Streaking UVa hosts Bucknell

About midway through the ACC season, Virginia men’s soccer coach George Gelnovatch said that whatever team could improve the most was going to emerge as the league’s best outfit.

Well, it was just about that time that Gelnovatch’s squad caught fire. The Cavaliers went on to win the ACC tournament and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Today, Virginia (14-3-3) looks to keep things going when it hosts visiting Bucknell in the second round of the NCAAs. The winner moves on to face the N.C. State-Portland winner.

The Cavaliers are unbeaten in their last 11 games, have shut out their last eight opponents and have not allowed a goal in 837 minutes and 34 seconds.

Bucknell (17-5-0), the Patriot League champion, is coming off a first-round win over Princeton.

Virginia and Bucknell are no strangers. UVa defeated the Bison in the 2006 NCAA tournament, 4-0.

“I think they’re a better team,” said Gelnovatch, whose team earned a first-round bye. “Look, any time you play a conference champion, they’re there for a reason.

“We’ll just need to be focused and play the way we’ve been playing and take it from there.”

Already the single-season record holder for shutouts in a season with 12, Virginia goalie Diego Restrepo is also approaching the scoreless minutes school record (891 minutes and 25 seconds, set by Tony Meola in 1988).

Defensively, the Cavaliers lead the nation with a goals-against average of 0.33. Restrepo ranks second in the nation with a goals-against average of 0.34.

Offensively, freshman Will Bates leads the team with eight goals and an assist, followed by Tony Tchani with six goals.

Virginia will have to keep an eye on Bucknell senior Conor O’Brien.

“He’s definitely one of the guys that makes them go — not only in scoring goals, but in leadership,” Gelnovatch said. “He’s a guy we’ll have to pay attention to.”