No. 1 Clemson Readies For Clash With No. 2 Virginia

The top-ranked, top-seeded Clemson Tigers (16-1-1) will meet the second-ranked, second-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (16-1-1) in the ACC Tournament Final on Sunday in Cary, N.C. at 12 p.m. The match will bring the nation’s best offense and one of the nation’s best defenses together. The Clemson Tigers have averaged 3.56 goals per game, while the Cavaliers allow 0.33 goals per game on average. This is the fifth time that the two schools will play in the ACC Tournament Final.

Game #19 Information

Who: No. 1 Clemson Tigers (16-1-1) vs. No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (16-1-1)

Where: Sahlen’s Stadium // WakeMed Soccer Park // Cary, N.C.

When: Sunday, Nov. 12 at 12 p.m.

Watch the match live on ESPNU.

Series Notes

• Sunday’s match will be the 59th meeting between the two schools.
• The first meeting in the series was on Oct. 22, 1968, with the sides drawing, 2-2.
• Clemson is 24-28-6 overall against the Cavaliers. Despite trailing the series, Clemson has outscored Virginia, 91-79.
• Clemson has scored in 42 of the 58 matches in the series. 
• The Tigers’ largest margin of victory against the Cavaliers was in its 5-0 victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 9, 1973.
• This is the 12th time the teams meet while both being ranked within the top 10 nationally.
• This is the third time the teams meet while both being ranked within the top five nationally.
• This is the first time the teams meet while occupying the nation’s top two positions. 
• Sunday’s match will be the ninth meeting between the two teams during ACC Tournament play.
• The Tigers have competed in seven championships matches. The two sides have met four times in the ACC Final, making Virginia the team’s most common ACC Championship opponent.
• The last time that the teams met in the Final, Clemson won, 1-0. That match decided the 2001 ACC Championship.

Clemson Notes

• Clemson’s No. 1 ranking earlier this week is complemented by the team slotting into the fourth position in the NCAA RPI.
• This is the first time since the Sept. 18, 2006 poll that Clemson has earned the No. 1 ranking.
• Head Coach Mike Noonan is experiencing the best start to a season during his tenure at Clemson. During his time at Clemson, Noonan has guided the Tigers to 17 appearances in the poll’s top three spots.
• Clemson is led in scoring, assists and points by Robbie Robinson, a junior from Camden, S.C. 
• Clemson is home to the nation’s most prolific scoring offense, with the team averaging 3.56 goals per game. 
• Clemson leads the country in six statistical categories and is ranked in the top 20 of six additional categories. 
• The Clemson goalkeepers have combined to log ten shutouts during the season, with George Marks leading the charge by registering seven of his own.
• The captains for this year’s squad are Tanner Dieterich, Malick Mbaye, and Nolan Lennon. Dieterich is in his third year as a captain for the squad.

Virginia Notes

• Virginia is back in the ACC Championship game for the second time in three seasons.
• The Cavaliers are led by George Gelnovatch. Gelnovatch is in his 24th season as head coach at Virginia. 
• Clemson is Virginia's third first-time opponent in the ACC Tournament. The Cavaliers did not face Syracuse (quarterfinal) or Wake Forest (semifinal) during the 2019 regular season.
• Clemson is the second No. 1 ranked team Virginia will face in 2019.
• Virginia is led in scoring by Daryl Dike, who has seven goals and seven assists on the year. Nathaniel Crofts has netted five goals this season, all of which were game-winning scores.
• Colin Shutler has started in net all 18 matches for the Cavaliers, making 45 saves and allowing six goals. 
• Virginia has allowed multiple goals in a match only one time this season, falling to Pitt, 0-2.