Midfielder Tsubasa Endoh slides to knock the ball away from a Virginia defender during the Terps’ 2-1 win over Virginia in the NCAA tournament semifinals on Dec. 13, 2013 at PPL Park.

CHESTER, Pa. — In 2009, Virginia dominated the Terrapins men’s soccer team in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals to advance to the College Cup in Cary, N.C.

The loss left Sasho Cirovski disappointed and devastated. So much so that the coach said he didn’t get over it until Friday night — four years removed from the early exit.

The No. 5-seed Terps defeated the No. 8-seed Cavaliers, 2-1, in an exciting NCAA tournament semifinal match at PPL Park in Chester, Pa., earning them a spot in the championship game Sunday afternoon against No. 3-seed Notre Dame.

Cirovski and the Terps faced the Cavaliers six times between the loss in 2009 and the victory last night, compiling a 4-1-1 record, including two ACC tournament wins, but the coach said none of those games satisfied his need for payback.

Friday night provided everything he desired, and then some.

“We lost to them in 2009,” Cirovski said Friday, “and I said, ‘[I wouldn’t get over that loss] until we play them at this level or higher in the NCAA tournament.’ So today, I’m officially over that loss.”

Despite his happiness, Cirovski noted the respect he has for the Cavaliers. Friday night was the last time the two teams would meet as conference opponents, and it was a fitting way to conclude what the coach has often called the best rivalry in college soccer.

“[Cavaliers coach] George Gelnovatch is a good friend of mine,” Cirovski said. “He’s a great coach. We have great relationships and friendships with their players. We battle it out every year it seems for the ACC tournament. But we haven’t played this deep [in the tournament] and to beat them on a stage like this today is satisfying.”

Scheduling for future seasons is still up in the air, but Gelnovatch said the two teams would undoubtedly cross paths in the years to come.

“I know they’re not in our conference anymore, but given the nature of the programs, we’re almost guaranteed to bump into each other in the playoffs,” Gelnovatch said. “We’re not on each others schedules for the immediate future, but given where we are, our programs in the NCAA tournament and regionally, we’re almost bound to run into each other in the NCAA tournament.”