returning home to play No. 7 Maryland Friday (Oct. 11) in the programs’ final regular-season match as ACC foes.

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