#3 Syracuse, #11 Virginia Set For ACC Semifinals

Game Details: Wednesday, November 9, Syracuse, N.Y., 5 p.m.
Live Video: ACCN
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 2 seed Syracuse men's soccer hosts an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Semifinal for the first time in program history on Wednesday, Nov. 9 against the No. 3 seed Virginia. The contest kicks off at 5 p.m. and is being televised nationally on ACC Network. Gates open at 4 p.m. and tickets are $10 for the general public, $5 for youth ages under 18 and senior citizens, and free for Syracuse students with a valid Syracuse University ID.

The Orange play in the ACC Championship Semifinal for the first time since 2015. 'Cuse is 1-1 in ACC Championship Semifinal matches, beating Clemson 2-0 in 2015 and losing to Louisville 1-2 in 2014.

ORANGE UPDATE:

Head coach Ian McIntyre's squad checks in at No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. Syracuse is 13-2-3 on the season, the most wins since 2015. In the NCAA's latest RPI Top-25, the Orange are the No. 4 team in the nation. Virginia is ranked just above 'Cuse at No. 3 in the RPI.

Nathan Opoku and Levonte Johnson are one of the best attacking duos in the nation. Both forwards have scored a squad-leading eight goals. Johnson leads the Orange in points with 22 and assists with six.

Goalkeeper Russell Shealy leads one of the best defensive units in the ACC. Syracuse ranks second in the ACC in goals allowed with 10, second in goals against average with a mark of .56, and second in clean sheets with nine.

LAST TIME OUT:

The Orange won their first ACC Championship match since 2019 with an 86^th minute winner from Johnson against North Carolina in the quarterfinals.

Both backlines shined throughout the 90 minutes, as Syracuse was held to a season-low five shots and the visiting Tar Heels were kept to a clean sheet.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS:

Virginia is 10-4-3 on the season with a 5-1-2 record in ACC play. The Cavaliers join Syracuse and Duke as the only teams in the conference with an undefeated road record.

Head coach Greg Gelnovatch is in his 27^th season at the helm of the Virginia men's soccer program. He has a 361-152-64 record and led the Cavaliers to national titles in 2009 and 2014.

Virginia took down Pittsburgh 1-0 in the ACC Championship Quarterfinals. The Cavaliers pulled ahead in the 21^st minute with a strike from Reese Miller. Goalkeeper Holden Brown finished the match with a season-high nine saves.

THE SERIES:

The semifinal represents the ninth meeting between the two programs. Virginia leads the series, 5-2-1, as the Orange last beat the Cavaliers in 2021.

Syracuse is looking to avenge one of its two losses in the 2022 campaign, as the Cavaliers beat the Orange 1-0 in their first meeting of the season on Sept. 24. Junior midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski was sent off in the 22^nd minute after receiving a second yellow card, forcing 'Cuse to play with ten-men for the rest of the match. The Cavaliers snatched all three points in the closing moments with a goal from Leo Afonso.

UP NEXT:

If the Orange win on Wednesday night, they would advance to the ACC Championship Final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Sunday, Nov. 13. The final is scheduled for a noon kick-off and will be televised live on ESPNU.

For all the latest updates on Syracuse men's soccer follow us on Instagram (CuseMsoc), Twitter (CuseMsoc), and Facebook (CuseMSOC).

Syracuse University Athletics

#3 Syracuse, #11 Virginia Set For ACC Semifinals

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