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Men’s soccer: No. 16 Virginia hosts No. 5 UNC Friday

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The No. 16 Virginia men’s soccer team entertains fifth-ranked North Carolina at 7 p.m. Friday in the Cavaliers’ regular-season finale. Prior to the match, UVA will conduct Senior Day ceremonies for its quartet of fourth-years, Andrew Freschi, Marcus Salandy-Defour, Scott Thomsen and Todd Wharton.

Records
Virginia: 9-3-2 (ACC: 4-2-1/13 points)
North Carolina: 14-1-1 (ACC: 6-1-0/18 points)

Broadcast Information
A live video broadcast is available through a Cavaliers Live subscription on VirginiaSports.com. A link to live statistics (GameTracker) also can be located at VirginiaSports.com.

Tickets/Parking
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors and faculty/staff. Group ticket orders of 20 or more tickets are $4 (available in advance). Free parking is available in the University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena lots.

Promotions
• Food and Pepsi products for the first 500 UVA students
• Pre-Game Kid Zone – Enjoy inflatables, a face painter and balloon artist for one hour prior to the start of the game
• Sabre Rewards night (student rewards) – Food and Pepsi products for the first 500 students

Virginia-North Carolina Series
Virginia is 34-39-9 all-time versus North Carolina. The last meeting took place in 2014, when then-No. 21 Virginia tied 1-1 at No. 6 UNC. Then-senior Eric Bird scored UVA’s goal, which was its first against UNC since 2008. Ten of the last 11 meetings have been decided by one goal or a draw. North Carolina is unbeaten in its last eight matches with Virginia. UVA’s last win against UNC came on Oct. 3, 2008, 1-0 in Chapel Hill.

League Race Ends This Weekend
With a 4-2-1 ACC record (13 points), UVA sits in fourth place overall on the ACC table. The top four teams in the final standings earn home-field advantage in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. UVA can clinch a quarterfinal home match with a win Friday. By virtue of its Coastal Division championship, UNC has earned one of the top two seeds in the tournament. The Tar Heels can clinch the top seed with a win Friday.

Cavaliers Down Virginia Tech, 1-0
Virginia used a 12th-minute goal from freshman Derrick Etienne to earn a 1-0 win over Virginia Tech last Friday in Blacksburg. UVA extended its unbeaten streak against Virginia Tech to 11 matches (8-0-3). The Cavaliers have not lost to the Hokies since Oct. 29, 2005. Virginia goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell tied a career high with five saves as he recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season.

Sullivan Remains the Iron Man
Sheldon Sullivan has been a constant force on UVA’s back line of defense over the past two seasons. After starting all 23 matches and playing all 2,174 minutes during his redshirt freshman season in 2014, Sullivan again has not stepped off the pitch this year. He is one of four Cavaliers to start all 14 games this year, but the only one to play all 1,300 minutes.

Virginia Extends Streak of Winning Seasons
Virginia has clinched its 35th straight winning season, the longest current streak in Division I men’s soccer. It also is tied for the fifth-longest streak of winning seasons in NCAA history. UVA has won seven national championships during that span.

Noting North Carolina
North Carolina has clinched the ACC Coastal Division championship. The Tar Heels downed Northeastern, 1-0, Tuesday. The Tar Heels boast one of the nation’s top offenses. Tucker Hume leads the ACC with nine goals and 22 points. Alan Winn is tied for seventh in the ACC with 16 total points on six goals and four assists.

Virginia Stands No. 25 in RPI
Virginia ranks No. 25 in the NCAA’s latest RPI figures (released Monday). Eight of Virginia’s 15 opponents are ranked among the top 40. North Carolina is No. 3 in the latest RPI. The RPI is a key tool used in the NCAA’s selection process for the NCAA tournament.

Up Next: ACC Tournament
Virginia has clinched a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament, which kicks off next Wednesday with seeds 7-10. UVA’s first match will be played on Sunday, Nov. 8. The top four seeds will host the matches.

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