No. 1 Virginia Hosts Pitt in ACC Action on Friday Night
Virginia Master Plan | Watch | Live Stats | Ticket Information | Clear Bag Policy | UVA Game Notes
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – In the midst of a three-game home stand, top-ranked Virginia (11-0-1, 4-0-1 ACC) will square off against Pitt (6-5-2, 2-2-1 ACC) on Friday night (Oct. 18) at Klöckner Stadium. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on ACCNX.
Game Coverage: ACCNX streams via the ESPN App and is available to authenticated subscribers of ACC Network. Links for the live stream and in-game live stats are available on VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also follow the Virginia men’s soccer official twitter account (@UVAMenSoccer) for in-game updates.
TICKET INFORMATION
For all regular season home games, reserved single-game tickets can be purchased for $8 online and in advance, and $10 at the box office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 online and in advance, and $8 at the box office on game day.
ALUMNI WEEKEND CELEBRATION
As part of the program’s alumni weekend celebration, Virginia will honor the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 2009 National Championship teams with pregame and halftime recognitions.
FOR STARTERS
• Friday’s match is a rematch of the 2018 ACC First Round match that ended with a 2-0 Pitt victory.
• A win against Pitt and a North Carolina loss at Wake Forest clinches the Coastal Division for Virginia.
• The Cavaliers are one of seven teams nationally without a loss this season.
• The Virginia defense leads the country in goals against average (0.16), save percentage (.938) and shutouts (10).
• Virginia is 8-0 at home this season and has won nine-straight matches at Klöckner Stadium dating back to last season.
• Seeking their fifth conference win, the Cavaliers have won five or more ACC games four times (2000, 2001, 2005, 2006) under George Gelnovatch.
POSTSEASON IMPLICATIONS
• Virginia currently leads all ACC teams with 13 points (five wins, one draw).
• Since the current two-division format started in 2014, Virginia has not finished higher than second (2016) in the Coastal Division Championship.
• The Coastal Division and the Atlantic Division Champions are locked into the top two seeds in the ACC Tournament. The top four seeds receive a first-round bye.
• Virginia’s last regular season championship came in 2001. George Gelnovatch has two regular season titles (1996, 2001) and four ACC Tournament Championships (1997, 2003, 2004, 2009) in his tenure.
AGAINST PITT
• The Panthers handed Virginia its first ever loss in the first round of the ACC Tournament last Fall.
• Since the loss, Virginia has won nine-straight matches at Klöckner Stadium.
• Edward Kizza, the ACC’s leading scorer last season scored both goals in the second half to help the Panthers to their first ever win over the Cavaliers.
No. 1
• For the third-straight week Virginia is the country’s consensus No. 1 team. It marks the first time since 1996 that the Cavaliers have been No. 1 for three-consecutive weeks.
• In the first edition of the NCAA RPI, Virginia secured the top-spot with nine ACC teams ranked in the top-30.
• The ACC has five teams in the United Soccer Coaches top-25, no other league has more than three.
Captain’s Impact
•Captains Robin Afamefuna and Joe Bell have been mainstays on the pitch for the Cavaliers in recent years. Bell has started every game of his career, a span of 50 matches while Afamefuna has started 35-consecutive matches.
• The duo has been on the field for all but four minutes of the last 29 games, a stretch that includes 21 wins and 19 shutouts.
RECORD CHASING
• Goalkeeper Colin Shutler was credited with his 18th career shutout on Tuesday, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on the program’s career shutout list.
• Shutler has 18 shutouts in 27 career starts for the Cavaliers.
• The redshirt junior is also the NCAA’s active leader with a career goals against average (0.46) which is the third lowest in UVA history.
All-Time Career Shutouts at UVA
3. Diego Restrepo 24
4. Jeff Caldwell (2014-17) 23
Bob Willen (1984-87) 23
6. David Comfort (1999-02) 19
7. Colin Shutler (2017-19) 18
Career Goals Against Average at UVA
1. Tony Meola (1988-89) 0.34 *NCAA Record
2. Bob Willen (1984-87) 0.40
3. Colin Shutler (2007-19 0.46
4. Diego Restrepo (2009-10) 0.51
5. Keith Lenert (1982-85) 0.72
COACHING WINS
• Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch (328 wins) is tied with Boston College head coach Ed Kelly (328 wins) for the most career wins among active ACC head coaches.
• Gelnovatch’s surpassed Sasho Cirovski (321 wins) back on Sept. 20. for sole possession of third place on the all-time ACC coaching wins list.
• Gelnovatch is in his 24th season at the helm and owns the 7th-highest winning percentage (.693) among active NCAA coaches and the highest among ACC Coaches (minimum 10 years coaching).
•Gelnovatch has won 10 or more games in all 24 seasons at the helm and the program has won 10 or more games in 39-straight seasons. Only Maryland’s Sasho Cirovski has more consecutive 10+ win seasons (25) among active NCAA head coaches.