Weekly Release
2022 NCAA Tournament Bracket
ACC Statistics
GREENSBORO, NC (theACC.com) – NCAA Men’s College Cup berths are on the line Saturday, as Duke, Pitt and Syracuse compete in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Each of the schools will host quarterfinal matches Saturday, with the winners advancing to the NCAA Men’s College Cup, which begins Friday, Dec. 9, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
No. 7 seed Duke entertains Creighton at 1 pm Saturday, while Pitt, after consecutive road victories, returns home to play Portland at 1 pm No. 3 seed Syracuse plays host to Vermont at 2 pm Saturday. The ACC is the only conference to have multiple teams remaining in the tournament field.
Duke is seeking its sixth NCAA College Cup berth, but its first since 2004. Syracuse (2015) and Pitt (2020) each have appeared in one College Cup previously.
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 3 – NCAA Quarterfinals
Creighton at No. 7 Duke | ESPN+ | 1 p.m
Portland at Pitt | ESPN+ | 1 p.m
Vermont at No. 3 Syracuse | ESPN+ | 2 p.m
Friday, Dec. 9 – NCAA College Cup
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC
Creighton/Duke vs. Vermont/Syracuse | ESPNU | 6/8:30 p.m
Portland/Pitt vs. Indiana/UNC Greensboro | ESPNU | 6/8:30 p.m
Monday, Dec. 12 – NCAA College Cup Championship Game
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC
Noting ACC Men’s Soccer
• Eight ACC teams earned bids to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the most of any conference in this tournament. The ACC also claimed four of the top eight national seeds: ACC champion Syracuse (3), Virginia (4), Clemson (6) and Duke (7).
• This marks the 10th straight season in which the ACC placed the most teams in the tournament and the 22nd consecutive season in which at least five league teams earned a bid.
• ACC teams have won 18 NCAA men’s soccer championships, including nine since 2001. Clemson is the reigning champion after capturing its first national championship since 1987 last season (third in program history).
• The ACC had two of the four teams in the 2021 NCAA Men’s College Cup (Clemson, Notre Dame) and has had at least one conference team in the Men’s College Cup in 20 of the last 21 seasons.
• Six current ACC programs have won at least one national championship, the most of any conference. Eleven different league programs have reached the Men’s College Cup. Sixty-one ACC teams have reached the Men’s College Cup all-time.
• Virginia has won seven NCAA men’s soccer championships, which is the third most all-time. Clemson (3), North Carolina (2), Duke (1), Notre Dame (1) and Wake Forest (1) also won titles.
• Syracuse won the 2022 ACC Championship on Nov. 13, downing Clemson, 2-0, in Cary, NC It was SU’s second ACC crown (2015).
• In the last six ACC tournaments, there have been six different champions (Wake Forest, Louisville, Virginia, Clemson, Notre Dame, Syracuse).
• Syracuse (11 games, 8-0-3) owns the ACC’s longest active unbeaten streak.
• Syracuse won the Atlantic Division title for the first time since 2014, although this is its first outright title.
• In the final NCAA RPI release, four ACC teams were among the top 10 and five were in the top 25. Both totals were the most of any conference. Syracuse finished no. 1 in the RPI.
• Five ACC teams were ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. That is the most of any league. Nine ACC teams have been ranked at some point this season.
• Syracuse was no. 3 in the latest USC poll, followed by Duke (4), Virginia (11), Clemson (18) and Wake Forest (20).
• Seven ACC teams rank among the top 30 nationally in strength of schedule: Virginia (1), Louisville (2), Pitt (4), Clemson (5), Boston College (7), Syracuse (15) and North Carolina (26) ).
• Duke (0.444) leads the nation in fewest goals allowed per game, while Syracuse (0.579) is third.
• BC’s Stefan Sigurdarson is seventh nationally in goals with 12. Duke’s Shakur Mohammed and Syracuse’s Levonte Johnson are tied for first nationally in game-winning goals (six). Virginia’s Leo Afonso (four) is 11th in game-winning goals.
• Duke goalkeeper Eliot Hamill is second nationally in goals-against average (0.471). Syracuse’s Russell Shealy is 10th (0.636). Hamill ranks second nationally in shutouts (11).
• Pitt’s Filip Mirkovic is sixth nationally in assists (12).
• Seven ACC head coaches rank among the top 50 in NCAA Division I in career wins by active head coaches: Clemson’s Mike Noonan (seventh, 377), UVA’s George Gelnovatch (ninth, 361), Pitt’s Jay Vidovich (15th, 340), Duke’s John Kerr (34th, 230), Syracuse’s Ian McIntyre, 38th, 227), NC State’s George Keifer (47th, 205) and Wake’s Bobby Muuss (49th, 203).