Men's Soccer NCAA College Cup ACCtion: Virginia Earns Sixth NCAA crown and Third-Straight for ACC
The ACC has now collected three national titles in 2009.
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Diego Restrepo, who posted his school record extending 16th shutout of the season in the final, was named the College Cup's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Diego Restrepo, who posted his school record extending 16th shutout of the season in the final, was named the College Cup's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Dec. 13, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 2 Virginia men’s soccer team captured its sixth NCAA Championship, and first since 1994, with a 3-2 penalty kick shootout win over top-ranked Akron following a 0-0 draw in the 2009 NCAA Championship final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The Cavaliers (19-3-3) ended the season on a 16-game unbeaten streak.

The title was the sixth for the Cavaliers in program history, having won the championship in 1989 and from 1991-94, while it marked the third national crown already for the ACC during the 2009-2010 season (Field Hockey, Women’s Soccer and Men’s Soccer).

In addition, the league boasts 14 NCAA Men’s Soccer national titles, including three-straight and four of the past five (Virginia ’09, Maryland ‘08, Wake Forest ‘07, & Maryland ‘05), and has appeared in the championship game on 21 occasions.

Since its inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 116 national championships, including 62 in women’s competition and 54 in men’s, the most recent coming in women’s soccer (North Carolina ’09).

The ACC led all conferences with seven teams selected to the 2009 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament field of 48 and owned 75 percent (3-of-4) College Cup teams (North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest). The league also finished with an impressive 15-2-1 record against non-conference opponents in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Four of the seven ACC teams receiving a bid earned a top 16 national seed, including three of the top five spots. Virginia (2), Wake Forest (3), North Carolina (5) and NC State (15) earned byes, while Boston College, Duke and Maryland received at-large invites.

Since seeding began in 1994, the ACC has been awarded the top seed 10 of the possible 16 years.

ACC teams finished 76-20-7 against non-conference opposition during the 2009 season, a winning percentage of .772, and six of the league nine men’s soccer programs were ranked in the RPI Top 30, topping all other conferences in the country.

For more information on the Atlantic Coast Conference or ACC men’s soccer, visit theACC.com.