No. 18 Virginia Sets Sights on ACC Coastal Title at North Carolina Friday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 18 Virginia men’s soccer team (9-4-2, 5-1-1 ACC) is set to take on North Carolina (7-4-4, 2-2-3 ACC) as the Cavaliers look to clinch the ACC Coastal Division title with a win in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Friday (Oct. 28). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday night’s match against North Carolina will be streamed on ACCNX which is available through the ESPN app and at WatchESPN.com for customers who have the ACC Network as a part of their television subscription. Live stats are also available and links to both the live stats and broadcast are available at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official Twitter account (@UVAMenSoccer).

 ACC IMPLICATIONS

• Virginia currently sits atop the ACC overall standings tied on 16 points with Syracuse
• A head-to-head victory over the Orange puts Virginia ahead of Syracuse in the race for ACC Tournament’s top seed
• The Cavaliers can clinch sole possession of the ACC Coastal Division title with a win or a Duke loss to Virginia Tech
• With a loss, Virginia can still hold on to a share of the title in the event of a Duke draw
• Virginia was picked to finish last in the ACC Coastal Division this season after finishing at the bottom in 2021
• The Cavaliers have clinched a top-four finish in the ACC to earn a first-round bye in the tournament
• In addition to the division title, a win for Virginia would clinch the top seed in the ACC Tournament

THE CENTURY MARK

• Virginia’s win over Wake Forest marked head coach George Gelnovatch’s 99th ACC victory in his 27 years at the helm
• A win over North Carolina would make Gelnovatch the second coach in conference history to record 100 ACC wins and the first to accomplish the feat at one school
• Pitt’s Jay Vidovich accomplished the feat this season with a combined win total across his time at Wake Forest and Pitt
• Gelnovatch currently holds a mark of 99-72-33 in ACC play

NOTING THE CAVALIERS

• UVA enters the match ranked No. 18 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll – its highest of the season
• Virginia is looking for its sixth ACC win of the season – the program has reached that total five times (1984, 1985, 2001, 2005, 2019)
• Virginia’s Leo Afonso was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (Oct. 25) after his game-winning goal against Wake Forest
• Afonso’s 15 points leads the team, his six goals tie Kome Ubogu for the highest tally of any Cavalier this season
• Virginia is 6-0 when Afonso registers a goal this season
• Afonso ranks second in the ACC with four game-winning goals
• The Cavaliers rank second in the ACC with seven shutouts this season

HISTORY WITH THE HEELS

• Friday’s match will be the 89th meeting between the two programs – North Carolina leads the series 36-42-10
• Though the Cavaliers have a winning record in the series at home, the Hoos are 15-23-4 in Chapel Hill
• The last goal Virginia scored against the Tar Heels came at Klöckner Stadium in 2019, an overtime winner in the 100th minute from then-freshman Andreas Ueland – his first career goal
• The 2019 victory secured Virginia’s first coastal division title – The Cavaliers have the chance to clinch their second coastal title, once again at the hands of UNC with a win Friday
• Virginia’s last win in Chapel Hill came in 2016 when the Cavaliers won by a margin of 2-1

ON THE HORIZON
Virginia will turn its attention to the ACC Tournament. After a first-round bye, the Cavaliers will host a quarterfinal matchup on Sunday (Nov. 6) at Klöckner Stadium. The match will air on ACC Network.